Back in the spring of 2015, Texas Governor Greg Abbott decided to call the National Guard into action. They were to keep an eye on military training drills happening in Texas and the southwestern states. His rationale? To make sure that “Texans do not deny their security, constitutional law, private property rights, or civil liberties.”
This exercise, known as Jade Helm, involved about 1,200 special operations personnel stretching across Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado. The terrain was similar to what these soldiers often navigate overseas.
Now, folks in Bastrop, Texas, may not have appreciated being likened to Afghanistan, but, located between Fort Sam Houston and Fort Hood, they seemed somewhat receptive to the military’s presence.
Most, but certainly not all.
Towards the end of the Obama administration, there were those who suspected that the president—whom some believed was a Muslim from Kenya—was gearing up to establish a dictatorship under the influence of globalist forces. For these individuals, Jade Helm was seen as a cover for a larger scheme where the military would take control, perhaps supported by FEMA operating detention centers in abandoned Walmarts.
It felt like a real-life “Red Dawn,” with foreign adversaries—maybe the Chinese—targeting American soil, aided, as they thought, by players in the Oval Office.
You probably haven’t visited Bastrop, Texas, but trust me when I say that Xi Jinping isn’t looking to tighten his grip on this quaint town of fewer than 10,000 residents. I mean, I stayed at the Lost Pines Resort—a nice place with a decent golf course and a surprisingly good club sandwich. It just doesn’t scream “forward operating base” for the People’s Liberation Army.
When the conspiracy theories surfaced, they felt bizarre, but that’s just how some minds work. Back in 1987, a leak from the Miami Herald revealed planning documents involving then-LT. Colonel Oliver North associated with FEMA. At that time, some believed it was a sign of a secret government ready to round up citizens in case of nuclear war.
I found it a bit troubling that figures like Abbott were even engaging with this narrative. I understood his motivations; after all, if Chris Christie managed to gain attention by having a disaster relief tour with Barack Obama, what could Abbott stir up by bringing attention to a supposed Kenyan scheme?
However, it seemed politically risky. When fringe theories start to yield reactions, followers tend to feel validated and empowered. It’s a strange cycle, isn’t it?
Fast forward ten years: Abbott’s actions might not seem so outlandish anymore. Now, it’s a Democratic governor sounding alarms about concentration camps and federal incursions. The National Guard has become a political pawn. The significant difference, though, isn’t just the party shift, but rather how the current federal narrative fuels paranoia without attempting to soothe it.
Recently, President Trump urged military leaders to establish a “rapid response force” to manage civil unrest. He suggested that this initiative would be significant for the military personnel involved.
In cities run by “radical left Democrats,” he argued, troops are sharpening their skills. “That’s a kind of war as well,” he said. He reinforced this notion during a visit to the USS Harry Truman, where he received a warm welcome from sailors as he criticized Democrats.
No need to engage in hypothetical scenarios about Obama’s reactions—imagine if Trump had said such things in his first term. Ten months into his second term, Republican responses and media coverage seemed to downplay any concern. When Trump labels an idea as crazy or harmful, it almost becomes a rallying point for his supporters.
But those apprehensive about Trump’s intentions? They’re not as easily calmed.
Do you really think he would deploy the military against everyday Americans? Probably not. He might attempt something, but it would likely backfire. Do you think his adviser, Stephen Miller, could bypass the judicial system to brand civilian offenders as enemy combatants? Unlikely. I doubt that the administration’s efforts to label the “radical left” as threats will pan out.
And to those Americans convinced that security camps are being built to hold dissenters, I’d offer them the same reassurance I did to those worried about Jade Helm a decade ago. Regardless of your opinions about the President or his administration, you can rely on these two principles: the government asks citizens to believe their narratives, and today, I must advise them against that.
