Fear Isn’t Strategy—It’s the Goal

When speaking the truth becomes a criminal act and justice is used as a weapon, it’s not law and order; it’s authoritarianism in a MAGA hat. Silence isn't compliance; it's surrender.

Guest article by Michael Cohen

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Donald Trump doesn’t lead, he rules. And like any would-be autocrat, he doesn’t rely on ideas, plans, or even basic competence. He rules through fear. Manufactured, deployed, and enforced like a goddamn business model. I was Act One in that play; Trump's original cautionary tale. The fixer turned witness. The loyalist turned enemy. The message was clear: betray me, and I’ll make an example out of you.

But trust me: I'm old news. I was the prototype. What’s happening now is the scaled-up, big-budget sequel. And the plot? Silence every voice of dissent. Not just former employees like me. Not just journalists or protestors. But sitting mayors. Members of Congress. Entire city governments. Anyone. Everyone.

Let’s start with Chicago, where Mayor Brandon Johnson, a progressive Black leader focused on equity and representation, is suddenly the subject of a federal civil rights investigation. Why? Because he had the nerve to talk openly about hiring Black officials and building an administration that reflects the city’s diversity. In other words: he said the quiet part out loud, and now the DOJ is acting like he’s breaking the law by not filling City Hall with white guys from Lincoln Park.

Let’s not kid ourselves. This isn’t about civil rights violations. It’s about intimidation. About fear. A message from the top: promote equity, and you’ll be dragged through a federal meat grinder.

This is the same play being run just a few states east in Newark, New Jersey. And over there? They’ve kicked the fear-mongering into overdrive.

Mayor Ras Baraka—a guy who’s been a fierce advocate for community-based policing, immigrant protections, and actual accountability—was arrested. Arrested. During a visit to an ICE facility with a group of Democratic lawmakers. Why? Because he had the audacity to do oversight in a building run by the federal government. Apparently, in Trump’s America, showing up where federal abuse might be taking place is now cause for handcuffs.

And as if that weren’t dystopian enough, Representative LaMonica McIver, also from Newark, is now facing federal assault charges. Her crime? Trying to de-escalate a chaotic scene at that same facility, where ICE officers and protesters were clashing and where her own mayor was being cuffed like a criminal. Video shows her trying to mediate, not throwing punches. But enter Alina Habba, Trump’s personal legal pit bull turned U.S. Attorney, ready to slap felony charges on anyone bold enough to challenge Dear Leader’s immigration agenda.

Habba’s running the East Coast intimidation unit like she’s auditioning for a SCOTUS seat in 2028. You want to know what loyalty to Trump looks like in government? It looks like this: turning the justice system into a fear machine aimed at every Democrat with a backbone and a mic. She’s not prosecuting crime; she’s prosecuting dissent.

You don’t have to squint to see the pattern. Target local Black leaders, progressive women, and any public official who challenges the Trump line—especially when it comes to immigration, equity, or oversight. Weaponize the DOJ to scare the hell out of anyone thinking of doing the same. Doesn’t matter if you’re a mayor in a deep-blue city or a freshman congresswoman trying to do her job. If you step out of line, the hammer comes down.

And don’t think this stops with Chicago or Newark. This is a test run. A message to city halls, state houses, and congressional offices across the country: fall in line or you’re next.

It’s personal, too. Because as I said: I was the test case. I was made an example of, not for what I did, but for what I stopped doing: lying for President Trump. The moment I opened my mouth and told the truth under oath, the machine revved up. Indictments. Raids. Smears. Incarceration. Solitary confinement.

This is no longer about loyalty. This is about control. About domination. About gutting the democratic process by making people too afraid to participate.

Speak up about DEI? You’re under investigation. Visit a detention center? Charged with assault. Disagree with Trump’s immigration policies? Congratulations; you’re a target of the state. And don’t expect a fair fight. Trump’s DOJ doesn’t prosecute crimes. It punishes enemies, and no matter what you think, you will lose!

So here we are: a country where doing your job as a journalist, a mayor, or a congresswoman can land you in a holding cell. Where talking about racial equity can get you hauled in for questioning. Where the attorney general is chosen not for independence, but for devotion to one man’s vendetta.

But here’s what they don’t understand: fear is only powerful when it’s silent. When we let it seep into our bones and keep us from speaking, organizing, pushing back. The antidote to fear is truth. Public, loud, defiant truth.

They came for me first, and I survived. Now they’re coming for the rest of us.

The question is: are we going to let them?

Because I’ve seen what happens when you stay silent. And I’ve seen what happens when you speak out. One path leads to tyranny. The other, to freedom. Choose wisely.

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THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PERSONAL NOTE:
ARE YOU WITH ME? I CAN’T DO THIS ALONE!

If you’re reading this, it means you care. You care about truth. About justice. About saving our democracy from the grip of grifters, liars, and power-hungry con men. But let’s be real: I can’t carry this weight on my own.

I’m asking—no, urging—you, my loyal Substack readers, to help grow this platform into a force they can’t ignore. We’re not building a newsletter; we’re building a movement. One loud enough, sharp enough, and relentless enough to push back against the lies and hold the corrupt to account.

Now more than ever, independent journalism needs you. Your support keeps this alive—not corporate sponsors, not shady billionaires with agendas. You.

And yes, as a personal thank you, the first 240 Founding Members will receive a rare, signed, numbered Substack edition of my New York Times bestseller, Revenge: How Donald Trump Weaponized the U.S. Department of Justice Against His Critics. A collector’s item, and a statement.

But this is bigger than a book. It’s about standing up while others stay silent. It’s about building a community that calls out the bullshit and fights like hell for what’s right.

So here’s what you can do:

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Do your part. Stand up. Speak out. The time is now; and together, we will be heard.