The Jade Helm presidency has finally arrived, a full-blown authoritarian takeover of the US government in all but name. It's not hyperbole to say that this is the worst year for journalism in modern US history.
When we first wrote about Jade Helm 15 back in 2015, it was easy to see why the far right had become so panicked. The Pentagon's military training exercise in sparsely populated areas of the South seemed like the perfect pretext for a conspiracy theory. Alex Jones and his InfoWars empire were quick to sound the alarm, claiming that Obama was planning a federal takeover.
Fast forward to today, and it's clear that the Jade Helm panic was just the calm before the storm. Trump's Department of Homeland Security has become a powerful tool for silencing dissenting voices and cracking down on perceived enemies of the state.
From deportations in Chicago to the deployment of masked agents in American cities, DHS has become an instrument of intimidation and control. The notion that simply opposing the president's immigration policy is reason enough to warrant summary execution is now on the lips of many right-wing commentators.
The surveillance state has reached new heights, with DHS amassing a vast network of intelligence and surveillance apparatus at its disposal. Phone-cracking tools like Cellebrite are being used to track down suspects, while smartphone-based face recognition makes anyone who's been recorded as a potential threat.
It's not just the government that's getting in on the action, either. The National Rifle Association has been forced to defend Alex Pretti's right to bear arms after his death at the hands of DHS agents, and conservative commentators are now openly calling for violence against anyone who opposes Trump's agenda.
In short, the Jade Helm presidency is not just a metaphor – it's our reality. And unless we take action to defend democracy, it will only get worse.
The Intercept needs your support to continue its mission of fact-based reporting in a world that's increasingly hostile to truth and journalism. Will you help us expand our reporting capacity in time to hit the ground running in 2026?
When we first wrote about Jade Helm 15 back in 2015, it was easy to see why the far right had become so panicked. The Pentagon's military training exercise in sparsely populated areas of the South seemed like the perfect pretext for a conspiracy theory. Alex Jones and his InfoWars empire were quick to sound the alarm, claiming that Obama was planning a federal takeover.
Fast forward to today, and it's clear that the Jade Helm panic was just the calm before the storm. Trump's Department of Homeland Security has become a powerful tool for silencing dissenting voices and cracking down on perceived enemies of the state.
From deportations in Chicago to the deployment of masked agents in American cities, DHS has become an instrument of intimidation and control. The notion that simply opposing the president's immigration policy is reason enough to warrant summary execution is now on the lips of many right-wing commentators.
The surveillance state has reached new heights, with DHS amassing a vast network of intelligence and surveillance apparatus at its disposal. Phone-cracking tools like Cellebrite are being used to track down suspects, while smartphone-based face recognition makes anyone who's been recorded as a potential threat.
It's not just the government that's getting in on the action, either. The National Rifle Association has been forced to defend Alex Pretti's right to bear arms after his death at the hands of DHS agents, and conservative commentators are now openly calling for violence against anyone who opposes Trump's agenda.
In short, the Jade Helm presidency is not just a metaphor – it's our reality. And unless we take action to defend democracy, it will only get worse.
The Intercept needs your support to continue its mission of fact-based reporting in a world that's increasingly hostile to truth and journalism. Will you help us expand our reporting capacity in time to hit the ground running in 2026?
! Trump's DHS is like something out of a dystopian movie - all this surveillance and intimidation stuff is straight up scary 
. I mean, who needs that kind of control over ppl just cuz they disagree with the prez? 
it's like, chill guys, we're supposed to have free speech and a free press around here 
. And what's with all these right-wing commentators calling for violence against ppl who oppose them? 
that's not America anymore 
... we need more fact-based reporting like The Intercept is doing, 'cause honestly, I'm getting so tired of all this fake news and conspiracy theories 
. Trump's DHS is supposed to be about keeping us safe, not silencing dissenting voices 
. Can't we just agree to disagree without resorting to violence or paranoia? 
I'm literally freaking out right now!! this is like something straight outta a dystopian novel, I mean Jade Helm was just a training exercise back in the day but now it's all about silencing dissenting voices and cracking down on perceived enemies of the state... and phone-cracking tools are being used to track people down?!?! that's some 1984 level stuff right there 
we cant let them silence us with all these "national security" excuses 
we need ppl like them to keep holding the gov accountable 
. The thought that DHS is using phone-cracking tools to track people down is just wild 
. Can we make it happen, though? 
what about the 2nd amendment rights of americans?! shouldn't trump be working to protect those or is he just trying to consolidate power 
. They're basically creating a police state 
and crushing anyone who speaks out against them 
, and now it's like they have these super powerful phone-cracking tools 
that can track you down in seconds 
.
, saying nothing while everyone gets gunned down 
. It's like, what are we even fighting for anymore? 
The Intercept needs our support 
to keep telling the truth and holding those in power accountable 
.