Anchorage, RussiaGate, and National Guard – Coincidence or Calculation?

One of the keys to President Donald Trump’s political success is his unpredictability. He keeps both domestic opponents and foreign adversaries off balance by refusing to follow the well-worn playbook of his presidential predecessors.

Trump often speaks off the cuff, sometimes exaggerating, and makes statements that stir media frenzy, from joking about buying Canada or Greenland to musing about a third presidential term.

While the press obsesses over his every word, Trump and his team push their agenda quietly, often catching watchers off guard.

Remember his public name-calling contest with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un? While sparring over “whose button is bigger,” Trump was quietly negotiating, ultimately meeting Kim twice and cooling a nuclear standoff that had vexed previous presidents.

As Sun Tzu wrote, “All warfare is based on deception.” Trump seems to understand “The Art of War” as if he had written it himself.

In recent weeks, three striking and unexpected developments have emerged. Each was announced without the usual weeks of media speculation or anonymous leaks. Are they isolated events or opening scenes in a grand drama?

First, the FBI and DOJ released previously classified RussiaGate materials, long thought buried, that suggest a conspiracy to undermine the Trump administration. This was a conspiracy that some legal commentators and even the Director of National Intelligence say could rise to the level of treasonous conspiracy. Public commentary from key figures involved in the matter indicates that this effort may not have ended, thwarting any statute of limitations claims.

Second, the White House announced a Trump-Putin meeting scheduled for this week at a secure U.S. military base in Anchorage, Alaska. The short notice of barely a week left little time to coordinate the logistics, security, and diplomacy needed for two world leaders to meet.

Third, Trump ordered the National Guard into Washington, D.C., citing the need to restore “law and order,” with hints that similar measures might be coming to other high-crime cities. Standing beside him were the Attorney General and the Secretary of Defense, indicating that this was not just a local anti-crime effort but a multi-agency plan coordinated across law enforcement and the military.

None of these actions could have been planned overnight. They required careful coordination and operational security. Yet, remarkably, not a single major media outlet reported on them in advance. Where were the New York Times or Washington Post stories citing “unnamed sources familiar with the matter”? The silence is as notable as the actions themselves.

Three such significant events, all happening in quick succession, invite speculation. Are they unrelated? Or, as the James Bond villain Auric Goldfinger quipped, “Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action.”

Some view the RussiaGate disclosures as the beginning of a long-overdue reckoning for what the Trump administration considers serious crimes against a legitimately elected government. If indictments occur, possibly even targeting high-profile political figures, unrest could happen. Unlike past instances of urban violence, the administration might be preparing National Guard units to respond immediately rather than reactively.

The Trump-Putin meeting prompts important questions. RussiaGate allegations hindered any meaningful diplomacy between the two leaders during Trump’s first term and well into his second. With those claims now more discredited, could the Anchorage meeting help open the door to ending the Ukraine war? Critics argue that the war has served as a cover for large-scale money flows, including military aid and reconstruction contracts.

The meeting could also discuss more sensitive topics like the origins of COVID-19 and the role of certain U.S.-linked laboratories in Ukraine. In 2022 Senate testimony, Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland confirmed the existence of “biological research facilities” there, which further fuels questions among skeptics of the official narrative about COVID origins.

When world leaders meet, the deal has usually already been finalized. If that’s the case here, the media remains on the outside looking in, compelled to practice journalism by reporting rather than shaping or creating the news.

If peace in Ukraine becomes achievable, revelations about the pandemic gain momentum, and prosecutions stem from RussiaGate, the political and social impacts would be seismic. Such outcomes could trigger protests and civil unrest, possibly explaining the preemptive National Guard deployments in the capital.

For years, Trump supporters have spoken of an upcoming “storm” against entrenched political interests. Whether these events are part of that long-anticipated moment or just a quick series of unrelated actions is something only time will tell.

For now, the media, often the narrator and director of Washington’s political drama, appear to be reduced to spectators. They are watching the movie instead of writing the script.

Coincidence or calculation? Either way, it’s worth paying attention.

Buckle up, as it might be a very hot remaining summer.

Brian C. Joondeph, M.D., is a physician and writer.

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