The Exposed Nation: Why Trump May Be Setting America Up for Attack...On Purpose

The Purge Nobody Should Shrug Off

The Exposed Nation: Why Trump May Be Setting America Up for Attack...On Purpose

The Purge Nobody Should Shrug Off

The Jack Hopkins Now Newsletter #578: Friday, October 3rd, 2025.

Michael Ben’Ary wasn’t just another lawyer. He was one of the country’s most senior national security prosecutors.

He handled cases that protect us from terrorism…espionage…and hostile foreign threats. And what happened last week? Fired. Out. Gone.

Not for incompetence. Not for scandal. Not for negligence. He was axed because he refused to play politics with America’s security.

His colleague, Maya Song…also shown the door.

Two of the sharpest prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia…one of the most sensitive national security jurisdictions in the country…wiped off the board in the same stroke.

And who replaced their boss? A Trump-loyalist attorney whose first act was to go after James Comey.

Ben’Ary’s final message was taped to his door: the Department of Justice, he said, is “punishing the President’s perceived enemies” instead of protecting the nation. That’s not housekeeping. That’s sabotage spelled in block letters.

Why Do Authoritarians Purge Before the Storm?

Purges aren’t about efficiency. They’re about control. Look at the logic:

• The first people you remove are the watchdogs. The prosecutors…the generals… the inspectors…the ones who might raise the alarm when the walls are breached. If they’re gone…the alarms stay silent.

• The next goal is fear. Fire one…silence a hundred. Everyone left knows: keep your head down…do what you’re told…or you’ll be next.

• Then you fill the vacuum with loyalists. Not experts. Not professionals. But people who answer only to you.

• Finally, with loyalty secured and expertise gutted…you have the freedom to make moves that would’ve been blocked…slashing budgets…ignoring intelligence warnings…rewriting defense protocols.

That’s why you purge before the storm:

To leave the house unguarded…weaken its defenses, and ensure no one dares to stop you when the real blow lands.

This Isn’t an Isolated Event…It’s a Cascade

Zoom out. These firings aren’t lone dots; they’re part of a connected web.

Inspectors general have been fired or sidelined. Watchdogs stripped of authority. Military officers pushed out. Intelligence leaders forced to resign.

Even symbolic attacks…like gutting Pentagon history pages and rewriting narratives…fit the pattern: dismantle…erase…replace.

Each move by itself looks “odd.” Together…they draw a picture: dismantling the system that protects America from external and internal threats. The purge in Virginia is just the most visible tip of an iceberg of sabotage.

History’s Ugly Echoes

Think this is too far-fetched? Look at the historical playbook.

Hitler used the Reichstag Fire to justify emergency powers. Stalin gutted his officer corps before consolidating full control. Putin cleared dissenters from Russia’s judiciary and security services before escalating into foreign aggression. Erdogan used a coup attempt to arrest thousands and turn Turkey into a one-man state.

The first step is always the same: remove competence…replace with obedience… create vulnerability. Once the system is hollowed out…all it takes is one spark…a terror attack…a border clash…a cyber strike…to justify the next step: total power.

Why Vulnerability Isn’t a Mistake…It’s the Point

Ask yourself: why would any president in his right mind strip away prosecutors, generals, intelligence chiefs…the very people tasked with stopping threats?

The only answer that fits is chilling: because he doesn’t fear America being attacked. He welcomes the vulnerability.

An external strike…a crippling cyberattack…even an invasion…any of these become the perfect excuse to say: “Only I can save you now. Give me the power.”

Vulnerability is not a bug in the system. It’s the feature that justifies emergency rule.

“But Isn’t This Just Politics?”

That’s the excuse you’ll hear. Let me shred it:

“It’s just politics.”

Wrong. National security prosecutors aren’t political appointees. They’re specialists who guard against terror, espionage…cyberwar. You don’t fire them unless you’re willing to weaken defenses.

“He’s just cleaning house.”

Cleaning house? You don’t clean your fire department in the middle of a wildfire. You don’t gut your army’s generals on the eve of war. Purges weaken. Always.

“It’s overreach, not sabotage.”

Overreach is when you hire a cousin or pad a budget. Sabotage is when you deliberately strip away the people whose absence makes the whole country vulnerable. That’s not sloppy politics…that’s systemic exposure.

The Red Flags Already Flashing

Here’s what we’ve already seen…and why it matters:

• Prosecutors who handle terrorism cases fired.

• DOJ offices destabilized and filled with loyalists.

• Intelligence leadership resignations under pressure.

• Inspectors general and watchdogs dismissed.

• Military officers sidelined or retired early.

Each one of these is a brick pulled out of the wall. One brick you can ignore. Ten bricks and the wall is unstable. Fifty bricks and you’ve got a collapse waiting to happen.

What to Watch Next

If you want to test whether this theory is paranoia or prediction…keep your eyes open for these coming signals:

• More high-ranking prosecutors in national security cases suddenly gone.

• Generals or admirals publicly resigning or being forced out.

• Budget cuts in homeland security or cybersecurity cloaked as “efficiency.”

• Sudden troop reshuffles or Pentagon reorganizations.

• Propaganda spikes on Trump-aligned networks about “inevitable attacks.”

• Emergency declarations and executive orders framed as “for your safety.”

When those pieces click together…the conspiracy stops being a guess and becomes the daily headline.

Why You Don’t See It Until It’s Too Late

Authoritarian strategy thrives on creep.

Fire one prosecutor? Politics. Fire ten watchdogs? Coincidence. Restructure an office? Reorganization.

Each step is small enough to swallow. But step back…and the mosaic is obvious: competence stripped out…loyalty cemented in…defenses exposed.

By the time the catastrophe hits…the people who should’ve raised alarms are gone… and the ones left are either gagged or nodding along.

The Logic Is Brutal…But It Fits

If you’re still on the fence, connect the dots one more time:

• A president purges national security prosecutors.

• He removes watchdogs across agencies.

• He replaces them with loyalists.

• He downplays foreign threats while gutting defenses.

• He sets the stage where an external strike justifies martial law.

Tell me:

What other conclusion makes sense? What else explains firing the very people who keep you safe…right when foreign powers are circling?

The Holy Shit Moment

This isn’t just corruption. This isn’t just incompetence. It’s strategy.

Trump isn’t protecting America. He’s leaving it naked. And he’s doing it on purpose…because vulnerability is his ladder to ultimate power.

When the attack comes…whether it’s a cyber strike…a border clash…or a coordinated terror event…he’ll say the magic words: “I alone can fix it. Give me total control.”

And half the country will cheer. The other half will wonder how the hell we didn’t see it coming.

But now you see it. The pieces fit. The purge is the proof. The logic is airtight.

And the time to fight it isn’t after the strike. It’s now.

BONUS: The Deeper Dive Into Trump’s Sabotage Playbook

You’ve read the case.

But if you’re still wondering, “Could this really be happening on purpose?” let’s peel the skin back and look at the bone. Because once you see the underlying structure…it’s impossible to unsee.

1. The Logic of Vulnerability

Strong leaders reinforce the walls. Weak leaders weaken them. That’s not philosophy…it’s math.

So when you watch Trump gutting national security prosecutors…stripping watchdogs…replacing generals…and sidelining intelligence analysts…ask yourself: Does that look like reinforcement, or exposure?

The logical explanation is ugly but simple: he doesn’t want strong walls. He wants thin walls that can be kicked in.

Why? Because the weaker the walls, the more convincing his plea for emergency powers will sound.

If the country is attacked or crippled, he can say: “Look what they’ve done to us! Only I can protect you.” And millions will cheer while he signs their rights away.

2. History Proves the Pattern

Every authoritarian strongman who wanted permanent power ran the same con:

Reichstag Fire, 1933:

A fire in the German parliament was blamed on “enemies.” It justified Hitler’s Enabling Act…emergency powers that ended democracy.

Putin, 1999:

A series of mysterious apartment bombings killed hundreds of Russians. Putin blamed terrorists…but many believe his own security services staged it. Result? Putin’s iron grip and a permanent war footing.

Erdogan, 2016.

A coup attempt…real or engineered…gave him cover to purge judges…generals…civil servants by the tens of thousands. Overnight…Turkey went from fragile democracy to autocracy.

Latin America, 20th century.

Military juntas repeatedly allowed or exaggerated threats…then seized permanent control as “protectors of the people.”

The pattern never changes: allow the threat…exaggerate the danger…pose as savior.

Trump isn’t inventing anything new. He’s recycling an old playbook…with American branding.

3. Why Purging Prosecutors Matters More Than People Realize

When you fire prosecutors in charge of terrorism, espionage, and national security, you’re not just rearranging staff. You’re:

Blinding intelligence pipelines.

These prosecutors sit on top of intel flows that connect law enforcement and the military. Remove them…and those connections fray.

Delaying active cases.

Ongoing investigations into foreign actors…cyber threats…or espionage get slowed… sidelined…or quietly dropped.

Scaring off the rest.

If you’re a prosecutor who knows too much about hostile threats…are you going to speak up after you saw what happened to Ben’Ary and Song?

Shifting priorities.

Instead of pursuing foreign threats…the office pivots to punishing domestic “enemies” and protecting loyalists.

That’s not politics. That’s tearing out the locks and leaving the vault door open.

4. Other Puzzle Pieces That Fit

Want more proof? Let’s connect some “random” dots:

Inspectors General axed.

These watchdogs existed to flag corruption and abuse. With them gone, there’s nobody left to pull the fire alarm.

Military officers replaced.

Trump already demanded generals willing to “crack down at home.” Now, who will push back if he orders troops turned inward instead of outward?

Cyber defense gutted.

Budget priorities shift away from cyber defense while foreign adversaries sharpen their knives. Why? Unless you want a crippling cyber strike to hit cleanly.

Foreign coziness.

Trump’s cozy history with Russia…North Korea…and certain Gulf states. Ask yourself: who benefits if America is destabilized? Who gains from a weak…distracted…divided U.S.?

Narrative shaping.

MAGA media already pushes “America is broken, only Trump can fix it” nonstop. Add a real attack or invasion, and that story writes itself in blood.

Individually…each looks suspicious. Together…they fit like gears in a machine.

5. How This Could Play Out

Let’s run the scenario forward. You’ll see how neatly the pieces align:

• Step 1: Purge the prosecutors, watchdogs, and generals who might resist. (Already happening.)

• Step 2: Fill the gaps with loyalists who won’t raise alarms. (Already happening.)

• Step 3: Allow an external strike—terror, cyber, border, or sabotage.

• Step 4: Let the country reel in shock. Citizens panic. Markets collapse.

• Step 5: Step forward as the only “strong” figure promising order.

• Step 6: Demand emergency powers, martial law, suspension of elections, “temporary” authoritarian control.

• Step 7: Never let go.

Does that sound far-fetched?

Tell me which piece doesn’t match what we’re already watching in real time.

6. The Skeptics Are Wrong

I can already hear the pushback:

“He’s just being political.”

No. You don’t fire terrorism prosecutors for politics. That’s not optics…that’s exposure.

“He’s incompetent, not evil.”

Incompetence is random. This is systematic. Purges…loyalists…structural sabotage…that’s intent.

“America’s too strong to fall that fast.”

Rome was too strong too…until the guards opened the gates. You don’t need tanks on the lawn. You just need the locks off the doors.

The skeptics aren’t seeing the pattern. They’re watching smoke and calling it fog.

7. The Holy Shit Moment

When you put it all together…the conclusion is brutal:

Trump isn’t protecting America. He’s deliberately exposing it.

Not by accident. Not by incompetence. By design.

Because when the walls fall…he gets the one thing he’s always wanted: absolute power… justified by panic…cloaked in “patriotism,” enforced by fear.

Final Word: See It Now…Before It’s Too Late

This isn’t paranoia. This isn’t speculation. This is pattern recognition.

The purge. The loyalists. The vulnerability. The logic. The history. The propaganda. The incentives.

All the pieces fit.

And the only question left is this: will America see the sabotage before the catastrophe…or only after?

Because if we wait until the sirens are wailing…it won’t matter that you figured it out. By then…it’ll be too late.

What You Should Be Doing — Right Now

I get asked this constantly: “Jack, what should we be doing?”

Answer:

Everything I’ve been laying out in at least 85% of the Jack Hopkins Now Newsletters. If you’re already doing those things and still wondering what else you can do, here’s the truth:

Do more of them. Every single day. And recruit others to do the same.

This is not a “one and done” fight. This is a daily muscle. And the stronger we build it, the faster we move.

That’s exactly why I’ll never stop asking people to become paid subscribers. In fact… asking for that has become a badge of honor for me.

Why? Because Substack spells it out in black and white: new paid subscribers are the #1 factor driving how far and fast a newsletter is promoted. Period. There’s simply nothing else on the planet that tops it.

Every paid subscription isn’t just support. It’s fuel. It’s what pushes Jack Hopkins Now in front of tens of thousands of new eyes every week. It’s what breaks us out of the algorithmic cage and plants these truths in the mainstream bloodstream.

That clarity makes my priorities simple:

1. Write newsletters that give you the insights…assessments…and deep dives nobody else will touch…and write them so you want to read them the moment they hit your inbox.

2. Hammer home relentlessly…the critical importance of becoming a paid subscriber…not as charity…but as a steel-hard lever in the fight for our freedom.

That’s the engine. That’s the plan. That’s how we grow from a community into a force.

I’ll be back soon…and…in fact, later tonight…a paid subscriber issue of JHN will drop…and it’s all about getting your fear and anxiety about what’s happening in our country…under control…and faster than you might have ever imagined.

Take a deep breath….now…..and let it out….s l o w l y. That’s right.

Best,

-Jack