National Security
Domestic deployment of active-duty military or National Guard for political purposes; dismantling cyber defenses; politicization of intelligence community; unwarranted military action abroad
Why This Score
This category scores 7/10, placing it in the High tier (7-8): “Domestic military use for political purposes, major security gaps, politically motivated strikes”
- 1.DHS shutdown reached day 47 — longest partial shutdown on record; TSA call-out rates hit 12.35% with 4.5-hour wait times at some airports; Trump issued executive memorandum to resume pay bypassing Congress; two-track Republican plan announced but Congress on recess until April 14 (NBC News/CBS News)
- 2.Iran conflict and Strait of Hormuz closure since early March pushed Brent crude past $120/barrel; military stretched across domestic deployments, foreign operations, and leadership purge simultaneously (CNBC/Morgan Stanley)
- 3.Pentagon promotion list purges continued — four candidates removed including two women and two Black officers; IC annual threat assessment omitted climate change entirely; CISA attempting partial rebuild with 329 new hires but still at 70% of authorized staffing (ABC News/Federal News Network)
Score History
CIA workforce buyout offer and early signs of intelligence politicization; DNI began reassigning analysts producing inconvenient assessments
DNI fired National Intelligence Council officials over Venezuela assessment; intelligence resources diverted to Greenland proposal
Scoring Rubric
Apolitical security services, normal oversight functioning, routine deployments
Unusual rhetoric, minor organizational changes, increased political pressure on agencies
Significant cyber defense reductions, politicized appointments, intelligence sharing restricted
Domestic military use for political purposes, major security gaps, politically motivated strikes
Military deployed against civilians, critical defenses dismantled, intelligence used for suppression
Key Findings
DHS shutdown reached day 47 — longest partial shutdown on record; TSA call-out rates hit 12.35% with 4.5-hour wait times at some airports; Trump issued executive memorandum to resume pay bypassing Congress; two-track Republican plan announced but Congress on recess until April 14 (NBC News/CBS News)
Iran conflict and Strait of Hormuz closure since early March pushed Brent crude past $120/barrel; military stretched across domestic deployments, foreign operations, and leadership purge simultaneously (CNBC/Morgan Stanley)
Pentagon promotion list purges continued — four candidates removed including two women and two Black officers; IC annual threat assessment omitted climate change entirely; CISA attempting partial rebuild with 329 new hires but still at 70% of authorized staffing (ABC News/Federal News Network)
Related Executive Actions
View all →Scenario Outlook
All scenarios →Intelligence and defense agencies lose experienced personnel
Military deployed for domestic political purposes
CISA at 38% staffing with election security program eliminated
Military stretched across domestic deployments, Iran operations, and leadership vacancies
Military commitments reduced; force posture normalizes
Domestic law enforcement resources diverted to intergovernmental conflict
TSA and Coast Guard operations stabilize; port security restored
TSA workforce attrition becomes irreversible; Coast Guard unable to maintain operations