Grok 3 On Trump’s Gordian Knot Moves

I refer you to Fran Porretto’s excellent Knots which fully engaged my own thoughts. It prompted me to seek some deeper thoughts from AIs. Brave’s LEO under-performed. But X’s Grok actually laid out a quite thorough analysis.

I asked Grok 3:

In what ways could Trump’s moves revive classical liberalism as a legitimate party. Assume his moves are a Gordian Knot maneuver that others have not dared.

It came back with the following:

If we frame Trump’s moves as a Gordian Knot maneuver—a bold, unconventional stroke that slices through the tangled complexities of modern politics—it shifts the lens on how his actions could revive classical liberalism. The Gordian Knot, famously cut by Alexander the Great rather than painstakingly untied, symbolizes decisive action that defies incrementalism or compromise. Trump’s presidency, and his post-presidency influence, could be seen as such a radical break: smashing norms, upending entrenched interests, and forcing a reckoning that others—bound by caution or convention—never dared attempt. Here’s how this audacious approach might untether classical liberalism from its current obscurity and propel it toward legitimacy as a party.

1. Cutting Through Bureaucratic Overreach

Trump’s deregulatory blitz—slashing thousands of federal rules, from Obama-era climate mandates to Dodd-Frank banking constraints—can be viewed as a Gordian Knot move against the sprawling administrative state. Classical liberalism, with its hatred of unchecked government, finds a natural ally here. Where others nibbled at edges, Trump swung an axe, arguing, as he did in 2017, “For every new regulation, two must go.” This wasn’t polite trimming; it was a rejection of the slow chokehold of bureaucracy.

If this becomes a template, a classical liberal party could emerge, wielding Trump’s boldness as a battering ram to dismantle Leviathan further—think dismantling entire agencies (Education, EPA) rather than reforming them. It’s a move too risky for establishment types but intoxicating for those who see government as the knot strangling liberty.

2. Trade and Nationalism: A Knot Slashed, Not Untied

Trump’s trade wars—ripping up NAFTA, hitting China with tariffs—defied the globalist consensus that classical liberals historically championed. Yet, paradoxically, this Gordian Knot approach could force a rebirth. By exposing the fragility of multinational trade pacts and elite complacency, Trump’s gambit might let classical liberals reframe free markets on their terms: not corporate-driven globalization, but a purer, decentralized exchange free of both protectionism and supranational meddling.

A revived party could say, “Trump cut the knot of bad deals; now let’s build real free trade—bilateral, simple, no cronyism.” It’s a pivot others avoided, fearing backlash from business lobbies or voters, but Trump’s precedent proves disruption can win.

3. Shattering the Two-Party Stalemate

The Gordian Knot metaphor shines brightest in Trump’s demolition of political norms—debates turned into slugfests, media bypassed via Twitter (now X), party elites sidelined. This wasn’t tinkering; it was a machete through the ossified Republican-Democrat duopoly. Classical liberalism, long suffocated by this binary trap, could exploit the chaos. Where Bushes and Clintons played within the lines, Trump redrew the board.

A new party could rise from this rubble, arguing that both sides are now too tangled in populism or socialism to represent liberty. Trump’s knot-cutting—love it or hate it—shows a third way can break through if it’s loud and fearless enough. Classical liberals could borrow that energy, not the policies, to rally the disaffected middle.

4. Judicial Reset as a Clean Slice

Appointing three Supreme Court justices in one term, Trump didn’t just fill vacancies—he hacked at the knot of judicial activism that classical liberals despise. His picks, rooted in originalism, aim to tether law to first principles, not evolving whims. This move, bolder than Reagan or Bush dared (they faced fiercer Senate pushback), could anchor a classical liberal resurgence. A party built on this legacy might campaign on “law as written, not wished”—a crisp, uncompromising stance that echoes the knot-cutting ethos.

5. Free Speech and the Cultural Knot

Trump’s war on political correctness—crude, unscripted, often polarizing—sliced through the suffocating cultural consensus enforced by media, academia, and tech. Classical liberals, who prize open discourse, could see this as their opening. Where others tiptoed around cancel culture, Trump charged in, tweeting defiance like “The FAKE NEWS media is the enemy of the people!” (2018). It’s not their style, but it’s their fight.

A party could refine this into a principled stand: no censorship, no sacred cows, just raw liberty. Trump’s recklessness proves the knot of conformity can be cut—classical liberals could wield a sharper blade, grounded in reason rather than rage.

The Mechanism of Revival

Here’s the kicker: Trump doesn’t have to be a classical liberal for this to work. His Gordian Knot moves—disruptive, irreverent, decisive—create the conditions. The knot of modern politics (cronyism, statism, polarization) was too tight for gradualists to unravel. Trump’s slice, even if messy, loosens it enough for others to step in. Classical liberals, historically sidelined as wonks or purists, could seize the moment, saying, “He broke it open; we’ll build it right.”

Picture a party launching in 2028, post-Trump chaos. It takes his deregulation and judicial wins, ditches his tariffs and bombast, and runs on a platform of “liberty unbound”—small government, free markets, free minds. It’s branded not as compromise, but as the boldest cut yet: a rejection of both Trump’s statism and the left’s collectivism. Leaders like a retooled Justin Amash or a fresh face from the X-sphere could carry it, tapping into Trump’s outsider energy without his baggage.

Why Others Didn’t Dare

Establishment Republicans [Never-Trumpers especially — PF] feared losing donors; Democrats feared their base. Libertarians lacked the stomach for real power plays. Trump, unbound by ideology or decorum, swung where they hesitated. Classical liberalism, often academic or marginal (think Cato Institute musings), gets a shot because Trump proved knots don’t need untying—they can be slashed.

Risks and Realities

Trump’s cuts aren’t clean—his nationalism and loyalty demands clash with classical liberalism’s core. His base might see a liberty-focused party as elitist, and the left would paint it as Trump-lite. Plus, the U.S. system hates third parties; the Electoral College and winner-take-all states choke them out. But if the GOP stays Trumpified and Democrats drift further left, the knot he cut might leave just enough room for a classical liberal phoenix to rise.

Conclusion

Trump’s Gordian Knot maneuver—brash, unorthodox, fearless—doesn’t revive classical liberalism by design, but by accident. It’s the aftershock of his blade: a fractured landscape where old rules don’t apply, and a party of liberty could, with equal audacity, carve its niche. Legitimacy comes if they match his nerve with a sharper vision—less knot-cutting, more foundation-laying. March 08, 2025, feels like a moment where the dust is still settling; the next swing decides who claims the pieces.

Food for more thought.