Of course it was. Just like all previous attempts to get the American people angry enough to revolt. They'll keep doing it until they have enough justification to issue complete nation wide martial law. The end goal here is to get the country to the point where the administration and republican party decides that holding elections are "unsafe" until "all this blows over" thus granting the cheeto a third term. It's about solidify power for the next several decades.

Someone read the Watchmen and took it as a playbook.