In their minds, yes. They'll have the Mockingbirds out touting "rally 'round the flag", while simultaneously villifying half the population as a danger to "our democracy"tm, touting the trampling of civil liberties as essential to preserving "our democracy"tm
The Mockingbirds will be amazingly quiet after a nuclear exchange.
All that will be left is local warlords.
The “plans” of the elite are laughable.