It also seems too close to a common tactic his supporters use of pretending to be a neutral observer to preserve their own reputations while asking questions which reinforce his propaganda. “The machine” never existed except in the sense that breaking the law or bad ideas get opposition, but repeating it without acknowledging it as fictional makes it sound like you’re “just asking questions”.

I actually pulled "the machine" from University of Alabama Greek life, I haven't heard that phrase used before on the national stage or by Trump supporters. If there's an overlap there on my end its coincidence.

I will say, though, that I'm not repeating anything that needs to be acknowledged as fiction. I don't think it is a fiction that Trump and his team learned to move fast and break things because moving slowly will be stopped. That doesn't mean his lessons are learned based in fiction, only that their learning the lesson itself is not fiction.