Oh, a crackdown with the Alien Act of 1798? Sure, just like President John Adams did. And, you know, that turned out great for him. Nothing says “wise political strategy” like using a vaguely authoritarian law to target your own citizens. Adams aimed it at his political enemies, of course, thinking it’d be a foolproof way to crush dissent. Instead, it turned into a spectacularly public belly flop that pretty much sank his presidency. Then Jefferson came in, quietly tossed the Sedition Act of 1798 out the window, pardoned everyone, and left Adams’ legacy in shambles. Moral of the story? If you’re going to oppress people, at least be sneaky about it—or, as Jefferson demonstrated, simply undo it all and look like a hero.