Every time prior to this it was hyperbole, which is why crying wolf is a bad thing. While some of this article is a bit hyperbolic, the general idea here seems

Every time prior to this it was hyperbole, which is why crying wolf is a bad thing. While some of this article is a bit hyperbolic, the general idea here seems very plausible: that the Trump administration is "stress testing" the Federal government (and the public as well) to identify its fault lines and which sections of it would remain loyal in the event of extreme executive actions. That's alarming all by itself, but it's particularly so given the other ideological leanings and associations of Trump and his inner circle.