make impotent

Like their beloved president, who hides behind a phalanx of security to make impotent threats on Twitter from the White House bathroom, most Trump voters like to play at being tough-guy warriors, but have no real interest in actually making good on those threats.

Second, if achievable, can Rapid Dominance lead to a form of political deterrence in which the capacity to make impotent or "shut down" an adversary can actually control behavior?

Congress could only make impotent appeals.

Still she held the tempting morsel in her little snowy hand that glittered all over with rare gems,—and still the tigress continued to make impotent attempts to reach it, growing more and more ferocious with every fresh effort,—till all at once she shut her palm upon the dainty so that it could not be seen, and lightly catching the irritated beast by the throat brought its eyes on a level with her own.