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Trump Pushes The Limits Of Presidential Power
By Allan J. Feifer
Oct. 19, 2025
Now that Trump has seen success in the Middle East, at least for the moment, where does he go from here? We are left with the question of how he can top this and where he goes from here. What we know is that he will push the limits of presidential power, but not by abusing the Constitution or the law. Instead, he will do so through his personality, which is powerful, adaptable, and tireless.
Fortunately, we live in a target-rich environment.
Conflicts. The only one that matters today is the one in Ukraine.
Economics. Here, the President faces two challenging issues: first, shepherding us into a post-global warming economy, and second, dealing with an ascendant China that challenges us for world leadership.
Healing the country and bringing us closer together. Wouldn’t it be ironic if Donald Trump were the one to spread oil upon the waters, leading us back to a more civil society? Naysayers aside, this may be he toughest, yet most consequential priority the President may take on.
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Of course, a lot of what Trump can achieve will depend on whether he can herd the colony of cats we call the U.S. government. The President’s span of control is not unlimited, regardless of the amount of help available. Everything requires effort, focus, and time in the court systems, ultimately becoming a political calculus.
Nevertheless, this is Trump we’re talking about, a man who routinely does things that conventional wisdom proclaims cannot be done. Therefore, a reasonable question to ask is: “What has enabled Trump to do things other Presidents have not been able to, at least to the degree and with the speed at which he has operated in the first nine months of his presidency?
The answer lies in his non-traditional use of power and his constant push against the traditional boundaries set by his predecessors, both of which have made him a lightning rod for anyone who either opposes his policies or is tied rigidly to the norms of how government has historically operated. Trump may seem at times to be clumsy, unengaged, bombastic, and heck, fill in the blank, but he understands power and how to optimize it.
Trump is certainly not diplomatic. With rare exceptions, he appears to shoot from the hip, but that really is an appearance only. Trump knows what his objectives are almost instinctively. Keeping the other side off balance is part of his negotiating style. Opponents often struggle to understand Trump, which makes him challenging to counter.
Trump understands that he is the president, and not just another guy in government. You can’t help but notice that every Cabinet official always opens his or her remarks by giving credit to the President for whatever is said. This is not about someone stroking Mr. Trump’s ego. It is part and parcel of the image the President wishes to project that Trump has a plan, and it is presented as an all-of-government argument. No one in his Administration is allowed to oppose his messaging.
Trump appears tireless. That strength enables him to outlast his enemies. There’s a famous story (unverified) but told to me by someone who claimed to have first-hand knowledge, that Trump was holding a business negotiation and wouldn’t let anyone leave the room (to go to the bathroom) until a deal point was resolved.
True or not, it highlights the truth that Trump, unlike the previous occupant of the White House, does, in fact, run rings around many of his staffers. The ability to focus his energy and concentrate on central issues better than his adversaries (some say friends) enables Trump to win on stamina alone at times.
The entire Trump team comes in with a plan to reinvent the modern world in a way that takes power away from communists and Islamists. Thus, his use of non-traditional power goes beyond our borders. We saw inklings of that when Trump threatened NATO in his first term to raise spending on their own defense.
Back then, our State and War Departments (Now the Department of War) virtually vomited with their view that Trump was single-handedly trying to destroy the Alliance; he was not, and Europe is beginning to pay its fair share. More importantly, they are acting as a political bloc under threat and are recalibrating their prior passivity.
Unlike a Marxist globalist who envisions a one-world government comprised of an untouchable expert class, Trump actually sees the world as an interconnected organic entity. But his nuanced America First view doesn’t demand American dominance; just American success. To that end, he will be a benevolent bully.
Trump possesses another superpower that Democrats hate—certainty of purpose. They are completely flummoxed by how Trump can move so quickly and adroitly from one issue to another, keeping them perpetually behind and reactive. This is because Trump believes that government is very much like business.
Entrepreneurial business people are distinctly different from your typical big business MBAs, whose gods are spreadsheets and Harvard Business Review Cases they try to emulate. Trump (a Wharton Business School grad) is cut from a different mold, i.e., classically aligned with the Gilded Age and late 1800s and mid-20th century real estate moguls—figures known for boldness, aggressive deal-making, and a flair for spectacle. Others like Jay Gould and Cornelius Vanderbilt: ruthless, deal-driven magnates who prioritized dominance over collaboration. And more modern magnates, such as Steve Wynn, Richard Branson, Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and Marc Andreessen.
Recognizing that Mr. Trump’s brain functions differently from that of non-entrepreneurial technocrats, diplomats, and politicians is crucial to understanding how he utilizes his power. Trump listens to subject matter experts who counsel him on areas where he lacks in-depth knowledge or can generate additional options. Ultimately, the limits of Mr. Trump’s power are buttressed by four tenets:
Adaptability keeps his options open.
Comprehending the big picture informs his goal-setting
Fearless and ready to do the unexpected
Steadfast with his own judgment
At the end of the day, it’s that first item in the list—adaptability—th at is Trump’s special sauce. Most other dealmakers of his persuasion are not accustomed to the level of public scrutiny, disclosure, and politically charged amplification of all their foibles, as Trump has. Unlike his enemies and contemporaries, such as the Clintons, Obama, and certainly former President Biden, Trump has withstood scrutiny that they could not have endured.
In the final analysis, President Trump is disliked by the Deep State because he is not one of them. One of them means that, most of all, he thinks like them, acts, and can be relied on to be a caretaker of what exists, rather than wrecking the house. That’s not Trump. Trump translates his vision into actions that frequently violate norms. By utilizing the levers of power at his disposal, he continually challenges traditional limits. To the extent he can, he pushes until pushed back in the name of saving the country from itself.
How history treats President Trump has yet to be written. He’s already positioned himself as a singularly important President who has reshaped and, in many ways, is relaunching America.
God Bless America!
Author, Businessman, Thinker, and Strategist. Read more about Allan, his background, and his ideas to create a better tomorrow at www.1plus1equals2.com.
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Source: American Thinker
Link:
https://www.americanthinker.com/arti...ial_power.html
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