Trump Wields Power Against Rivals Like No Other Modern President

In just ten weeks since taking office, President Donald Trump has firmly asserted his influence over perceived adversaries in business, politics, the media, and allied nations by utilizing power in unprecedented ways for a modern U.S. president.

His administration has pursued the arrest and deportation of student protesters, withheld federal funds from universities, marginalized law firms associated with his political foes, issued threats to judges, and sought to intimidate journalists.

Simultaneously, he has significantly reduced the size of the federal government, eliminating employees who pose an obstacle to his agenda.

At the heart of these efforts lies Trump’s implementation of executive orders designed to target opponents like never before. He is unhesitant to resort to lawsuits, public threats, and the federal budget to impose his will upon institutions.

“What drives all these initiatives is Trump’s objective to dismantle any potential source of opposition to the MAGA (Make America Great Again) agenda and to his own power,” explained Peter Shane, a law professor at New York University.

Some targets have hurried to appease the president, while others have fought back, and many are still contemplating how to react. Numerous actions taken by Trump are being challenged in the courts, where some judges are attempting to slow his initiatives.

The rapidity and extent of the Republican president’s actions have left Democrats, public service unions, corporate leaders, and legal professionals taken aback.

Supporters of Trump argue that he is merely leveraging the full extent of his presidential powers to accomplish the aims he outlined during his candidacy.

“He has drawn clear battle lines, whether it’s against individuals he believes have wronged him personally or those he sees as threats to Western civilization,” stated Scott Jennings, a Republican strategist and advisor to Senator Mitch McConnell. “He is executing everything he campaigned on.”

Trump’s motives extend beyond political concerns. His actions signal a desire to reshape American society with a dominant executive at the forefront, where financial, political, and cultural institutions reflect his vision, and opposition is either assimilated or suppressed.

With a Congress controlled by his party and a conservative majority in the Supreme Court, Trump is operating with fewer checks on his authority than any recent U.S. president.

He attempts to subdue and influence his rivals almost every day, bolstered by the formidable power of the law enforcement and regulatory agencies at his disposal. Often, he succeeds.

He has extracted concessions from various targets, including the renowned Columbia University, powerful law firms, and major corporations like Meta and Disney. All these entities have opted to negotiate with the White House rather than endure the pressure, sacrificing some autonomy and potentially establishing damaging precedents.

In anticipation of Trump’s displeasure, others are making proactive moves.

More than 20 of America’s largest corporations and financial institutions, including Goldman Sachs and Google, have dismantled diversity programs that had drawn Trump’s criticism.

Three law firms struck agreements with the administration to avoid jeopardizing their lawyers’ security clearances, government access, and possibly their clientele, while three other firms targeted by Trump’s executive orders have initiated lawsuits in response.

Trump’s orders have also served as a means to reorganize the government, expel alleged Venezuelan gang members with minimal due process, and impose tariffs on U.S. trade partners.

He has sued U.S. media organizations and silenced the Voice of America, taken control of the Kennedy Center—one of the leading arts facilities—and sought to impose restrictions on the Smithsonian Institution, which is dedicated to documenting history.

His administration has detained student protesters who, according to them, present a threat to national security.

Trump has pressured Ukraine’s leadership with a mineral rights deal, subtly threatening to withdraw U.S. support for Kyiv amidst the ongoing conflict with Russia. He has also made threats toward NATO ally Denmark in an effort to gain control over Greenland, discussed the possibility of annexing Canada, and suggested reclaiming the Panama Canal.

Targeted Actions

Mark Zaid, a Washington lawyer representing whistleblowers against the federal government, stated that he has never witnessed behavior like Trump’s in his 30 years of practice.

“Executive orders have never been intended to specifically target individuals or non-government entities for retaliatory purposes,” Zaid noted.

The White House and Trump’s allies refute claims that the president is motivated by vengeance.

A spokesman stated that more conventional approaches have failed to yield meaningful change.

“Unconventional is exactly what the American people voted for when they elected President Trump,” said White House spokesman Harrison Fields. “The president is determined to disrupt the entrenched bureaucracy.”

In his initial term from 2017 to 2021, Trump faced numerous challenges: a federal investigation into Russian interference, inexperienced aides, and significant Democratic resistance in Congress.

With those obstacles eliminated, an empowered Trump has entered his second term demonstrating a greater ability to utilize available resources to achieve his objectives.

“He truly understands how to leverage power better this time around than in the past,” observed Rina Shah, a Republican strategist.

Claire Wofford, a political science professor at the College of Charleston, pointed out that Trump has employed executive orders not only to advance a policy agenda but also to send signals to his political base—such as attempts to limit birthright citizenship—and to test the boundaries of his authority by invoking an 18th-century law to designate certain migrants as “alien enemies.”

“What stands out to me at this moment is Trump’s strategic approach—albeit in new ways,” Wofford stated.

Financial Leverage and Litigation

In instances like Columbia University, Trump has wielded federal funding as a weapon, recognizing that financial interests make his targets vulnerable to coercion.

In other scenarios, he has turned to the courts, compelling companies like Disney and Meta into settlements favorable to the administration after filing lawsuits against them.

CBS News, another target of Trump’s legal pursuits, is under pressure to settle its case as its parent company, Paramount, seeks to have its proposed merger with Skydance Media approved by regulators from Trump’s administration.

However, not every institution has capitulated.

Many of Trump’s initiatives, particularly those related to government cuts, remain mired in federal courts. In the past fortnight alone, judges have ruled against Trump on issues concerning his deportation policies, assaults on law firms, and plans to eliminate government agencies.

In retaliation, Trump and his allies have called for the impeachment of judges who rule against the administration, provoking a rare rebuke from Chief Justice John Roberts.

Walter Olson, a senior fellow at the libertarian CATO Institute, remarked that Trump’s tactics against law firms and judges are unprecedented, resembling behaviors observed in authoritarian regimes in other nations.

“Targeting law firms and the judiciary,” Olson noted, “is characteristic of an autocrat.”