U.S. democracy potentially threatened by Trump's authoritarian presidency.
In the heat of his second term, Donald Trump's popularity has taken a nosedive, and it's not just about immigration and the economy. The brash power moves he's been making since his inauguration on January 20th have stirred up a whirlwind of disapproval. A poll by the Washington Post reveals that 64% of respondents believe Trump is going too far in his quest to "expand presidential power."
Since his re-entry to the Oval Office, Trump has been on a mission to reshape the balance of powers in the United States. Despite creating the illusion of chaos by battling federal judges over his executive orders, some of which blatantly flout the Constitution, such as the one questioning birthright citizenship.
Trump's power-grabbing antics reflect his twisted view of institutions, as he once noted, "I have Article 2, and that gives me the right to do whatever I want as president." In a recent interview with Time magazine, he reiterated this view, "I don't feel like I'm expanding it. I think I'm using it as it's supposed to be used."
However, it's not all smooth sailing for Trump. His executive orders have faced intense scrutiny from legal experts and courts. For instance, an executive order targeting election rules was blocked as an unlawful infringement on Congress' authority to regulate elections. Another order attempting to end birthright citizenship was challenged as unconstitutional, violating the 14th Amendment's guarantee that citizenship extends to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States."
Moreover, the creation of the "U.S. DOGE Service," which effectively transferred federal agency oversight to Elon Musk, was criticized as an unauthorized delegation of executive power to a private actor, undermining checks and balances. Withdrawing from international climate agreements has also raised eyebrows, as it appears to have circumvented treaty exit protocols and disregarded legislative input.
While some orders, like freezing environmental regulations, can be defended as routine executive actions, others directly conflict with existing law or judicial precedents. Courts have intervened in cases like the voting rights order, highlighting ongoing tensions between executive action and constitutional limits. It seems Trump's aggressive power grab may come back to haunt him.
During his second term, Donald Trump's unpopularity has grown, as a Washington Post poll revealed that 64% of respondents believe he is excessively seeking to "redefine" and "expand" presidential power, particularly in policy-and-legislation and politics. Trump's aggressive actions in his quest for power, such as the creation of the "U.S. DOGE Service" and withdrawing from international climate agreements, have been met with intense scrutiny and criticism for potentially undermining checks and balances and violating the Constitution. This unpopularity is not only due to his policies, but also his twisted view of institutions, as demonstrated by his claim that Article 2 of the Constitution grants him the right to do whatever he wants as president. These actions have led to court interventions, like the blocking of executive orders targeting election rules and birthright citizenship, as well as the ongoing tensions between executive action and constitutional limits. In the face of these General News controversies, Trump's popularity continues to nosedive.
