How Trump has challenged a constitutional foundation : NPR
Here’s how Trump reshaped the country and eroded democratic norms
In his first year in the White House, President Trump has presided over a radical expansion of executive power while eroding democratic norms.
Many democracy scholars say these measures are unprecedented in U.S. history and that Trump has pushed the United States toward authoritarianism.
The president and his supporters counter that the Constitution provides for precisely the type of muscular presidency he is exercising and that voters have given him a mandate to enact sweeping government changes.
Trump remains popular with his base, but most Americans disapprove of his job performance. The president’s critics hope that the decline in popularity – along with this year’s midterm elections – will provide greater control over Trump.
So what has happened so far? From firing inspectors general to sidelining Congress to attacking the media to control information, Trump and his administration have moved at lightning speed since the moment he was sworn in.
As he enters the second year of his second term, we wanted to examine some of the ways the president has expanded his authority beyond what his predecessors did and how his administration has tested the country’s constitutional foundations.
CHECKS AND BALANCES
Aided by a compliant Republican-led Congress, Trump and his administration have repeatedly expanded the power of the executive branch into areas of governance normally reserved for the legislative branch. His aides withdrew funds allocated by lawmakers, who constitutionally control the federal purse strings. The president implemented sweeping foreign tariffs, using existing sources of authority in new and expanded ways. And his administration has remade or demolished entire federal departments.
Other checks on a president’s power, such as federal inspectors general and agency appointees who were previously insulated from White House influence, have also been set aside.
FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND EXPRESSION
Trump has targeted free speech, attempting to control and alter information – often through misinformation and lies – to assert his views in the media, higher education, national museums and the arts. He intimidated major media outlets, starved state media of funding, and made it increasingly difficult for journalists to report on his government, even threatening to jail journalists who refused to identify their government sources. The Trump administration has sought to erase parts of American history from museums across the country, and the State Department has been instructed to reject visa applications because of some applicants’ alleged role in “censorship.”
RULE OF LAW
Trump bulldozed a standard separating the White House and the Justice Department, openly using the DOJ to pursue a retaliatory agenda by seeking investigations and prosecutions of his political enemies. He has generously used the pardon power to benefit his allies, including those convicted of violent crimes during the January 6, 2021 riots at the United States Capitol. Federal judges accused the Trump administration of defying their orders and chastised the administration for its aggressive immigration tactics and attempts to consolidate Americans’ sensitive data. And even though Trump claims to be overseeing the return of law and order, he himself frequently uses inciting remarks.
ASSET, FAMILY BUSINESS AND POWER
Trump has taken other steps to consolidate his power and demonstrate that he is alone in charge. His name and face seem to be everywhere. He receives lovely foreign visitors who bring him gifts in a newly decorated gold Oval Office.
And Trump continues to exercise his power by mixing politics and the business interests of his family and allies, putting aside any ethical concerns.
PUBLIC HEALTH AND SCIENCE
The Trump administration has upended institutions charged with protecting public health and conducting scientific research. Initiatives that once enjoyed bipartisan support and were the shared responsibility of states and the federal government have seen their funding reduced. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. led an overhaul of the childhood immunization schedule, sidelining expert advisers and dramatically reducing the number of recommended vaccinations. There have been disruptions and unrest in federally funded research, including at the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The administration abruptly ended USAID’s global health work, which had saved millions of lives from scourges like AIDS, malaria and malnutrition over six decades.
Ben Swasey, Yvonne Dennis, Kristian Monroe, Preeti Aroon, Pam Webster, Gerry Holmes, Pallavi Gogoi, Scott Horsley, Emily Kopp, David Folkenflik, Ciera Crawford, Matteen Mokalla, Jim Kane, Didrik Schanche, Elissa Nadworny, Steve Drummond, Diane Webber, Scott Hensley, and Sarah Knight contributed to this story. Design and development by Rahul Mukherjee and Alyson Hurt. Art direction by Danielle Scruggs and Emily Bogle.
