If Donald Trump gets back into the White House in 2025, he is planning on an expansion of presidential power that could reshape the United States government.
The Story: The New York Times reported on Monday that Trump and his allies want to expand the structure of the executive branch to give more power to the President occupying the White House.
- According to the report, Trump intends to bring back the Federal Communications Commission and Federal Trade Commission under presidential control.
- Trump would want to revive “impounding” funds, which is refusing to spend money Congress has appropriated for programs a president doesn’t like.
- Trump also plans to strip employment protections from thousands of civil servants, making it easier to replace them if they go against his agenda.
- President Trump has laid out a bold and transparent agenda for his second term, something no other candidate has done,” Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement.
Going deeper: This is not the first time Trump has floated the idea of wanting unprecedented power, making comments both during and after his time in office.
- “I have an Article 2, where I have the right to do whatever I want as president,” Trump said in 2019 during a rally.
- Trump reportedly wanted Robert Mueller, the special counsel in the Russia inquiry, to be fired but was defied.
- In the early days of the Trump presidency, his chief strategist, Steve Bannon, promised a “deconstruction of the administrative state.”
- Trump has always wanted to have more power as president and now has the backing of loyal members of Congress who have not turned on him despite his legal troubles, efforts to overturn the 2020 election, and the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
Why it matters: Trump’s plan to reshape the government if he returns to the White House could change American politics forever.
- Trump has said he would open a criminal investigation into his political opponent, President Joe Biden, a sign he would end the norm of Justice Department independence from the White House.
- The former president recently made a request to a federal judge to delay his federal documents trial until after the 2024 election, a sign he wants to return to power to rid himself of any prosecution possibilities.
Looking ahead: The latest report from The Times may only heighten Democrats’ fears that a third-party candidate could tip the 2024 election in Trump’s favor if the two men have a rematch.
- Democrats’ anxiety has heightened after Cornel West launched his Green Party bid and fears of Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va) may run on a potential No Labels ticket.
- “I have advised him against it. I think it would be a terrible idea,” Sen. John Hickenlooper told Politico. “It would help Donald Trump.”
- What Democrats are quietly saying out loud is that Biden is unpopular but less unpopular than Trump.
- A majority of Americans do not want Trump or Biden in 2024 with 20% of voters saying they rather have another option, but Biden wins the majority of those voters without a third-party option.
