Donald Trump starts his second term with aspirations to redefine federal operations and challenges to traditional norms. Although history shows that assertive presidents can achieve greatness by pushing boundaries, success is not guaranteed. Trump's previous campaigns critiqued the establishment, and this upcoming term presents an opportunity to address issues like immigration, governance inefficiencies, and free trade, despite critics labeling his intentions as illegitimate. Historical precedents, such as George Washington's overreach, suggest that breaking with tradition has been a common thread among impactful presidents throughout American history.
Presidents who go down in the history books as great are those who reach for power, who assert their authority to the limit, noted scholar Richard Pious.
Critics claim Trump will act illegitimately while seeking to reimagine the nature and operations of federal government, as if traditional government norms are set in stone.
Eminent presidents have historically taken a sledgehammer to the norms thought to govern the executive branch, as George Washington did during his presidency.
George Washington was widely accused of monarchical tendencies when asserting independent power to interpret the Constitution and denying Congress documents related to the Jay Treaty.
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