President Donald Trump has transformed his governing strategy since returning to the White House, replacing first-term chaos with what aides call unwavering execution of his agenda. Recent moves to paralyze financial oversight agencies, purge federal workers, and directly control justice department decisions reveal a hardline approach unseen in modern presidential history.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau now operates under strict surveillance after Trump established a staff tip line and froze enforcement actions. Similarly dramatic measures include:
- Shuttering USAID’s $20B humanitarian programs
- Installing personal attorney Emil Bove as acting Deputy Attorney General
- Terminating Kennedy Center leadership to assume chairmanship himself
“This isn’t governance – it’s institutional arson,” says Columbia historian Timothy Naftali. “Trump aims to burn down any structure that once constrained him.”
The Department of Justice has become a prime battleground, with Trump loyalists dismissing 1,500 Jan. 6 cases and actively investigating FBI agents who pursued rioters. Last week’s abrupt dismissal of corruption charges against NYC Mayor Eric Adams – justified as needing his “full focus on immigration enforcement” – saw multiple prosecutors resign in protest.
Administration memos reveal systemic targeting of DEI programs, demanding federal workers report colleagues using vaguely defined “coded language” within 10 days. Parallel efforts include:
○ Elon Musk-led federal workforce reductions
○ Executive orders nullifying diversity initiatives
○ Daily West Wing “loyalty audits” of cabinet agencies
While White House spokespeople tout “promises made, promises kept” as their mantra, former officials warn of autocratic tendencies. “We used to slow-walk reckless ideas hoping he’d forget,” recalls ex-national security aide Olivia Troye. “Now his team has perfected bypassing checks and balances.”