Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago

---

President Trump has stretched the power of the presidency in historic ways. Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen make sense of how he’s choosing to use that power, from war and tariffs to retribution and pardons.

They break down why Trump’s political guardrails are weaker than ever, why his Republican coalition is starting to fray, and how courts and markets may be the only forces still slowing him down.

Timestamps:
00:00 - Presidency and GOP impact
00:43 - Policy via social media
01:23 - Courts and market limits
02:03 - Middle East motivations
03:07 - Retribution and federal power
03:51 - Performative political optics
05:14 - Reshaping the Pentagon
06:37 - Economic power and tariffs
07:49 - Pressuring international allies
08:22 - The "Maximalist" mindset
09:23 - Pardons and future predictions
10:11 - Evolution of executive power