As Trump slaps trading partners with tariffs rather than slog through prolonged negotiations, pressures the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates and launches a new investigation aimed at reshaping higher education, it’s clear that threats are a permanent feature of his presidency.
He’s tightening his grip on independent institutions, with fewer checks on his power. Republicans in Congress fear primary challenges, and the Supreme Court is stocked with his appointees.
President Donald Trump boards Air Force One, Sunday, July 13, 2025, in Newark, N.J., en route to Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
President Donald Trump boards Air Force One, Sunday, July 13, 2025, in Newark, N.J., en route to Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
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Trump’s allies believe his aggression is required in a political ecosystem where he’s under siege from Democrats, the court system and the media. Critics fear he’s eroding the country’s democratic foundations with an authoritarian style.
“Pluralism and a diversity of institutions operating with autonomy — companies, the judiciary, nonprofit institutions that are important elements of society — are much of what defines real democracy,” said Larry Summers, a former Treasury secretary and former president of Harvard University. “That is threatened by heavy handed, extortionist approaches.”
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