Is Donald Trump the most powerful POTUS of all time?

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

I don't think I've seen a President with this much sway over his party. Republicans in Congress dare not challenge or oppose him, his popularity among his base is rabid, and there is virtually no check on his power in his administration. He has the reins of power, knows how to pull them, and the AG is his own personal fixer. If the Senate refuses to convict him, there's basically no limit to how he can exercise executive authority, or to how he can use power to his own benefit.

The only Presidents I can think of who even come close are Lincoln and FDR.

[lfromnj]

Doesnt even have the house lol.

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

Doesnt even have the house lol.

He doesn't need the house. Bush and Obama laid the groundwork for far-reaching executive authority without Congressional approval. And any attempts to curb his power would meet the veto pen.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Wilson essentially ruled with the equivalent of emergency powers for a time.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

tbh in modern times, a good case could be made for the Bush admin at its peak. Trump can barely control his own bureaucrats and in terms of policy he has been vacillating and weak-willed.

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

tbh in modern times, a good case could be made for the Bush admin at its peak. Trump can barely control his own bureaucrats and in terms of policy he has been vacillating and weak-willed.

Trump has now forced out any high-ranking members of his Administration who dared challenge him. He now is surrounded by yes men who will do his bidding and defend his insane choices.

The Bush Administration was probably more powerful, but Bush himself didn't have the personal sway Trump does. We all know Cheney ran that show.

[Orser67]

FDR in the early 1930s was almost indisputably more powerful. He basically could pass whatever he wanted through Congress. Wilson and LBJ were also probably more powerful at their peak.

What's interesting about Trump, though, is how much power he has over his own party despite his mediocre overall approval ratings. That might be unprecedented.

[HillGoose]

No, Dick Cheney was

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Well, there's some truth regarding Trump's personal sway over the GOP.

[OSR stands with Israel]

https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/the-threat-of-bushs-signing-statements/

Since 2001, President Bush has objected on constitutional grounds to more than 500 provisions in more than 100 pieces of legislation – a number approaching the 575 constitutional statements issued by all of his predecessors combined.

These bills cover not only the so-called war on terror but also affirmative action programs, requirements of statistical compilations by executive agencies, and establishing basic qualifications for executive appointees.

The president has not simply objected to an overall law – he has said flatly that he will not enforce, or will use his own interpretation, for specific provisions of the laws. And, of course, he has not vetoed a single one of the bills to challenge Congress either to override the veto or to rewrite the law to fit the president’s concerns. Nor has he turned to the courts to adjudicate the constitutionality of provisions he believes are over the line.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

tbh in modern times, a good case could be made for the Bush admin at its peak. Trump can barely control his own bureaucrats and in terms of policy he has been vacillating and weak-willed.

Trump has now forced out any high-ranking members of his Administration who dared challenge him. He now is surrounded by yes men who will do his bidding and defend his insane choices.

The Bush Administration was probably more powerful, but Bush himself didn't have the personal sway Trump does. We all know Cheney ran that show.

trouble Trump wields power in the vein of a weak medieval monarch. He has the trappings of power and has a retinue of courts sycophants that fall in and out of favour, but he certainly isn't an absolute force of power. If he was, the United States would have probably entered a war by now and it certainly would have made more progress on the wall.

[Crumpets]

Nah. Even in the modern era I think title weirdly enough probably goes to Dick Cheney.

[Skill and Chance]

This is not a serious question.  FDR was elected to 4 terms during which his party controlled congress continuously for 14 years, at on point amassing 3/4ths majorities in both chambers (and it did not flip until after his death).  He also appointed 8 of the 9 SCOTUS justices and the 9th one already agreed with him on most issues, to the point that FDR chose him for Chief Justice when the position was open.  He also had all of the war powers associated with administering WWII. 

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Not even close. He can't even get the wall built.

[Hammy]

He's the most powerful party leader in some time but that's about it.

[Hermit For Peace]

He is powerful but not in a good way.

His dirtiness may be the worst there has been, which is kind of powerful, but it's used for all the wrong ends.

He is a tiny dick.

[Progressive Pessimist]

In terms of being able to get away with unspeakable, unprecedented awfulness; effectively manipulating a part of the populace, being slavishly devoted to by politicians within his party, and crossing lines that no other President has ever crossed without consequence-yes.

In any other way-no. He still has been at the mercy of our courts, the House, the media, his own administration's incompetence, and other institutions; even if they are just barely keeping him in check. Trump is basically a bacterial infection that is trying to evolve into resisting antibiotics, but he isn't at the point of full resistance yet.

However, if he gets re-elected he may very well consolidate enough power and longitude in holding office that he will be able to remake the very barriers to his corruption to serve him, especially lower courts and maybe even the Supreme Court. It cannot happen!

It does indicate significant influence when someone can so easily destroy America's purpose from the inside. A human MRSA infection. We're not quite there yet though, and hopefully we will never reach that point. Fingers crossed.

[Lincoln Republican]

Nancy Pelosi has slapped him down a few times.

[Fuzzy Bear]

He's not the most powerful, but he is the most openly pugnacious.

[Beet]

No, because while his base support him very intensely, his opposition opposes him very intensely.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Aside from Hoover and Nixon, Trump and Bush W arenthe most ethically challenged Prez. Dubya allowed 911 to happen and went on vacation and Trump gives away our secrets to communist regimes like Russia, in return for campaign donations. Power is in the eye of the beholder, the Dems play by rukes

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

He certainly doesn't act like he believes he is. He acts like a scaredy cat who realizes he managed to scam his way into a job he never wanted, that he never thought he'd get, but can't afford to let go of despite being aware he isn't really up to the job. He acts as if he's trying his best but thinks his best isn't good enuf.

[Koharu]

He's the most powerful party leader in some time but that's about it.

Yep. If the question was "is he the most powerful party leader," I'd be closer to saying yes. Though I don't even know if he's really a powerful party leader so much as he and his base are a tiger that the GOP has by the tail, and they realize if they keep feeding it, it won't turn and bite them.

[Mr. Smith]

The POTUS is both the Head of Government and Head of State.

The answer then is no the former quite easily given his general incompetence, but quite possibly yes to the latter.

[Illiniwek]

Most powerful president? Absolutely not.

Most powerful leader of his party? Yeah I kinda see that.