{"id":375,"date":"2026-01-05T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/?p=375"},"modified":"2026-01-07T11:47:45","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T16:47:45","slug":"executive-power-increases-in-21st-century","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/05\/executive-power-increases-in-21st-century\/","title":{"rendered":"21st century executive power starts with the \u2018War on Terror\u2019 and unitary executive theory"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Lily Gold\u00adblatt
UConn Jour\u00adnal\u00adism<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read here to learn more about expan\u00adsions of exec\u00adu\u00adtive pow\u00ader in the 2000s by Pres\u00adi\u00addents George W. Bush, Barack Oba\u00adma and Don\u00adald Trump dur\u00ading his first term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

George W. Bush<\/strong> (2001\u20132009)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The War on Ter\u00adror and the uni\u00adtary exec\u00adu\u00adtive the\u00ado\u00adry<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

President George W. Bush. Photo courtesy Loc's Public Domain Archive<\/p>\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/Bush-2-edited.png\" src=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/Bush-2-edited.png\" alt class=\"wp-image-1602\" style=\"aspect-ratio:3\/2;object-fit:cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/Bush-2-edited.png 844w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/Bush-2-edited-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/Bush-2-edited-768x511.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 844px) 100vw, 844px\">
Pres\u00adi\u00addent George W. Bush. After Sept. 11, 2001, Bush great\u00adly expand\u00aded exec\u00adu\u00adtive war pow\u00aders. Pho\u00adto cour\u00adtesy Loc\u2019s Pub\u00adlic Domain Archive<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While not the first pres\u00adi\u00addent to wield his exec\u00adu\u00adtive pow\u00ader so expan\u00adsive\u00adly, George W. Bush used it in a way that was unprece\u00addent\u00aded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A major turn\u00ading point came after the Sept. 11, 2001 ter\u00adror\u00adist attacks on New York and Wash\u00ading\u00adton, D.C. Bush used these attacks as the basis for sev\u00ader\u00adal res\u00ado\u00adlu\u00adtions and gov\u00adern\u00admen\u00adtal actions that would cause expo\u00adnen\u00adtial increas\u00ades in exec\u00adu\u00adtive pow\u00ader. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Howard Ball, a polit\u00adi\u00adcal sci\u00aden\u00adtist and for\u00admer pro\u00adfes\u00adsor at the Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of Ver\u00admont, argued in his book \u201cBush, the Detainees, and the Con\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adtion,\u201d that Bush used two sig\u00adnif\u00adi\u00adcant res\u00ado\u00adlu\u00adtions after Sept. 11 to expand his mil\u00adi\u00adtary pow\u00aders uni\u00adlat\u00ader\u00adal\u00adly.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first res\u00ado\u00adlu\u00adtion, passed one week after the attacks, allowed for the pres\u00adi\u00addent to use mil\u00adi\u00adtary force against any enti\u00adty or per\u00adson that he believed was involved in the attack. The oth\u00ader was a joint res\u00ado\u00adlu\u00adtion that allowed the pres\u00adi\u00addent to send armed forces to Iraq in the fol\u00adlow\u00ading year.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accord\u00ading to Ball, with the mil\u00adi\u00adtary force res\u00ado\u00adlu\u00adtion, the admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion relied on pow\u00ader that the pres\u00adi\u00addent is not explic\u00adit\u00adly giv\u00aden in the Con\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adtion but can argue are nec\u00ades\u00adsary for the nation\u00adal inter\u00adest, to cen\u00adtral\u00adize deci\u00adsion-mak\u00ading in  the exec\u00adu\u00adtive branch.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs passed and imple\u00adment\u00aded by the Bush White House, the res\u00ado\u00adlu\u00adtion grant\u00aded Bush the broad\u00adest author\u00adi\u00adty to do bat\u00adtle against any nation, orga\u00adni\u00adza\u00adtion, or per\u00adson he deter\u00admined to have been involved in 9\/11 or to be part of plan\u00adning future ter\u00adror\u00adist actions against the Unit\u00aded States,\u201d Ball wrote.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The USA Patri\u00adot Act, a 342-page bill which passed Con\u00adgress 45 days after the ter\u00adror\u00adist attacks, gave the exec\u00adu\u00adtive branch the pow\u00ader to sus\u00adpend due process and habeas cor\u00adpus in the case of sus\u00adpect\u00aded ter\u00adror\u00adists or those sus\u00adpect\u00aded to be involved with ter\u00adror\u00adism.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a Sen\u00adate Judi\u00adcia\u00adry Com\u00admit\u00adtee on the over\u00adsight of the USA Patri\u00adot Act, George\u00adtown Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty con\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adtion\u00adal law pro\u00adfes\u00adsor David Cole tes\u00adti\u00adfied<\/a> on the con\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adtion\u00adal and civ\u00adil lib\u00ader\u00adty con\u00adcerns that came with the act.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSec\u00adtion 412 of the Patri\u00adot Act allows the Attor\u00adney Gen\u00ader\u00adal to lock up for\u00adeign nation\u00adals with\u00adout charges for sev\u00aden days, and indef\u00adi\u00adnite\u00adly there\u00adafter if they are charged with an immi\u00adgra\u00adtion vio\u00adla\u00adtion,\u201d wrote Cole. \u201cThe law does not require any show\u00ading that the for\u00adeign nation\u00adal pos\u00ades a dan\u00adger to the com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty or a risk of flight \u2014 the only two con\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adtion\u00adal\u00adly valid rea\u00adsons for pre\u00adven\u00adtive deten\u00adtion.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bush used the uni\u00adtary exec\u00adu\u00adtive the\u00ado\u00adry to argue for expand\u00aded exec\u00adu\u00adtive pow\u00ader. The the\u00ado\u00adry holds  that \u201cthe Con\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adtion man\u00addates an inte\u00adgrat\u00aded and hier\u00adar\u00adchi\u00adcal admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion \u2014 a uni\u00adfied exec\u00adu\u00adtive branch \u2014 in which all offi\u00adcers per\u00adform\u00ading exec\u00adu\u00adtive busi\u00adness are sub\u00ador\u00addi\u00adnate to the Pres\u00adi\u00addent, account\u00adable to his inter\u00adpre\u00adta\u00adtions of their charge, and remov\u00adable at his dis\u00adcre\u00adtion,\u201d explained Stephen Skowronek, a pro\u00adfes\u00adsor of polit\u00adi\u00adcal and social sci\u00adence at Yale, in an essay for Har\u00advard Law Review.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Polit\u00adi\u00adcal sci\u00aden\u00adtists Mark Rozell and Mitch Sol\u00adlen\u00adberg\u00ader of George Mason Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty and Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of Michi\u00adgan-Dear\u00adborn, respec\u00adtive\u00adly, point to the Bush administration\u2019s claim of exec\u00adu\u00adtive priv\u00adi\u00adlege to keep from releas\u00ading doc\u00adu\u00adments or allow\u00ading aides to tes\u00adti\u00adfy before Con\u00adgress about his deci\u00adsion to force the res\u00adig\u00adna\u00adtions of sev\u00ader\u00adal U.S. attor\u00adneys. The U.S. Court of Appeals sug\u00adgest\u00aded the case would become moot because sub\u00adpoe\u00adnas would expire at the end of that Con\u00adgress.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rozell said that Bush employed a strat\u00ade\u00adgy of delay and non-com\u00adpro\u00admise with Con\u00adgress when they attempt\u00aded to exer\u00adcise over\u00adsight on his exec\u00adu\u00adtive actions and that this set a prece\u00addent for future pres\u00adi\u00addents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPres\u00adi\u00addents after George W. Bush, I think, saw the util\u00adi\u00adty of adopt\u00ading a kind of no-com\u00adpro\u00admise posi\u00adtion in some of these inter-branch con\u00adflicts and ulti\u00admate\u00adly win\u00adning bat\u00adtles through a process of delay and non-coop\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtion with those who have com\u00adpul\u00adso\u00adry pow\u00ader,\u201d Rozell said in an inter\u00adview.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sol\u00adlen\u00adberg\u00ader said that Bush also expand\u00aded his exec\u00adu\u00adtive pow\u00ader through the use of sign\u00ading state\u00adments, which the pres\u00adi\u00addent issues when he signs a law passed by Con\u00adgress to clar\u00adi\u00adfy or give his own inter\u00adpre\u00adta\u00adtion of the law. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cWhere Bush was aggres\u00adsive was using these sign\u00ading state\u00adments to pro\u00advide a uni\u00adtary exec\u00adu\u00adtive the\u00ado\u00adry inter\u00adpre\u00adta\u00adtion of the pres\u00adi\u00adden\u00adcy,\u201d Sol\u00adlen\u00adberg\u00ader said in an inter\u00adview. \u201cBasi\u00adcal\u00adly, any kind of restric\u00adtions on the exec\u00adu\u00adtive branch, on the pres\u00adi\u00adden\u00adcy, that were in laws that Con\u00adgress duly passed, Pres\u00adi\u00addent Bush would con\u00adsid\u00ader them to be null and void.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Bush was not the first pres\u00adi\u00addent to do this, Sol\u00adlen\u00adberg\u00ader said he was one of the most aggres\u00adsive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Barack Obama<\/strong> (2009\u20132017)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Con\u00adtin\u00adu\u00ading his pre\u00adde\u00adces\u00adsor\u2019s expan\u00adsion in for\u00adeign pol\u00adi\u00adcy pow\u00ader<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Barack Obama. Photo courtesy Loc's Public Domain Archive<\/p>\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/Obama-2-edited-1024x683.png\" src=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/Obama-2-edited.png\" alt class=\"wp-image-1600\" style=\"aspect-ratio:3\/2;object-fit:cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/Obama-2-edited.png 1362w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/Obama-2-edited-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/Obama-2-edited-1024x683.png 1024w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/Obama-2-edited-768x512.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1362px) 100vw, 1362px\">
Pres\u00adi\u00addent Barack Oba\u00adma. Oba\u00adma used sign\u00ading state\u00adments to expand exec\u00adu\u00adtive pow\u00ader while bypass\u00ading leg\u00adisla\u00adtive input. Pho\u00adto cour\u00adtesy Loc\u2019s Pub\u00adlic Domain Archive<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Barack Oba\u00adma cam\u00adpaigned on a promise to stay true to the Con\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adtion in con\u00adtrast with the Bush admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion. Despite this, he also makes uni\u00adlat\u00ader\u00adal pres\u00adi\u00adden\u00adtial actions in terms of sign\u00ading state\u00adments and mil\u00adi\u00adtary pow\u00ader. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think pres\u00adi\u00adden\u00adtial pow\u00ader, there\u2019s no ratch\u00adet\u00ading down, it\u2019s always ratch\u00adet\u00ading up,\u201d Mitchel Sol\u00adlen\u00adberg\u00ader, of Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of Michi\u00adgan-Dear\u00adborn, said in an inter\u00adview. \u201cDemo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic pres\u00adi\u00addents have been cer\u00adtain\u00adly will\u00ading to uti\u00adlize the increased pres\u00adi\u00adden\u00adtial pow\u00ader and expand it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a 2013 essay for Pres\u00adi\u00adden\u00adtial Stud\u00adies Quar\u00adter\u00adly, a peer-reviewed polit\u00adi\u00adcal sci\u00adence jour\u00adnal, Sol\u00adlen\u00adberg\u00ader and co-authors Mark Rozell and Jef\u00adfrey Crouch point to two con\u00adtro\u00adver\u00adsial sign\u00ading state\u00adments at the end of Obama\u2019s first term that expand\u00aded exec\u00adu\u00adtive pow\u00ader.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first one, attached to an omnibus year-end spend\u00ading bill, object\u00aded to sev\u00ader\u00adal pro\u00advi\u00adsions that he believed vio\u00adlat\u00aded, \u201chis con\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adtion\u00adal duty to super\u00advise the exec\u00adu\u00adtive branch.\u201d The sec\u00adond one came when he signed the Nation\u00adal Defense Autho\u00adriza\u00adtion Act for Fis\u00adcal Year 2012, where he argued that cer\u00adtain pro\u00advi\u00adsions in the bill went against his \u201ccon\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adtion\u00adal for\u00adeign affairs pow\u00aders.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sign\u00ading state\u00adments are often object\u00aded to by mem\u00adbers of Con\u00adgress because they sig\u00adnal an attempt by the admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion to bypass leg\u00adisla\u00adtive input in a pol\u00adi\u00adcy debate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat the pres\u00adi\u00addent could not achieve through lengthy nego\u00adti\u00ada\u00adtions with Con\u00adgress, he believed he could man\u00addate uni\u00adlat\u00ader\u00adal\u00adly in his sign\u00ading State\u00adment,\u201d Sol\u00adlen\u00adberg\u00ader and co-authors wrote. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sol\u00adlen\u00adberg\u00ader said Oba\u00adma expand\u00aded pres\u00adi\u00adden\u00adtial pow\u00ader through using drone strikes to kill peo\u00adple in the Mid\u00addle East, and he was the first pres\u00adi\u00addent to \u201ckill a U.S. cit\u00adi\u00adzen in a non-war set\u00adting and dou\u00adble down on it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2011, Oba\u00adma ordered the killing of Anwar al-Awla\u00adki, an Amer\u00adi\u00adcan cit\u00adi\u00adzen liv\u00ading in Yemen who was asso\u00adci\u00adat\u00aded with the ter\u00adror\u00adist group Al-Qae\u00adda. Two weeks lat\u00ader, al-Awlak\u00adi\u2019s 16-year-old son was also killed in a drone strike that offi\u00adcials said was a mis\u00adtake, accord\u00ading to the Nation\u00adal Secu\u00adri\u00adty Archive, <\/a>a site by jour\u00adnal\u00adists and schol\u00adars to check ris\u00ading gov\u00adern\u00adment secre\u00adcy. Awla\u00adki was the first U.S. cit\u00adi\u00adzen since the Civ\u00adil War to be hunt\u00aded down and killed with\u00adout tri\u00adal by his own gov\u00adern\u00adment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At a 2011 con\u00adgres\u00adsion\u00adal hear\u00ading<\/a> on a res\u00ado\u00adlu\u00adtion autho\u00adriz\u00ading lim\u00adit\u00aded use of armed forces in Libya, U.S. Rep. Jer\u00adrold Nadler, a Demo\u00adc\u00adrat from New York, said: \u201cWe have been slid\u00ading for 70 years to a sit\u00adu\u00ada\u00adtion where Con\u00adgress has noth\u00ading to do with the deci\u00adsion about whether to go to war or not, and the pres\u00adi\u00addent is becom\u00ading an absolute monarch. We must put a stop to that right now, if we don\u2019t want to become an empire instead of a repub\u00adlic.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2012, the House Judi\u00adcia\u00adry Com\u00admit\u00adtee met<\/a> to dis\u00adcuss the Oba\u00adma admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion\u2019s abuse of exec\u00adu\u00adtive pow\u00ader, specif\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly ref\u00ader\u00adenc\u00ading the recent \u201cfast and furi\u00adous\u201d scan\u00addal in which Oba\u00adma claimed exec\u00adu\u00adtive priv\u00adi\u00adlege over cer\u00adtain doc\u00adu\u00adments sought by the Con\u00adgres\u00adsion\u00adal over\u00adsight com\u00admit\u00adtee. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPres\u00adi\u00addent Oba\u00adma has to an unprece\u00addent\u00aded extent failed to \u2018take care that the laws be faith\u00adful\u00adly exe\u00adcut\u00aded,\u2019\u201d said Rep. Lamar Smith, a Repub\u00adli\u00adcan from Texas and chair\u00adman of the com\u00admit\u00adtee. \u201cInstead he, has repeat\u00aded\u00adly issued blan\u00adket waivers that exempt large class\u00ades of the pop\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtion from duly enact\u00aded laws.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2014, House Repub\u00adli\u00adcans vot\u00aded to sue the Oba\u00adma admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion for alleged\u00adly fail\u00ading to imple\u00adment sev\u00ader\u00adal pro\u00advi\u00adsions of the Afford\u00adable Care Act.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

House Speak\u00ader John Boehn\u00ader led the law\u00adsuit and said that Oba\u00adma chang\u00ading the health\u00adcare law with\u00adout a vote from Con\u00adgress was essen\u00adtial\u00adly Oba\u00adma try\u00ading to make his own laws.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not the way our sys\u00adtem of gov\u00adern\u00adment was designed to work. No pres\u00adi\u00addent should have the pow\u00ader to make laws on his or her own,\u201d said Boehn\u00ader in a state\u00adment to the LA Times.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Donald Trump (2017\u20132021)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Using exec\u00adu\u00adtive pow\u00ader for per\u00adson\u00adal polit\u00adi\u00adcal gain<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Official portrait of President Donald J. Trump, Friday, October 6, 2017. (Official White House photo by Shealah Craighead)<\/p>\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/Exec-overview-trump-edited-1024x682.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/Exec-overview-trump-edited.jpg\" alt class=\"wp-image-1603\" style=\"aspect-ratio:3\/2;object-fit:cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/Exec-overview-trump-edited.jpg 1973w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/Exec-overview-trump-edited-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/Exec-overview-trump-edited-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/Exec-overview-trump-edited-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/Exec-overview-trump-edited-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1973px) 100vw, 1973px\">
Offi\u00adcial por\u00adtrait of Pres\u00adi\u00addent Don\u00adald J. Trump, Fri\u00adday, Octo\u00adber 6, 2017. (Offi\u00adcial White House pho\u00adto by Shealah Craig\u00adhead)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Don\u00adald Trump\u2019s first term saw him con\u00adtin\u00adu\u00ading the trend of exec\u00adu\u00adtive pow\u00ader increas\u00ades seen with his pre\u00adde\u00adces\u00adsors.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One week into his pres\u00adi\u00adden\u00adcy, Trump issued Exec\u00adu\u00adtive Order 13769<\/a>, which imposed a three-month trav\u00adel ban on immi\u00adgrants from all major\u00adi\u00adty Mus\u00adlim coun\u00adtries and stopped refugees from enter\u00ading the Unit\u00aded States for four months. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This order was upheld in the case of Trump v. Hawaii, in which the Supreme Court ruled in a 5\u20134 deci\u00adsion that \u201cthe pres\u00adi\u00addent has \u2018broad dis\u00adcre\u00adtion\u2019 under the law to sus\u00adpend entry into the Unit\u00aded States of cer\u00adtain class\u00ades of indi\u00advid\u00adu\u00adals when detri\u00admen\u00adtal to the nation\u00adal inter\u00adest.\u201d<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 In May 2017, Trump ter\u00admi\u00adnat\u00aded then FBI direc\u00adtor James Comey<\/a> after Comey con\u00adfirmed that the FBI would be inves\u00adti\u00adgat\u00ading pos\u00adsi\u00adble Russ\u00adian inter\u00adfer\u00adence in the 2016 pres\u00adi\u00adden\u00adtial elec\u00adtion.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump said that he did not believe Comey was able to \u201ceffec\u00adtive\u00adly lead the Bureau\u201d in his let\u00adter dis\u00admiss\u00ading him.  \u201cIt is essen\u00adtial that we find new lead\u00ader\u00adship for the FBI that restores pub\u00adlic trust and con\u00adfi\u00addence in its vital law enforce\u00adment mis\u00adsion,\u201d he wrote  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

T<\/a>he Bren\u00adnan Cen\u00adter for Jus\u00adtice at NYU Law released a state\u00adment  call\u00ading Comey\u2019s ter\u00admi\u00adna\u00adtion an assault on the rule of law.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe pres\u00adi\u00addent has dis\u00admissed the chief law enforce\u00adment offi\u00adcer prob\u00ading whether the president\u2019s advi\u00adsors col\u00adlud\u00aded with a hos\u00adtile for\u00adeign gov\u00adern\u00adment to influ\u00adence our elec\u00adtions,\u201d the Bren\u00adnan Cen\u00adter wrote.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Jan\u00adu\u00adary 2020, Trump launched a drone strike that killed Iran\u00adian gen\u00ader\u00adal Qasem Soleimani near an air\u00adport in Bagh\u00addad. In a report for the Unit\u00aded Nations, French human rights activist Agnes Calla\u00admard found that \u201cthe US had pro\u00advid\u00aded no evi\u00addence that showed Soleimani specif\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly was plan\u00adning an immi\u00adnent attack against US inter\u00adests, par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar\u00adly in Iraq, for which imme\u00addi\u00adate action was nec\u00ades\u00adsary and would have been jus\u00adti\u00adfied.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dur\u00ading his first term, Trump became the first pres\u00adi\u00addent to be impeached twice. In Decem\u00adber 2019, the House vot\u00aded to bring charges against Trump after a whistle\u00adblow\u00ader filed a com\u00adplaint that dur\u00ading a phone call with Ukraine\u2019s new\u00adly elect\u00aded pres\u00adi\u00addent, Volodymyr Zelen\u00adskyy, Trump had attempt\u00aded to solic\u00adit Ukraine to inter\u00adfere with the upcom\u00ading 2020 elec\u00adtion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accord\u00ading to the let\u00adter from the whistle\u00adblow\u00ader<\/a>, White House offi\u00adcials attempt\u00aded to lock down records of the phone call and White House lawyers direct\u00aded offi\u00adcials to remove the elec\u00adtron\u00adic tran\u00adscript from the com\u00adput\u00ader sys\u00adtem.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The let\u00adter said that a White House offi\u00adcial called this an \u201cabuse\u201d of the elec\u00adtron\u00adic sys\u00adtem because \u201cthe call did not con\u00adtain any\u00adthing remote\u00adly sen\u00adsi\u00adtive from a nation\u00adal secu\u00adri\u00adty per\u00adspec\u00adtive.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump\u2019s sec\u00adond impeach\u00adment regard\u00aded the events of Jan. 6, 2021, in which a mob of Trump sup\u00adport\u00aders stormed the U.S. Capi\u00adtol build\u00ading fol\u00adlow\u00ading a ral\u00adly held to protest the results of the elec\u00adtoral col\u00adlege vote, which, like the pop\u00adu\u00adlar vote, was won by Trump\u2019s oppo\u00adnent Joe Biden. Dur\u00ading the ral\u00adly, Trump espoused false claims that the elec\u00adtion had been stolen and that he had actu\u00adal\u00adly won.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump made pri\u00ador efforts to sub\u00advert the elec\u00adtion results when he made a phone call to Geor\u00adgia Sec\u00adre\u00adtary of State Brad Raf\u00adfensperg\u00ader in which he told him to \u201cfind\u201d enough votes to over\u00adturn the Geor\u00adgia pres\u00adi\u00adden\u00adtial elec\u00adtion results, accord\u00ading to the House Res\u00ado\u00adlu\u00adtion to impeach.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jonathan Alter, a jour\u00adnal\u00adist and author who has cov\u00adered Amer\u00adi\u00adcan pol\u00adi\u00adtics exten\u00adsive\u00adly, said that the Jan. 6 insur\u00adrec\u00adtion was Trump\u2019s biggest and most dan\u00adger\u00adous assault on democ\u00adra\u00adcy.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe peace\u00adful trans\u00adfer of pow\u00ader was not just enshrined in our Con\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adtion, but was respect\u00aded and under\u00adstood and in some ways tak\u00aden for grant\u00aded until Jan\u00adu\u00adary 6th, 2021,\u201d Alter said in an inter\u00adview. \u201cWe had a pres\u00adi\u00addent who did\u00adn\u2019t believe in the Con\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adtion who was vio\u00adlat\u00ading the oath that he had sworn to uphold.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
1800s<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
1900s<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
2000s<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
BACK TO GALLERY<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Lily Gold\u00adblattUConn Jour\u00adnal\u00adism Read here to learn more about expan\u00adsions of exec\u00adu\u00adtive pow\u00ader in the 2000s by Pres\u00adi\u00addents George W. Bush, Barack Oba\u00adma and Don\u00adald Trump dur\u00ading his first term. George W. Bush (2001\u20132009) The War on Ter\u00adror and the uni\u00adtary exec\u00adu\u00adtive the\u00ado\u00adry While not the first pres\u00adi\u00addent to wield his exec\u00adu\u00adtive pow\u00ader so expan\u00adsive\u00adly, [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":972,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[179],"tags":[149,158,80,33,160,159,161,151],"class_list":["post-375","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-presidents","tag-2000s","tag-barack-obama","tag-donald-trump","tag-executive-orders","tag-foreign-power","tag-george-w-bush","tag-signing-statement","tag-war"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1353,"url":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/05\/unitary-executive-theory-helps-trump-expand-power\/","url_meta":{"origin":375,"position":0},"title":"Historic dispute over \u2018unitary executive\u2019 advances in Trump era","author":"Charlotte Harvey","date":"January 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"By Charlotte Harvey\u00a0UConn Journalism A political theory that has been advancing for 100 years is now more influential than ever before\u00a0\u2013 taking center stage in recent Supreme Court arguments, despite many\u00a0experts claiming it invalid.\u00a0\u00a0 The\u00a0unitary\u00a0executive\u00a0theory\u00a0is a political,\u00a0legal\u00a0and constitutional theory that asserts that all the power of the executive branch is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Executive Power"","block_context":{"text":"Executive Power","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/category\/executive-power\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Washington delivering his inaugural address April 1789, in the old city hall, New-York.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/Washington-at-First-Congress-1789.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/Washington-at-First-Congress-1789.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/Washington-at-First-Congress-1789.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":365,"url":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/05\/how-20th-century-presidents-grew-power-at-home-and-abroad\/","url_meta":{"origin":375,"position":1},"title":"How 20th century presidents grew power at home and abroad","author":"Dan Stark","date":"January 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"By Mikayla BunnellUConn Journalism Read more to learn about expansions of executive power under presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, Lyndon B. Johnson and Ronald Reagan. Franklin D. Roosevelt\u00a0(1933-1945)\u00a0 Expansions under the New Deal and a proposed way to reshape the Supreme Court Franklin D. Roosevelt expanded the presidency to more than\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "presidents"","block_context":{"text":"presidents","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/category\/presidents\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/Roosevelt-2.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/Roosevelt-2.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/Roosevelt-2.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/Roosevelt-2.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/Roosevelt-2.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/Roosevelt-2.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":338,"url":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/05\/exec-power-in-history\/","url_meta":{"origin":375,"position":2},"title":"History shows how presidents expand power","author":"Dan Stark","date":"January 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"By Dan Stark, Mikayla Bunnell & Lily GoldblattUConn JournalismDiscover how different U.S. presidents have expanded the scope of the executive branch since the 1800s in the visualization below. To read more about presidential expansions of power in each century, click on the links below.\u00a0 1800s 1900s 2000s 1800s 1900s 2000s","rel":"","context":"In "Executive Power"","block_context":{"text":"Executive Power","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/category\/executive-power\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/11\/Screen-Shot-2025-11-10-at-5.26.37-PM-e1762813637658.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/11\/Screen-Shot-2025-11-10-at-5.26.37-PM-e1762813637658.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/11\/Screen-Shot-2025-11-10-at-5.26.37-PM-e1762813637658.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/11\/Screen-Shot-2025-11-10-at-5.26.37-PM-e1762813637658.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":320,"url":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/05\/executive-power\/","url_meta":{"origin":375,"position":3},"title":"Executive Power","author":"Mikayla Bunnell","date":"January 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The White House in Washington, DC, on Oct. 21, 2025. 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As the most populous state, California has the most electoral college votes at 54. Photo courtesy of @californiasos_ on Instagram Article 2, Section 1 sets up the electoral college \u2014 the process that actually elects the president, not the popular vote. \u00a0 There\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Constitution"","block_context":{"text":"Constitution","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/category\/constitution\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-FIRST3-California_Digital_I_Voted_Sticker_2020.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-FIRST3-California_Digital_I_Voted_Sticker_2020.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-FIRST3-California_Digital_I_Voted_Sticker_2020.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-FIRST3-California_Digital_I_Voted_Sticker_2020.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-FIRST3-California_Digital_I_Voted_Sticker_2020.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-FIRST3-California_Digital_I_Voted_Sticker_2020.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":352,"url":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/05\/presidents-in-1800s-expand-wartime-and-veto-powers\/","url_meta":{"origin":375,"position":5},"title":"Presidents in 1800s expand wartime and veto powers","author":"Dan Stark","date":"January 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"By Dan StarkUConn Journalism Read here to learn more about expansions of executive power in the 1800s under Presidents Andrew Jackson, James K. 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