Ahead of his State of the Union address, President Trump faces criticism for dramatically expanding presidential power through executive actions, with many questioning Congress's ability and willingness to act as a check on his authority, leading to a nation at a crossroads.
President Donald Trump is set to deliver his State of the Union address to a nation described as 'transformed' and 'at a crossroads,' marked by significant political and policy changes. Critics, including a Minnesota retiree, express concern that Congress has largely ceded its power, allowing Trump to advance his agenda through hundreds of executive actions and by pressuring lawmakers, often bypassing traditional legislative processes. His signature legislative accomplishment, the GOP tax cuts bill, included controversial deductions and significant funding for immigration deportations. The article details Trump's broad reach, from slashing the federal workforce and altering the childhood vaccine schedule to launching investigations, renaming historic buildings, and expanding detention centers for deportations. Justice Neil Gorsuch of the Supreme Court has warned against the 'continual and permanent accretion of power in the hands of one man,' citing the court's rebuke of Trump's tariffs. While Democrats, in the minority, have attempted to push back, Republicans largely support aligning with the president's agenda. Despite this, there have been rare instances of bipartisan congressional assertion, such as the push to release the Jeffrey Epstein files.
