How Trump is testing the limits of executive power

Published May 3, 2025 8:00am ET



President Donald Trump’s second term is testing the boundaries of Article II executive power like no presidency before.

Through sweeping legal battles over federal firings, immigration crackdowns, budget authority, and attacks on liberal institutions, Trump is aiming to reshape the office’s reach for decades — and the courts have been the battleground since the first weeks of his reunion with Washington, D.C.

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