Trump flexes power in dizzying first month back in office: ‘He’s in command’

Published February 19, 2025 7:00am ET



President Donald Trump and his aides promised “shock and awe” during his first 100 days, and just one month back in the Oval Office, Trump has delivered an avalanche of executive actions at a pace that has gobsmacked Washington and the world.

Trump has expanded the presidency during his first 30 days through his use of executive action and policy priorities, from reducing the size of the federal workforce to proposing that the United States “own” Gaza. But even if his executive orders and the actions taken by his administration, particularly Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, are challenged in court, Trump has still created shock and achieved awe, the White House and Republican strategists say.

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