There’s a clear trend of the administration seeking to empower itself at Congress’s expense.
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Rushil Mistry / Getty
Presidential Power Grabs
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More than 200 lawsuits have been filed against the administration so far. Three sets of executive actions — the removal of independent agency heads, federal funding freezes, and the shuttering of entire federal agencies — underscore a fundamental hostility to checks and balances. These cases reveal a pattern: an effort to create an all-powerful executive and take power from the public’s representatives in Congress
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Profiting off the Presidency
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President Trump is not the first to use his office to attempt to personally benefit himself and his family, but his plan to accept Qatar’s gift of a luxury airplane crosses a new line. For one, the Emoluments Clause in the Constitution forbids officeholders from accepting gifts from foreign governments without Congress’s approval. It’s just one example of how the president is openly profiting from his office — and a reminder of why Congress needs to pass stronger legislation to prevent this kind of brazen self-enrichment
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Pursuing Project 2025’s Anti-Voter Goals
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The president is advancing the anti-voter agenda outlined in the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 policy blueprint. The new administration has taken actions and made public threats aimed at chilling future efforts to protect elections. And just last month, the president directed the Justice Department to investigate a former top federal election security official. A Brennan Center analysis warns against carrying out Project 2025’s proposal to weaponize the Justice Department and twist civil rights law to target those who help others exercise their right to vote
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DOJ Defunds Public Safety Initiatives
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In a separate controversy centered on the Justice Department, the agency abruptly canceled more than $810 million in grant funding. The cuts will affect a range of long-standing anti-crime programs that have bolstered law enforcement and public safety, including initiatives that connect victims with services and help police and prosecutors pursue hate crimes. If the Justice Department truly wants to support law enforcement and keep communities safe, it should restore these grants and continue investing in programs like these
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North Carolina Supreme Court Election Ends
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North Carolina judge Jefferson Griffin finally conceded the race for a seat on the state supreme court last week, ending a six-month standoff that threatened to undermine elections in North Carolina and beyond. Just days earlier, a federal court rejected his bid to throw out potentially thousands of ballots cast by overseas voters — not due to suspected fraud, but because Griffin disagreed with voting rules that had been in place long before the election. State Court Report explains what was at stake in the case
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and points to other growing threats to election integrity in North Carolina
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The Murky State of Campaign Spending
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A new Brennan Center study shows that the 2024 election saw almost $2 billion in spending by dark money groups — organizations that don’t disclose their donors. That’s roughly double the sum from 2020, and the real number is likely higher since such spending is increasingly difficult to track. Most of it would have been illegal before the Supreme Court struck down limits on campaign financing, giving way to super PACs that can raise and spend unlimited amounts with little transparency. Curbing both parties’ dependence on secret spending is key to addressing widespread voter frustration about the runaway influence of money in politics
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PODCAST: Presidential Power in the First 100 Days
There are many examples of the president pushing past the limits of his authority since retaking office. A panel of experts analyzed the flurry of executive actions and legal challenges so far and highlighted key issues to continue watching in the months to come. Listen on Spotify
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, Apple Podcasts
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BRENNAN CENTER ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Emergency powers are meant to allow the president to respond to sudden crises — not to set worldwide tariffs. Watch on Instagram >>
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