President Donald Trump is planning to push his presidential power to the limit to punish his enemies and cement his legacy in his final two years in office, according to reports.
Axios reports that Trump is planning a political war of attrition for the “lame duck” years of his presidency, doubling down on his most controversial policies and expanding his authority.
According to the outlet, new White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller will play a key role in the strategy, which will focus on strengthening the divided MAGA movement, going after perceived enemies, purging the GOP of opponents, and building more monuments.
Trump has been drafting executive orders with Miller and the White House budget director Russ Vought, aimed at governing without Congress, Reuters reported before the election. According to the report, the orders will aim to push through controversial policies in areas including migration, tariffs, and government spending.
Vought was one of the architects of Project 2025, which aimed to massively expand Trump’s power.
Central to the plan is intimidating the new Democratic-controlled Congress, with the party’s leaders having announced they’re planning to launch sweeping new investigations into Trump and his inner circle.
In response, according to the report, Trump is planning a scorched-earth legal strategy and will preemptively target Democrats for prosecution.
“Many Democrat lawmakers are going to find themselves under indictment and fighting conviction. Watch,” longtime Trump ally Roger Stone told the publication.
The president is also reportedly planning to use new powers, upheld by the Supreme Court in June, that enable him to fire the heads of federal agencies as part of his campaign against the so-called “deep state” of government officials who oppose his agenda.
Trump has long responded to political setbacks by doubling down on his most controversial policies and tactics. After his 2020 defeat, he refused to concede and stirred baseless conspiracy theories of mass fraud in the election.
After the midterms, Trump had initially congratulated Democrats and offered to work with them. But in the last few days, he has begun stirring election-fraud claims. It’s one of many signs that he’s unlikely to be taking a more conciliatory approach as he sees out his second term.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment.
