Trump asserts dominance as GOP senators come to heel

President Trump has proven to be a dominant force in politics and other aspects of American life in his first month back in the White House, showcasing how much his influence has grown since he took office for his first term.

Trump and his allies imposed their will on Republican senators to confirm nominees such as Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and FBI Director Kash Patel, all of whom at one time seemed like long shots to make it into his Cabinet.

The president has brought corporate America to heel as major companies fall in line and roll back diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, fact-checking efforts and other policies that don’t align with Trump’s vision.

And he has put his imprint on cultural institutions, installing himself as chair of the Kennedy Center, attending the Super Bowl and earning an invitation from the general manager of USA Hockey to attend the championship game of the 4 Nations Face-Off against Canada.

Trump’s ability to dominate a news cycle or soak up attention has always been evident, and his grip on the GOP has grown over the years. But he entered office for a second term emboldened by his popular vote victory and sweep of battleground states, and he has quickly looked to assert his power in various ways beyond Pennsylvania Avenue.

Trump’s omnipresence is not without risks. Polls have already shown his approval rating slightly declining since he took office, and many Americans during his first term grew tired of Trump being part of their day-to-day lives.

“I think there was more of a general public perception the first time around that Trump was a bit of an accidental president. He had lost the popular vote. It wasn’t quite clear what kind of president he would be,” said Dave Hopkins, a professor of political science at Boston College.

“Now much more there’s a feeling that, ‘Oh, this is what the country voted for,’” Hopkins said “He won the popular vote. People saw four years of him and knew what kind of president he would be and made the choice to reinstall him.”

The White House argues people are working more with Trump because of his election win.

“Elected officials, business magnates, and foreign leaders are lining up to work with President Trump because his approval ratings are higher than ever; he is the greatest dealmaker in the world; and he has overwhelming public support for his America First agenda,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement. “President Trump is right: everybody wants to be his friend, and he is delivering wins every day for the American people.”

Trump’s power over the Republican Party has perhaps been most evident in the Senate, where the GOP majority has confirmed all of his Cabinet picks, except for former Rep. Matt Gaetz (Fla.), who withdrew from consideration for attorney general in November.

Choices like Hegseth, Gabbard, Patel and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced skepticism when they were first announced because of lack of experience or personal controversies.

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) expressed reservations about Hegseth’s nomination as he faced sexual misconduct allegations. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), a physician, raised concerns about Kennedy’s credentials to oversee the nation’s health agencies. Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) was among those skeptical of Gabbard’s credibility to serve as director of national intelligence.

All three senators went on to support all of Trump’s nominees, underscoring the weight of potential primary challenges backed by the president or his billionaire ally, Elon Musk.

In the private sector, many companies that kept an arm’s length during Trump’s first term have fallen in line.

In his first month in office, Trump saw major tech titans join him at his inauguration and follow suit on his policy initiatives. Trump’s aggressive push to rollback DEI initiatives at the government level has trickled down to the private sector as well. Target, Meta, Amazon and McDonald’s have all curbed their own DEI efforts in recent weeks, with Trump allies crediting the White House for those decisions.

The president during his first term was regularly the butt of jokes or in protest speeches in Hollywood, and some championship sports teams skipped the traditional White House visit amid feuds with Trump.

This time around, Trump has asserted himself into those spaces, sometimes welcome and sometimes not.

He took control of the Kennedy Center and put ally Richard Grenell in charge, imposing his vision on the capital’s major arts institution.

Trump became the first sitting president to attend the Super Bowl earlier this month. After a warm White House visit with the Florida Panthers, the defending Stanley Cup champions, Trump was invited to attend a major showdown between Team USA and Team Canada as part of the 4 Nations Face-Off hockey tournament. Trump could not attend, but he did a video call with the team before the game.

“We would love it if President Trump was in attendance,” Bill Guerin, the general manager of the U.S. team, said ahead of Thursday’s game. “We have a room “full of proud American players and coaches and staff.”

A Washington Post/Ipsos poll, as well as a CNN poll published this week, showed Trump’s approval rating underwater. His approval rating is still in the high 40s, which is strong compared to his first term marks.

There are some warning signs for Trump that he may be overreaching beyond what much of the public wants, though, particularly when it comes to reshaping the federal government with the help of Musk.

A Washington Post/Ipsos poll published this week found 57 percent of Americans said Trump had exceeded his authority since the start of his second term. The same poll found 58 percent opposed Trump’s efforts to lay off thousands of federal workers, and roughly 60 percent viewed Trump’s move to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development negatively.

Trump’s move on his first day in office to pardon nearly all Jan. 6 defendants was deeply unpopular. More than 80 percent of respondents disapproved of that move.

“One of the oldest mistakes in American politics or any kind of politics is overclaiming your mandate, going too far and provoking backlash,” said Hopkins, the Boston College professor. “Everybody says they want change but then when they actually get change they often don’t like the change they get.”

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