DONALD Trump’s second presidency has reopened an old American debate: how much power should a president be able to exercise, particularly when he believes that the existing political and administrative system is failing the country? Since returning to the White House in January 2025, Trump has taken a series of decisions that have reversed previous policies, challenged established institutions and tested the limits of executive power. The important question is, therefore, not simply whether Trump is “democratic” or “autocratic”. It is whether the American constitutional system is capable of accommodating an unusually assertive presidency while maintaining effective checks and balances.

Trump’s approach to international commitments provides several examples. His Administration withdrew the United States from the Paris climate agreement and has moved away from international organizations and commitments that it considers inconsistent with American interests. Trump had already adopted a similar approach during his first presidency. In 2018, he withdrew the United States from the Iran nuclear agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, negotiated during Barack Obama’s presidency.

The same pattern has appeared in America’s relationship with international institutions. Trump initiated US withdrawal from the World Health Organization in 2025, reflecting his Administration’s argument that international organizations should not constrain American sovereignty or impose financial obligations inconsistent with US priorities. From Trump’s perspective, such decisions can be understood as the exercise of presidential authority to implement the programme on........

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