After taking control of the board earlier in the year, President Donald Trump announced on Aug. 13, 2025, the nominees of the annual Kennedy Center Honors. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

The president as partisan warrior: Trump’s rejection of traditional presidential statesmanship

Presidents are typically expected to be focused on national security, economic management and other key issues handled at the national level. Donald Trump has turned those assumptions upside down.
Donald Trump at an election night celebration early on Nov. 6, 2024, when he claimed “an unprecedented and powerful mandate” from voters. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Presidents often claim mandates − especially when they want to expand their power or are on the defensive

Donald Trump claims the 2024 election gave him a mandate. Scholars who study the presidency are skeptical about the entire concept of a mandate. That hasn’t stopped many presidents from claiming one.

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