Trump Keeps Crossing Lines He Would Not Have in First Term, NPR Reports
Less than two weeks before the November 3 midterm elections, President Donald Trump continues to cross barriers he would not have dared cross in his first term, according to an NPR analysis published October 21.
Trump told supporters in Northern Kentucky that he could not have done certain things in his first term. "This is a much more powerful term. I can do stuff that's unbelievable," he said.
NPR cited several examples. Trump changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. NPR also reported that the Justice Department was raiding a congresswoman's home, that Trump was knocking down trees in Washington, D.C., against a judge's wishes, and that he was making deals with Russia that conflict with sanctions passed by Congress.
In October 2026, the Trump administration announced investigations into nine universities, including Harvard and Yale. The administration alleges that the schools brought in international students to undercut American wages.
Tevi Troy, a presidential historian, described Trump as a "unilateralist." Troy said Trump uses executive power to go after political and cultural opponents, not only to get around gridlock in Congress, according to NPR.
The political stakes are high. Reuters reported October 19 that Democrats need a net gain of four seats in both the U.S. House and Senate to overturn Republicans' narrow 218-214 House majority and their control of the Senate. Republicans hold a 53-47 Senate majority going into the vote.
Democrats say Trump has broken his campaign promises to lower costs and end wars. They have pledged an affordability agenda in the midterms, Reuters reported October 20.
Trump plans to rally for Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican, in a tight South Carolina Senate race, Reuters reported October 21. The rally comes amid a rift with Russia. As of October 21, Republican groups had spent $9.7 million in the race, Reuters said.
Emergency powers have also drawn attention. The Brennan Center for Justice, a legal research group, argues in a report that the president has no legal authority to use emergency powers to seize voting machines or interfere with elections. The Insurrection Act is a federal law on deploying military forces domestically.
Protect Democracy, a nonpartisan group that tracks government power, said the 2026 midterms are expected to proceed as most midterm elections do. It warned, however, that the president might decide to use emergency powers in the weeks ahead.
