Presidential Historian Warns How Much Power Trump Will Have In Second Term: "He's Going To..."

Donald Trump will retake the oath of office this January, having secured 301 electoral votes (so far) against Kamala Harris' 226. Reflecting on the same, NBC News presidential historian, Michael Beschloss, raised concerns about the extent of power Trump will wield in this second term. He also pointed out that Trump is largely protected from prosecution in most of his pending criminal cases now as per the recent Supreme Court ruling.

On Thursday, while speaking to MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell, the historian said, “We are about to see possibly the strongest president in American history." He predicted that Republicans will likely dominate the Senate and possibly the House, giving Trump a strong political grip, as reported by HuffPost. Beschloss also brushed off the likelihood of another impeachment and argued that Trump will escape accountability for his actions. Beschloss also reminded folks of Trump’s bold statement that he would be a dictator on his first day back as president.

He said, “I don’t think that goes on for a day. And maybe he won’t be a dictator, but he is going to try to use every single lever of presidential power in a way that we haven’t seen all the way back to 1789.” Beschloss remarks came in the wake of Trump's meandering and combative speech on Sunday morning, in Pennsylvania, when he detailed how his second term in the White House will be. Trump said, "We stand on the verge of the four greatest years in American history...It will be nasty a little bit at times, and maybe at the beginning in particular.”

This is far from the usual rhetoric Americans have come to expect from their presidential candidates. Typically, those running for presidential election promise a brighter future, safer streets, a stronger economy, and a more secure nation if elected, as reported by MSNBC. However, the Republican candidate took a different route, telling the crowd instead that he plans to implement a mass deportation policy. He warned that the removal of immigrants "will be a bloody story." Elon Musk, a strong Trump supporter, also sounded alarm. During a virtual town hall before the 2024 election results were in, he argued that Americans should be ready to face temporary hardship if Trump wins.

Harris has also cautioned against the dangers of Trump having a second chance at the Oval Office. Trump on November 5 became the first convicted felon to be elected President in the history of the United States. In his victory speech, delivered early Wednesday morning in West Palm Beach, Florida, he declared that the American people had granted him an "unprecedented and powerful mandate." He vowed to govern by one clear motto which is to deliver on every promise he made, as reported by CNN.