Heads of state are the symbolic chief of a rustic. A few of them, like King Charles III of the UK, perform in large part ceremonial roles at the moment. Others, like Saudi Arabian King Salman, are absolute monarchs and interested in governing the rustic’s day by day actions and insurance policies. It additionally signifies that the Saudi monarch will get to do no matter he desires with out a lot end result from others.
In the USA, the president is each the top of state and head of presidency. The pinnacle of presidency works with legislators and meets with different global leaders to barter agreements and navigate conflicts, amongst different tasks.
Some presidents, like Jimmy Carter, were given so slowed down within the specifics that the midnight comedy display “Saturday Night Live” made a laugh of it in 1977. “SNL” spoofed Carter responding in excessive, mundane element to a query about solving a put up place of work’s letter sorting machines.
As a political scientist who research American presidents, I see that President Donald Trump loves the facility and status that includes being head of state, however does now not appear to specifically benefit from the accountability of being head of presidency.
Trump hardly talks in regards to the often-tedious strategy of governing, and as a substitute acts with governance via decree via signing a flurry of government orders to keep away from operating with different portions of the federal government. He has additionally likened himself to a king, writing on Feb. 19, 2025, “Long Live the King!”
Up to Trump loves webhosting sports activities groups and speaking about paving over the White Space’s rose lawn in a reworking mission, he turns out to begrudgingly settle for the position of head of presidency.
President Donald Trump is pushed across the observe previous to the Daytona 500 in Daytona Seashore, Fla., on Feb. 16, 2025.
Chris Graythen/Getty Photographs
‘You have to be thankful’
Trump revels in social occasions the place he’s heralded as crucial individual within the room. On Feb. 9, 2025, Trump was the primary sitting president to wait a Tremendous Bowl. Per week later, he attended the Daytona 500 at Daytona Seashore, Florida, the place his limousine led drivers in finishing a ceremonial lap.
Trump’s desire for serving as head of state and now not head of presidency used to be on complete show all the way through his now notorious Feb. 28, 2025, White Space assembly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Within the televised Oval Workplace assembly, Trump many times instructed Zelenskyy, “You have to be thankful.”
Trump used to be difficult deference from Zelenskyy to turn his inferior and submissive place as a recipient of U.S. assist and army fortify. Those are mannerisms of absolute kings, now not elected officers.
Governing via government orders
The start of Trump’s 2d time period in place of work has been stuffed with bulletins of adjustments – most commonly via government movements. The Trump management has ordered the Pentagon to forestall cyber operations in opposition to Russia and fired loads of staff on the Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Management. The management has additionally closed the Social Safety Management’s civil rights place of work and, amongst many different issues, named the president chair of the Kennedy Middle, a efficiency arts venue in Washington.
Trump has enacted coverage adjustments nearly solely via government orders, as a substitute of operating with Congress on law.
Govt orders would not have to be negotiated with the legislative department and may also be written via a small crew of advisers and authorized via presidents. Inside the first six weeks, Trump has signed greater than 90 government orders. Via comparability, former President Joe Biden signed 162 government orders all the way through his 4 years in place of work.
Lots of Trump’s government orders are being challenged in court docket, and a few had been discovered to most probably now not be constitutional.
Extra importantly, Trump’s successor can flip government orders into confetti right away, merely with a signature. Trump himself has signed no less than two government orders that rescind over 60 earlier government orders, most commonly signed via Biden.
The truth that Trump has got rid of nearly all of Biden’s government orders highlights how the orders can create exchange for a second, or a couple of years. However in terms of long-term coverage exchange, congressional motion is wanted.
President Donald Trump signed a chain of government orders on the White Space on March 6, 2025.
Alex Wong/Getty Photographs
Trump will get bored
Early in Trump’s first time period in 2017, the management deliberate themed weeks known as “Made in America” and “American Heroes,” for instance, to emphasise adjustments it supposed to pursue.
Trump’s body of workers introduced, stopped after which relaunched a themed infrastructure week seven occasions in 2019. This came about after Trump many times derailed infrastructure occasions to concentrate on a extra attention-grabbing tournament or matter, starting from protecting his feedback that perceived to recommend fortify for white supremacists to discussing the reboot of Roseanne Barr’s sitcom.
In his 2d time period, Trump has farmed out many head of presidency duties to folks, significantly billionaire Elon Musk, who’s main the brand new so-called Division of Executive Potency. Via mid-February 2025, Trump gave Musk, who holds the name of particular govt worker, oversight for hiring choices at each governmental company.
However as DOGE has initiated in style cuts at other govt companies and workplaces so to trim govt waste, Musk has reportedly clashed with Trump’s cupboard participants. This comprises Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in addition to different unbiased companies funded via Congress.
Executive companies, investment recipients and others are pushing again in opposition to the cuts and every now and then are succeeding in getting court docket rulings that halt the dismissal of presidency employees, or reinstate different employees at their jobs.
Trump additionally turns out to have abdicated maximum accountability of forms to others via permitting Musk’s crew exceptional get admission to to delicate govt techniques and paperwork that come with other folks’s private data.
Absolute kings, queens, emperors and dictators are heads of state who call for obedience as a result of they dangle the country of their grip.
Presidents from elected democracies would possibly, as in relation to the U.S., have a ceremonial side to the activity, however it’s only part of it. The folk democratically elect American presidents to serve everybody and give you the very best govt imaginable.
