President Donald Trump has greatly—and, in many cases, quite recklessly—expanded the executive branch's power over private businesses
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Trump → expand → businesses
The Trump administration has invoked claims of "national security" to levy higher tariffs on everything from steel to musical instruments.
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administration → invoke → instruments
It has used the same argument to seize equity shares in more than two dozen private companies, including a so-called "golden share" in U.S. Steel that grants the president the authority to veto future attempts to relocate headquarters or make changes to its production facilities.
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that → use → facilities
And if you think a future Democratic administration will try to stuff those executive powers back into their proper, constitutional boxes, well…don't hold your breath.
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administration → think → breath
Last week, a Canadian journalist asked Newsom to give assurances that a future Democratic administration would roll back the massive tariffs Trump has imposed on goods from Canada.
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Trump → ask → Canada
"I cannot guarantee that," Newsom said.
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Newsom → guarantee → that
"But I can guarantee you nothing like this, the level of disrespect, talking past people, talking down to people, talking past and down to you.
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I → guarantee → you
But it would not be a win for free trade, and it would not help Americans who are struggling to afford the cost of higher tariffs.
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who → help → tariffs
To be fair, not all Democrats are taking that approach.
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Democrats → take → approach
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D–N.Y.) introduced a bill to curtail presidential tariff powers, and a group of Democrats in the House have led efforts to stop Trump's abuses of various tariff powers, with little success.
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group → introduce → success
Meanwhile, other Democrats are licking their chops over the vast economic powers that Trump has claimed for the presidency.
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Trump → lick → presidency
Many Democrats "see an opening, now that Trump has managed to cross what was long viewed as a political red line: putting the government in business with specific companies, influencing their governance and literally letting taxpayers share in the upside—or the downside," reports Politico.
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Politico → see → upside
Trump's demand for a golden share in U.S. Steel has "normalized this idea, you know, which I think again, sort of before 2024, I associated a lot with Bernie Sanders," Todd Tucker, director of industrial and trade policy for the Roosevelt Institute, tells Politico.
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Tucker → normalize → Politico
The Roosevelt Institute, which is run by Elizabeth Wilkens, a Biden administration veteran and Lina Khan's former chief of staff, is already planning how a future Democratic administration might use those tools.
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administration → run → tools
In a report published in July, the think tank detailed how the government could take equity stakes in companies to gain access to corporate boards and influence decisions.
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government → publish → decisions
Having direct access to corporate boardrooms will "give the government eyes, ears, and voice on setting corporate priorities in a way that one-off grants do not (and with lower transaction costs than the latter)," the report states.
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report → have → latter
Future policymakers could use these levers to mandate faster decarbonization, recognizing labor unions, 'buying American,' or banning stock buybacks.
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policymakers → use → buybacks
Because why worry about how power can be used in "the wrong hands," right?
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power → worry → hands
Its guiding principle for executive power was best articulated by Vice President J.D. Vance in October 2025: "We cannot be afraid to do something because the left might do it in the future."
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left → guide → future
At the time, Vance was responding to a college student who expressed concern about an unfriendly administration potentially targeting conservatives who might protest against it.
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who → respond → it
"How can we prevent someone from abusing that power?" the student asked.
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student → prevent → power
The Trump administration might shrug off those worries, but it is becoming obvious that some on the left are already eyeing the inverse of Vance's phrasing: "We can do this, because the right already did it in the past."
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right → shrug → past
That may turn out to be the Trump administration's most lasting policy legacy.
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That → turn → ?
The Aporia
