A common thread running through the controversies of the new fall season of America’s bitter politics is Donald Trump’s attempt to impose unfettered, often unprecedented presidential power on multiple fronts.

The story of his second term will ultimately be defined by how much states, courts and underpowered Washington Democrats do to frustrate his expansive impulses, and — crucially for constitutional governance — whether he takes any notice.

The power struggle drove two key showdowns waged by the White House at the weekend: over its plans to deploy troops to enforce its immigration crackdowns in Portland, Oregon, and Chicago; and over growing pressure to end the government shutdown.

But the desire of a president in a hurry to wield personal authority also lies behind almost every other aspect of a new term that has provoked fears of creeping authoritarianism. It applied to foreign policy as Trump worked at the weekend to impose his Gaza peace plan and preview an escalation of legally questionable strikes against alleged cartel boats off Venezuela.

And the Supreme Court’s new term that begins Monday will wrestle with critical questions of presidential power, including Trump’s authority to wage his trade wars with tariffs and his attempts to undermine the independence of government agencies like the Federal Reserve.

Trump using troops as ‘a political weapon’ against Americans

While Americans rested, watched college football or enjoyed early fall weather over the weekend, Trump’s power games intensified by the hour.

In a major new confrontation over the constitutional authority