Trump Pledges Tough Measures: City Crackdowns and Government Shutdown on the Table-groot - US NEWS

President Donald Trump departs the White House en route to Norfolk, Virginia, to attend the 250th anniversary of the Navy celebration on October 5, 2025.

Trump Flexes Presidential Power at Home and Abroad Amid Domestic and International Crises

President Donald Trump left the White House on October 5, 2025, bound for Norfolk, Virginia, to take part in the 250th anniversary celebrations of the U.S. Navy. (Photo: Aaron Schwartz/Reuters)

As the new fall season of U.S. politics heats up, a recurring theme has been Trump’s relentless push to assert broad and often unprecedented presidential authority across multiple fronts. The defining question of his second term may be how much state governments, the courts, and congressional Democrats can curb his actions—and whether Trump will heed such limits.

This weekend, the president’s push for executive power was evident in two major standoffs: the deployment of troops in Portland, Oregon, and Chicago to enforce immigration crackdowns, and mounting pressure to end the ongoing government shutdown.

But his attempts to assert control also extend to foreign policy. Over the weekend, Trump actively pursued his Gaza ceasefire plan while signaling potential escalation in military operations against suspected drug traffickers off the coast of Venezuela—actions that some experts consider legally questionable.

A man holds an American flag as law enforcement officers guard the entrance to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in south Portland, Oregon, on October 3, 2025.

Domestic Deployments and Legal Pushback

While many Americans enjoyed college football or fall weather, Trump intensified his domestic power maneuvers. On Sunday, he attempted to deploy California National Guard members to Oregon after a federal judge blocked his original plan to use Oregon’s own reservists, rejecting claims that Portland constituted a “war zone.”

California Governor Gavin Newsom denounced the move, saying, “This isn’t about public safety; it’s about power. The commander-in-chief is using the U.S. military as a political weapon against American citizens.”

The same judge temporarily blocked Trump’s effort to use California’s reserves, emphasizing that the administration had misrepresented the threat in Portland. Legal experts warned that defying such orders could trigger a constitutional crisis.

Trump also authorized the Illinois National Guard to protect Immigration and Customs Enforcement assets in Chicago, again over the objection of a Democratic governor. Governor JB Pritzker told CNN, “They want mayhem on the ground so they can send in more troops.”

Shutdown Showdown

Trump escalated the government shutdown standoff on Sunday, threatening to fire federal workers if Democrats didn’t support short-term funding through late November. Democrats are pushing for the extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies, while Republicans have signaled willingness to negotiate but not while the shutdown persists.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that continued funding gaps could affect military readiness, while Trump expressed confidence in his strategy, writing to CNN’s Jake Tapper, “We are winning, and cutting costs, big time!” Polls, however, suggest voters blame Republicans and the president more than Democrats for the impasse.

Israeli soldiers drive tanks inside Gaza toward southern Israel on October 5, 2025.

International Maneuvers: Gaza and Venezuela

Trump’s exertion of authority is not limited to domestic issues. Over the weekend, he pressured Israel and Hamas to advance his 20-point Gaza ceasefire plan, calling on Israel to halt airstrikes even as Hamas’ response fell short of full agreement. In private texts, he claimed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was on board, effectively boxing in the leader while balancing right-wing coalition opposition.

Trump further warned that if Hamas refused to step down, the group would face “complete obliteration.”

Meanwhile, Trump intensified his campaign against drug traffickers near Venezuela, deploying ships, planes, submarines, and speedboats. Strikes destroyed multiple boats and crews, raising legal questions about unilateral presidential authority abroad. Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member Jack Reed cautioned that Americans should be concerned about the president’s self-assumed power to wage secret wars.

Trump, undeterred, told attendees at the Navy anniversary event, “There are no boats in the water anymore. Now, we’ll have to start looking on land… and let me tell you, that’s not going to work out well for them either.”