'The president is unchained': Analyst says Trump running US gov't 'out of his hip pocket'

In an article in the New York Times published Tuesday, political commentator Thomas Friedman noted a shift in President Donald Trump's approach to governance between his first and second terms.

In his initial presidency, Friedman noted, Trump surrounded himself with individuals who, despite their loyalty, occasionally acted as checks on his more impulsive decisions. These figures, he argued, served as "buffers," providing some degree of restraint.

But in his second term, according to the author, Trump has increasingly filled his administration with sycophantic allies who merely echo his views, effectively acting as "amplifiers" rather than offering independent counsel.

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"In Trump II, the president is unchained and running the U.S. government exactly the way he ran his private company: out of his hip pocket and with only the markets or the courts able to stop him," Friedman wrote.

"One day he is pushing Ukraine away; the next day he is shaking Ukraine down for its minerals; the next day Ukraine is back in the fold. One day Vladimir Putin is Trump’s friend; the next day he’s 'crazy.' One day Canada will be the 51st state; the next day it is the target of tariffs. One day he brags that he hires only “the best” people; the next day more than 100 experts at the National Security Council are pushed out just weeks after many were hired," he added.

Friedman said Trump is currently governing with minimal oversight, making decisions based on personal instincts rather than coordinated policy planning.

"He compels anyone who wants to stop him to take him to court, while blurring all lines between his legal duties and personal enrichment," the author said.

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