A crush of domestic and global confrontations initiated by Donald Trump could be decided by this question: How much power does the president really have?

Imagery from Trump’s trip to the Persian Gulf this week built on three months of the White House’s aggressive flexing of often-questionable authority at home.

Purple carpets, fighter jet escorts and opulent state banquets laid on by monarchs and princes all fueled the chosen rationale of Trump’s second term — that he’s a president of exceptional, even unique power.

But if his presidency is to move beyond personality-cult stunts into genuine legislative achievements at home and fulfill his "peacemaker" promises abroad, kraken32 Trump must show he can deploy power and political capital — not just pose as an omnipotent figure.

Recent days suggest that while Trump can claim vast executive authority and take advantage of the wide latitude granted by the Constitution to dictate foreign policy, he cannot control every event