'He’s micro-managing phenomenally': How Trump grabbed all the levers in Washington

Politico ^ | 10/19/2025 06:55 AM EDT | Brendan Bordelon, Amanda Chu and Caitlin Oprysko

[E. Pluribus Unum]

The president's one-man-show approach to policy has sidelined Congress, agencies — and a whole K Street culture.

Intel Corp. looked like a winner in the Washington lobbying game at the start of 2025.

The federal government was set to funnel more than $10 billion to the American microchip giant, thanks to a long influence campaign by the company’s executives and hired Washington hands, who spent three painstaking years lobbying Congress, federal agencies and White House advisers.

Just a few months later, when a political controversy over the CEO’s links to Chinese companies put Intel’s deal with Washington in jeopardy, the whole drama was resolved in two weeks. And this time, the company’s path ran through just one person: President Donald Trump.

The sharp change in how Intel navigated Washington is being replicated across industries in Trump’s second term — by pharmaceutical companies cutting drug pricing deals with the White House, tech giants hoping to sell regulated equipment to China and energy firms that want looser environmental and permitting restrictions.

After decades of revolving-door culture, Washington is grappling with a new normal for how influence works in the capital. POLITICO spoke with several dozen lobbyists, industry officials and public relations professionals who revealed a transformation far more disruptive than the typical churn that comes with a new administration.

In Trump 2.0, American policy influence has shifted from its previous channels — agency officials, top lawmakers and staffers on key congressional committees — to a new reality where change comes suddenly from the top.

The president and a handful of lieutenants have seized full control over policies once considered the remit of Congress and experts at agencies, including hyperspecific issues like tariff rates, high-skilled visa fees and funding freezes. Trump’s gravitational pull has forced CEOs to act as their companies’ top lobbyists, plying the president with gifts...

[E. Pluribus Unum]

I voted for this.

[UCANSEE2]

Thank you for posting this thread.

[ClearCase_guy]

"experts at agencies"

It seems to me that those experts almost never have any idea how to do their job. It shouldn't even be a surprise that some real estate guy from NYC can run rings around the "experts at agencies".

[Fungi]

Especially coming from a rabid leftist Politico. Amazing.

[Savage Beast]

"The party's over. I'm going to clean up Washington."
President-elect Donald Trump
2016

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Personally? I think President Trump is doing just fine.

The FECKLESS Quisling RINOS in Congress are the PROBLEM; have always been, will always be!

[Hebrews 11:6]

'He’s micro-managing phenomenally'

Jimmy Carter personally set the White House tennis court schedule.

[simpson96]

President Kamala could work tirelessly like this for the American people.

Sure.

...BWAHAHAHAHA

There are not enough words in the English language for what an incompetent, abject loser she is, compared to him.

[quantim]

And exactly why another 1,000,000 Fed leeches need to get fired.

Start with ‘Education’ as no such word is in the Constitution.

[Ronaldus Magnus III]

FECKLESS Quisling RINOS

Truer words were never said.

[Spacetrucker]

Cannot disagree even the slightest with your comment. Been saying same or similar for decades - why PDJT is such a damn RUSH to watch!

[Thud]

Me too.

[SunkenCiv]

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[Harmless Teddy Bear]

The president's one-man-show approach to policy has sidelined Congress, agencies — and a whole K Street culture.

Congress has been give their powers to the president for over a century.

The agencies fall under the power of the president and always have.

K Street is an abomination.

I see no problems here.

I voted for this.

Yep.

Is it how things should be run if we were to go by all the original rules? No.

But they tore up that rule book long ago. This is the rule book they wanted and so now they are getting it.

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

Hey, if Congress chooses to delegate authority to the Executive Branch, then they've handed that power to the President and to nobody else. The days of "independent" commissions wielding executive power are grinding to a halt. Thankfully.

Now, if Congress ever decides to do its job by itself and not delegate authority to the Executive Branch or its agencies, they're fully entitled to keep that authority for themselves. But until then...they're the ones who gave it away.

[paudio]

It shows vision. Any organization should follow its vision, formulated by the leader(s). You cannot have action or rules that are against the vision.

[FreedomPoster]

I’ve been an advocate for starting there with massive Federal budget cuts since the 90s.

[USCG SimTech]

It’s called Article II of the Constitution, which intentionally comes before Article III which outlays the judicial branch.

[trebb]

I voted for it too.

@politico
If the Dems hadn’t abdicated their duties, Trump wouldn’t have such free rein - I voted for this.....