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Trump's "Great Man" theory: "No limits" to his power - Axios

axios.com

Trump's claim of "no limits" to his power is a live case study in the Great Man Theory of leadership — and why historians have long warned it's dangerous.

Great Man TheoryAuthoritarianismSeparation of PowersCharismatic Authority

Theory Briefing

  • Trump declared on The Axios Show that he sees no limits to his presidential power, invoking a classic Great Man Theory worldview.
  • The Great Man Theory holds that history is shaped by singular, all-powerful individuals — a framework modern political science largely rejects.
  • Trump's framing raises urgent questions about institutional checks, democratic norms, and whether one person's will can override systemic constraints.