Donald Trump has been in office for just five days, yet he has already imposed his will on Washington with ruthless speed and efficiency, proving that even his most radical campaign promises were far from mere bluster.

The Republican president has begun fulfilling his pledge to overhaul a federal bureaucracy he perceives as hostile. Hundreds of civil servants have been reassigned or dismissed across multiple agencies in swift, sweeping moves.

Trump has deployed the military to the southern border, dismissed the head of the US Coast Guard, and issued 26 executive orders within hours of taking office. These orders address a wide array of issues, from environmental regulations to America’s citizenship rules, and have challenged decades of constitutional precedent.

In one of his most audacious moves, Trump pardoned approximately 1,500 supporters involved in the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol, a global symbol of American democracy.

Trump’s allies liken his rapid actions to a special forces raid, leaving federal workers, unions, advocacy groups, and the media stunned. They credit years of planning by conservative allies during Trump’s time out of office for enabling such a swift start.

“This is the beachhead team taking over the federal government,” said Steve Bannon, Trump’s former White House chief strategist and a key figure among his policy advisers.

Critics argue that Trump is distorting the US Constitution and expanding executive powers beyond their intended limits. They say his actions show a lack of interest in uniting the country and a focus on radical transformation and vengeance.

Trump has revoked the security clearances of dozens of former intelligence officials who attributed negative media reports about Hunter Biden to a Russian disinformation campaign. He also stripped three former national security officials of their security details despite credible threats from Iran.

His aides removed a portrait of one of his harshest critics, General Mark Milley, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, from a Pentagon hallway. Additionally, Trump purged the White House National Security Council of career officials deemed insufficiently loyal, creating vacancies for over 100 national security roles.

“He is clearly not a man who discards his grudges easily,” said William Galston, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution with over four decades of government experience.

The White House declined to comment on the story.

Years in the making

Trump’s second term shows marked preparation compared to his first, which was plagued by infighting and lack of coordination.

“In terms of scope and speed, his team’s preparation is extraordinary,” said Timothy Naftali, a presidential historian and former director of the Nixon Presidential Library.

Many of Trump’s policies align with those of "Project 2025," a consortium of conservative organisations that spent over two years drafting policies in anticipation of his return to office.

Project 2025 advocated for purging career officials at the National Security Council and creating a new category of federal worker, "Schedule F," to make it easier to dismiss civil servants. Trump has already adopted these measures.

The project also proposed devolving many functions of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to states, another initiative Trump has embraced.

“There’s been hardcore policy and political people that have believed in Trump ... and started working immediately in 2021 for Trump’s return to the White House,” said Bannon.

Height of power?

Trump’s opening week may represent the zenith of his power. Several executive orders, such as ending birthright citizenship, have already been challenged in federal courts. Many of his initiatives face lawsuits from states and advocacy organisations, potentially entangling them in litigation for much of his term.

Maintaining the Republicans’ narrow House majority in the midterms could also prove challenging. Historically, the incumbent president’s party tends to lose seats during these elections, which could further narrow Trump’s legislative options.

“Trump has a decisive mandate from the American voters to bring dramatic reforms to Washington,” said Mike Davis, a close Trump adviser on judicial matters. “That political mandate will fade if he doesn’t deliver—and deliver fast.”