Trump’s Scorched-Earth Plot for Lame Duck Years Revealed
Donald Trump plans to pursue enemies, expand his power, and build monuments.
Eric Lee/REUTERS
President Donald Trump is planning to push his presidential power to the limit to punish his enemies and cement his legacy in his final two years in office, according to reports.
Axios reports that Trump is planning a political war of attrition for the “lame duck” years of his presidency, doubling down on his most controversial policies and expanding his authority.
According to the outlet, new White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller will play a key role in the strategy, which will focus on strengthening the divided MAGA movement, going after perceived enemies, purging the GOP of opponents, and building more monuments.
Stephen Miller will play a key role in Trump's final two years in office.
Evelyn Hockstein/REUTERS
Trump has been drafting executive orders with Miller and the White House budget director Russ Vought, aimed at governing without Congress, Reuters reported before the election. According to the report, the orders will aim to push through controversial policies in areas including migration, tariffs, and government spending.
ADVERTISEMENT
Vought was one of the architects of Project 2025, which aimed to massively expand Trump’s power.
Sign Up for The Swamp Newsletter
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Central to the plan is intimidating the new Democratic-controlled Congress, with the party’s leaders having announced they’re planning to launch sweeping new investigations into Trump and his inner circle.
In response, according to the report, Trump is planning a scorched-earth legal strategy and will preemptively target Democrats for prosecution.

Trump has faced criticism for his proposed arch in D.C.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
“Many Democrat lawmakers are going to find themselves under indictment and fighting conviction. Watch,” longtime Trump ally Roger Stone told the publication.
The president is also reportedly planning to use new powers, upheld by the Supreme Court in June, that enable him to fire the heads of federal agencies as part of his campaign against the so-called “deep state” of government officials who oppose his agenda.
Trump has long responded to political setbacks by doubling down on his most controversial policies and tactics. After his 2020 defeat, he refused to concede and stirred baseless conspiracy theories of mass fraud in the election.
After the midterms, Trump had initially congratulated Democrats and offered to work with them. But in the last few days, he has begun stirring election-fraud claims. It’s one of many signs that he’s unlikely to be taking a more conciliatory approach as he sees out his second term.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
- Account (completed)
- Payment (completed)
- Confirmation (completed)
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
- 1Account
- 2Payment
- 3Confirmation

ADVERTISEMENT
Sign in or create an account
Login dialog
Loading comments…
ADVERTISEMENT