Donald Trump Presidency Forces an Attempt to Renegotiate Executive Power, Democrats Continue to Scramble and More

Democrats in Washington are struggling with how to treat the next four years under a Trump White House. Some are seeking strategies to undermine executive power, as many Republicans did from the very beginning of the Obama presidency. Some Democratic senators are looking for Trump agenda items where they can align as a way to put him at odds with his own party. And others are looking for a "knife fight" between newly elected Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and Trump, in what many are calling a classic Brooklyn-Queens battle.

"Chuck Schumer is going to be the single most influential Democrat in Washington," Jim Manley, a former top aide to retiring Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, told CNN. "He is, as leader of the Senate Democratic caucus, the only thing standing between the Trump-Ryan legislative agenda and those who are opposed."

Schumer is definitely an outspoken but often pragmatic senator. That pragmatism could be a problem with two hard-line selections to the Democratic leadership: Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

Top Stories

Washington Girds for Role Reversal on Executive Power: "Washington's massive about-face on executive power is underway. Donald Trump's election has triggered a whiplash-inducing role reversal in D.C. legal circles, as liberals who spent the past eight years defending President Barack Obama's use of his executive authority prepare to challenge Trump's plans on issues like immigration, the environment and transgender rights, while conservatives who railed against Obama for acting unilaterally on those fronts seem ready to back the new president's moves." (Politico)

Senate Democrats’ Surprising Strategy: Trying to Align With Trump: "Congressional Democrats, divided and struggling for a path from the electoral wilderness, are constructing an agenda to align with many proposals of President-elect Donald J. Trump that put him at odds with his own party." (The New York Times)

Democrats Hope Trump Meets His Match in Schumer: "The battle for America's political soul could come down to a street brawl between two boys from Queens and Brooklyn. Donald Trump and Chuck Schumer are spoiling for a clash once the President-elect takes office next year and the new Democratic Senate minority leader gets his hands on his caucus after winning election on Wednesday." (CNN)

In Trump’s Washington, Rival Powers and Whispers in the President’s Ear: "The transformation of power in Washington begins at President-elect Donald Trump’s ear. There are the intimates: Stephen K. Bannon, the controversial provocateur and keeper of Trump’s populist, nationalist flame; Jared Kushner, the unquestionably loyal son-in-law who whispers his machinations; and Jeff Sessions, the firebrand senator from Alabama whose clout is all-encompassing and often unseen." (The Washington Post)

From the Twitterverse

#transparency

Today's Numbers

• Shares of Wal-Mart Stores fell 4 percent in pre-market trading after the retailer reported sales rose 1.2 percent in its third quarter, missing Wall Street forecasts, hurt in part by lower food prices.
• President-elect Donald Trump using Trump Tower as a base has shut down Fifth Avenue.
• New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials announced Wednesday that the price of a MetroCard swipe could rise from $2.75 to $3.00 in March.
• Despite a Paris deal, oil demand won't peak before 2040, according to the IEA.

Quote of the Day

Sen. Bob Corker Of Tennessee on rumors he could be Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of state:

“Has my name been in the mix? I’m pretty sure, yeah. Have I been having intimate conversations? No. Do I understand that it’s likely that people who’ve been involved in the center of this for some time, and have been surrogating on television, are likely front-runners? I would say that’s likely, yes.”

Allen McDuffee is a politics and policy reporter, investigative journalist, blogger and podcast host. He has written for The Atlantic, Wired and The Washington Post. Follow him on Twitter: @AllenMcDuffee

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr Commons