Donald Trump has exploded the norms of the US presidency

Donald Trump's second term as U.S. president is fundamentally remaking the office and altering how the world views American leadership, according to New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan. They describe witnessing a "regime change" within the United States itself.

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It became clear to us within the first few months of the presidency that we were witnessing a form of regime change in our own country.

"This is just a fundamental remaking of the presidency, and not just in terms of how Americans view it and how a president behaves, but how the rest of the world views an American president," Haberman told 7.30.

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This is just a fundamental remaking of the presidency, and not just in terms of how Americans view it and how a president behaves, but how the rest of the world views an American president.

In his first term, Trump relied on traditional figures, but this time, he has surrounded himself with loyalists and operates with a "pure gut level," Haberman said. This uninhibited approach is fueled by Supreme Court presidential immunity, a cowed Republican Congress, and a loyal team.

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By the end of his term he really resented the effect that they had on his presidency.

Swan highlights Trump's use of "raw unilateral power." He cites examples such as taking America to war in the Middle East without congressional consultation, authorizing special forces operations in Venezuela, and initiating a global trade war. Trump is now unencumbered by the usual checks and balances, reshaping the world according to his will.

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This term, this White House, is really unrecognisable to the last one.