Over two weeks in January, a boundary-pushing President on full display

WASHINGTON—In the days after Donald Trump approved a risky operation to oust Venezuela’s autocratic leader, some administration officials privately came up with a new moniker for the emboldened commander in chief: “President of the World."

The nickname reflected Trump’s expanding ambitions and increasingly aggressive posture as he enters the second year of his second term. The president is pushing boundaries at home and abroad as he looks to demonstrate power, cement his legacy and beat the clock ahead of midterm elections that could end unified Republican control in Washington.

Over the past two weeks, Trump has threatened to upend governments in Latin America, take military action in Iran and seize control of Greenland. He has cheered on federal immigration agents in Minnesota, raised the possibility of sending troops to Minneapolis to quell protests and threatened to cut off funding to states run by Democrats. He has called for credit-card companies to cap interest rates and pressed federal prosecutors to move more quickly to prosecute his Democratic adversaries.

Unlike during his first term, few people close to Trump are pushing back. Advisers and cabinet secretaries—all loyalists—lavish praise on him publicly and encourage him behind the scenes. GOP lawmakers largely haven’t stood in the way of his agenda.

The president feels empowered by the early January operation that captured Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro, according to administration officials. He has repeatedly recounted details of the raid behind the scenes, noting that no American lives were lost and describing the Army’s elite Delta Force as “badasses." He has told advisers that adversaries fear and respect the U.S., the officials said.

“President Trump gets s—done and he’s not afraid to break norms to do it," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

The president’s assertiveness comes with risks. His approval rating has declined, and some Republicans worry Democrats will take back control of the House in the November midterms, giving them authority to launch investigations into Trump’s actions.

“The next election is the ultimate firewall," said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.).

“What we’re seeing is a total abject contempt for legal or ethical constraints and for our checks and balance system of democracy."

Trump continues to express confidence that his supporters will stick with him—and there are early indications that his core base isn’t wavering. In a new Wall Street Journal poll, roughly 92% of people who voted for Trump in 2024 give him a positive job rating today, including 70% who strongly approve.

But among the broader set of voters, the Journal poll finds dissatisfaction with much of Trump’s agenda. While 44% say he is making necessary changes, 52% say he is bringing chaos and dysfunction that will hurt the country.

Majorities of respondents said Trump had gone too far in deporting immigrants in the country illegally, in deploying U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to cities and threatening to exert control over other countries. Some prominent figures with large conservative followings, including podcaster Joe Rogan, have raised concerns about ICE’s tactics in Minnesota following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good.

Former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a Trump ally, said the president’s expansive agenda has downsides: “He’s had a great run, but frankly right now, they are spread too thin." Gingrich said public support for ICE was in jeopardy as videos of clashes with protesters spread across the internet, adding, “On Greenland, he has raised far too much anxiety to get done what he wants to get done." Trump on Friday said he might impose tariffs on countries that didn’t support his goals to take the semiautonomous Danish territory.

“The challenge for Trump is he really wants to have profoundly recentered the country, ending the Roosevelt era after nine decades. And if he does that he will be genuinely historic," Gingrich said. But he said Trump often governs with charisma, rather than focusing on shaping a movement. “He gets up in the morning and does whatever he wants to."

Administration officials said immigration controls—a central plank of Trump’s 2024 campaign—were vital and that Greenland was crucial to national security. “Unlike politicians of the past, President Trump does not spew empty rhetoric, he works to achieve important goals such as this," Leavitt said, referring to his efforts to take control of Greenland.

At the White House, many staffers’ desks are adorned with red hats that read “Trump Was Right About Everything," underscoring a change from his first term, which was marked by internal division and efforts by advisers to rein in his agenda. After Trump lost the 2020 election, conservative outside groups and Trump allies worked for years to lay plans for his potential return, writing policy proposals centered on aggressive use of executive power.

Trump ran for re-election on keeping the U.S. out of foreign entanglements, but since returning to office, he has articulated a “Donroe Doctrine" aimed at establishing dominance over the Western Hemisphere and beyond.

“It’s Manifest Destiny 2.0," said Steve Bannon, a former Trump adviser.

The White House is so far pursuing a strategy of managing Venezuela’s autocracy rather than dismantling it. Trump spoke by phone Wednesday with acting leader Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s longtime deputy, and was pleased at her willingness to work with the U.S., according to people familiar with the call.

Earlier this week, Trump posted a doctored image of a Wikipedia entry on Truth Social that labeled himself as acting president of Venezuela.

Some of Trump’s moves have caused consternation on Capitol Hill, including his continuing battle with the Federal Reserve and demands that credit-card companies lower interest rates to 10% for one year—part of a portfolio of election-year ideas aimed at lowering costs.

Yet despite flashes of disunity, Trump has largely kept congressional Republicans in line. He persuaded GOP lawmakers to kill a war-powers resolution aimed at limiting his authority in Venezuela after lashing out on social media and in phone calls at five Republican defectors who joined Democrats last week in an initial vote advancing the measure.

Some Republicans are watching his next moves closely. If Trump were to use military force to take control of Greenland, he could face bipartisan calls for impeachment, said Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, one of only a few Republicans on Capitol Hill willing to speak out publicly against Trump. He isn’t running for re-election.

In a recent interview with the New York Times, Trump was asked if there were any limits on his global powers. “Yeah, there is one thing," he responded. “My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me."

Matthew Dallek, a political historian and professor at George Washington University, said the only significant check on Trump during his first year in office in his second term was the bond market in the days after he launched “Liberation Day" tariffs in April.

Now, “barring an impending economic or military catastrophe in the months ahead, Trump seems unlikely to back off on any front," Dallek said.

During a White House event Thursday honoring the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, Trump marveled at the athletes. “You hate standing here with all this power behind you," he said to laughter.

“But I got power, too," he said. “It’s called the United States military."

Write to Alex Leary at alex.leary@wsj.com