Today, it seems pretty hard to escape President Trump. From his constant tweets to his repeated transgression of American political and cultural norms of behaviour, to his evident pleasure in provoking and distracting the public, Trump’s antics seem to dominate every waking moment.

At some point though, the Trump presidency will end — whether that comes in 2025, 2021, or sooner. As difficult as it can be to get beyond the latest tweets, doing so opens up the space to think about which features of the American presidency will endure, which old debates are likely to resurface, and what effect Trump will have on America’s system of checks and balance.

This event launched a report on the American presidency, written by USSC senior fellow and visiting scholar Charles Edel. Lowy Institute senior fellow Richard McGregor joined him for a discussion on the history of the office of the US president, the limits of presidential power and the unique stress test the office is being subjected to under President Trump.