A few in Congress would have been in Ike's mind when he delivered his final speech.

His final speech seemed to be an attempt to change things from the bottom up by educating the citizenry.

https://imgprxy.stacker.news/XTNkwkKgdqyU2A9sD1MCueE245L6l9931OWYIZdk6c8/rs:fit:600:500:0/g:no/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWcxLmV0c3lzdGF0aWMuY29tLzAwMy8wLzY2MzIyOTQvaWxfZnVsbHhmdWxsLjM1ODg3MTU4NV9uZ3liLmpwZw

I like Ike.

Bitman

bitcoin

What did Eisenhower have in mind when offering his final speech?

> One thing that does interest me most in all of this, is wondering
whether Presidents really have any real hold on 'the levers of power' or whether the general perception of them, and their abilities, is really an illusion?

To answer your question, no, they really don't. Congress is the branch that holds real power of law in the United States. The President has more of a leadership power, acting as a face to rally around. Their only true power is in the ability to make informal agreements with other heads of state.