To what degree is the power of the US president limited to 'the power to persuade'?

Richard Neustadt claimed that "presidential power is the power to persuade"; that is, given the limitated constitutional powers the president enjoys, the only way for them to fulfil their aims is to persuade members of Congress to support them. This is clear in the fact that the separation of powers means that the president has no direct legislative role and therefore relies on the support of the party in Congress (for example, the process of passing the Affordable Care Act). The president does have the power to appoint officials, such as Supreme Court justices; to run the federal bureaucracy; issue executive orders, and veto legislation, but these powers are all limited at least to some degree by the need for cooperation with Congress. Therefore, there is a degree to which presidential power is the power to persuade.However, it is arguable that this is changing in the modern age; during his presidency, Trump has been able to use social media and unilateral talks with other leaders to exercise power. This may well be limited to foreign policy, however, given the lack of progress made on his key campaign claims.