He has the kind of clout in politics that reaches all the way to the top.
Tips
usage
通天 literally 'penetrate heaven', figuratively means having such reach or power that nothing is closed off - most often paired with 本事 'ability', 关系 'connections', or 手段 'means'. Compare 神通广大 'vastly capable'.
history
The chengyu 通天彻地 (tōngtiān chèdì, 'pierce heaven and earth') extends the metaphor: someone whose talents penetrate every realm.
