Donald Trump just won the presidency. Here’s a brief overview of what is expected to be top of mind for Trump when he is set to be inaugurated on Jan. 20.
Immigration
Trump has said repeatedly that on Day 1, he will “seal” the southern border, and launch what he calls “the largest deportation program in American history,” invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 — last used during World War II — to help make that happen. Deporting the more than 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States would cost the U.S. billions of dollars and require staffing increases to the tune of tens of thousands of people.
On the topic of immigration, Trump said he will end “catch and release,” restore “Remain in Mexico” and bring back Title 42, a restriction from his first administration that turns away migrants who arrived illegally and does not allow them to seek asylum, in the name of public health.
Trump said he will also send Congress a bill to ban sanctuary cities. He also intends to ask Congress for funding to hire 10,000 new border agents and approval for a 10% raise for existing agents, as well as a $10,000 retention and signing bonus.
Trump said he will also ensure federally funded benefits are being used by American citizens — and no one else. He’s also promised, within 24 hours of taking office, to shut down the Department of Homeland Security’s CBP One app, which provides potential immigrants appointment scheduling, remote interview access and the ability to fill out necessary forms.Trump has announced his intention to seize the assets of criminal gangs and drug cartels in the United States and use those assets to provide compensation for victims of violent crime. He also called for the death penalty for any migrant who comes into the U.S. and kills U.S. citizens or law enforcement officers.
Trump has also promised not only to bring back his controversial travel ban targeting certain Muslim-majority countries — and struck down by courts — but to expand the ban to include refugees from the Gaza Strip and institute certain “ideological screenings” for all immigrants.
Abortion
On reproductive rights, a central issue in this election, Trump has said he would veto a federal abortion ban but allow each individual state to restrict the procedure as it wishes. In his first term, Trump managed to get three of his conservative nominees confirmed to the Supreme Court; all three of them voted with the majority to overturn Roe v. Wade.
In comments that Democrats widely criticized, Trump said he would “protect” women, “whether the women like it or not.”
Economy
On the economy, Trump said he will “end inflation” and plans to pass what he calls “historic” tax cuts for workers and small businesses. He said this will include no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on Social Security benefits and a tax credit for family caregivers who take care of a parent or loved one.
Trump said he will work with tech mogul Elon Musk to eliminate “every single” federal regulation that he says raises prices and kills American jobs. And on the topic of regulations, Trump has promised to end 10 federal regulations for every new one created.
One thing Trump said he will keep in place: the Affordable Care Act, the incredibly popular health insurance marketplace.
He has said he will sign an executive order directing every Cabinet secretary and agency head to target inflation as a key priority.
“We will target everything, from car affordability to housing affordability, to insurance costs, to supply chain issues,” Trump said at a rally in North Carolina in August. “I will instruct my Cabinet that I expect results within the first 100 days or much sooner than that.”
Trump has also promised that under his administration, there will be no tax on the first $10,000 of costs associated with education for parents of children who are homeschooled.
Trump has promised American companies will get “the lowest taxes, the lowest energy costs, the lowest regulatory burdens, and free access to the single best and biggest market on the planet.”
To that point, he wants to lower the corporate tax rate to 15%, from where it is now at 21%, and he has said he will impose a 10%-20% tariff on all imported goods, as well as a tariff of between 100% and 200% on all businesses from countries that don’t want to use U.S. dollars as their reserve currency. This prioritization of “America First” is one that extends to every part of Trump’s platform.
In September, Trump called for reinstating the state and local tax deduction, commonly known as SALT. In 2017, Trump signed the legislation that capped the previously unlimited federal deduction at $10,000 per filer. The policy hit people in blue states the hardest. Even though Trump signed that measure, he has pledged to undo it.
Environment
For cars made in the United States, Trump said he will make interest on car loans fully tax-deductible. He said he will terminate an electric vehicle rule published by President Joe Biden’s administration in March that makes EVs more available and affordable over the next several years, and makes it more difficult for gas-powered cars to keep up with an increasingly stringent Environmental Protection Agency’s standard. Trump also wants to, once again, withdraw from the Paris Agreement, a major international climate treaty.
Without a plan for how he’ll make this happen, Trump has said he will cut consumer energy prices in half within 12 months of taking office.
“We were energy independent four years ago,” Trump frequently reminded his supporters at rallies, promoting the use of fracking and drilling for oil on Day 1. He’s also hoping to lower housing costs by building on the “periphery of cities and suburban areas,” where land is cheaper, canceling what he calls Biden’s “anti-suburban housing regulation.”
Foreign policy
On foreign policy, Trump said he will end Russia’s war in Ukraine within a day.
“First, I’ll meet with Putin, I’ll meet with Zelenskyy. They both have weaknesses and they both have strengths,” Trump said in a CNN town hall about the presidents of Russia and Ukraine in 2023. “And within 24 hours that war will be settled. It will be over. It will be absolutely over.”
Culture wars
Trump leaned heavily into anti-transgender rhetoric during his campaign, promising to enact restrictive policies during his administration.
Immigration: “This is not a U.S.-Mexico border problem. This is now a worldwide issue.”
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