Image Courtesy of BBC News
Donald Trump has done it again. Eight years after his victory against Hillary Clinton and four years after Joe Biden evicted him from the White House, the former president has returned to power. For the next four years, his policy agenda is focused on key issues such as immigration, trade, tax cuts and a limitation of Chinese influence on the U.S. economy. His second term includes additional conservative priorities from his infamous Project 2025, a broad conservative policy blueprint. In summary, the plans consist of limiting federal bureaucracy, increasing executive power and imposing stricter regulations on social and environmental policies.
From Felon to President-Elect:
Trump’s re-election is historical, as he is the first president to have legal cases, including prior felony charges, dismissed or downplayed by his team and his supporters. Trump’s legal status has clearly not impacted his eligibility or agenda in becoming President for the next term. In fact, there is a notable correlation between the percentage of US citizens owning a bachelor’s degree and US citizens voting for Trump. As of recent US statistics, approximately 37% of American Adults aged 25 and older hold at minimum a bachelor’s degree. This group has shown a stronger alignment with partisan divides compared to those without a college degree, with college-educated voters tending to support more liberal-democratic candidates, such as Harris in this election.
Let’s Talk Project 2025: What Is Implied and Who Does It Concern?
Despite the controversies, the former President has continued to push forward the implementation of Project 2025.” With this project, he seeks to reduce the influence of agencies and civil servants, advocating for a “unitary executive” plan, where the President is given more executive power over federal functions. This would imply that federal employees may risk being replaced with political appointees. This conservative plan foresees rolling back environmental, financial, labor, public healthcare and women’s right policies. This setback would impact sectors like climate action, access to healthcare for minorities and low-income families, labor protections and abortion bans (Roe v. Wade overturn). The consequences could be far-reaching, leading to a much more centralized form of power by the government.
Immigration Policies:
In terms of immigration policies, Trumps aims to launch a large-scale deportation program and enforce strict limits of welfare benefits for “illegal” (undocumented) immigrants. Unfortunately, he also plans to use the Alien Enemies Act to enable deportations, especially of gang members. Additionally, Trump has pledged to designate Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations and intends to use compensation funds from seized criminal assets to support victims of crimes committed by undocumented immigrants.
Trade, China’s Rise To Power and Taxes:
In terms of trade with China and taxes, Trump plans to impose up to 20% tariffs on foreign goods, especially Chinese imports, and ban US investments in Chinese companies. The risk is that these policies may lead to increased costs for American consumers. Regarding taxes, he proposes a new cut for all income levels and plans to eliminate taxes on Social Security income, though specifics on funding these initiatives are unclear.
Foreign Affairs and American Isolationism:
His most renowned statement has been to “End the Ukraine War”. He has criticized the vast amount of funds spent by the U.S. military in supporting Ukraine and has vowed to end the conflict “within 24 hours” through a carefully negotiated phone call with the Kremlin. Trump is a firm believer of disengaging the US from foreign conflicts, as he’s much more focused on domestic affairs. Even as a firm supporter of Israel, he has urged American military operations to disengage, both there and in Lebanon. Trump foresees American isolationism during his presidency, completely changing the role of the U.S. as a superpower in the international arena.
