The return of Donald Trump A seizing power and a Republican-controlled Congress would usher in a new era in American political history, filled with rule-breaking, authoritarian tendencies, and overwhelming hostility to long-established civic institutions.
and, According to the president-elect, a huge chunk of this agenda will begin shortly after taking office. More than 100 executive orders are expected to be issued on the first day. That list is likely to include cruel immigration policies, environmental protection policies, travel bans, and deep cuts to public education.
Of course, like almost everything about the next president, a man with a preternatural penchant for bravado and bewildering rhetoric, it’s anyone’s guess whether Day One’s promises will actually be carried out. (Trump’s former Vice President J.D. Vance, a former Ohio senator, has already opposed granting pardons to rioters every January 6, for example.) But not only does his pledge alone provide a surprising perspective on MAGA’s ambitions. It provides an outline that is sure to cause serious harm. A large chunk of the US population.
Below, our reporters list some of the most significant actions that could happen in the coming weeks, if not on the first day.—Oh In-ae
immigrant
In keeping with his signature campaign promise, Trump pledged to launch the largest deportation operation in U.S. history from day one. He raised the possibility of invoking the Alien Enemies Act, an 18th-century law last used during World War II, to circumvent due process protections and expedite the deportation of suspected criminals. President Trump also promised to sign his first executive order ending birthright citizenship for undocumented immigrant children as part of his immigration crackdown. Birthright citizenship is guaranteed under the 14th Amendment, but Trump said he would direct federal agencies to stop issuing passports and Social Security numbers to U.S.-born children unless at least one parent is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.Isabella Diaz
tariff
During his presidential campaign, Trump called tariffs “the most beautiful word in the entire dictionary.” On his first day in office, he promised to sign an executive order imposing a 25% tariff on goods imported from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tariff on goods imported from China. This would be a major blow to the U.S. economy, especially industries in automotive, energy, medical equipment and agriculture, which account for about half of U.S. trade. Prices in the sector could skyrocket as businesses would have to cover an extra 25% of costs each time an item crossed the border, leading to layoffs in the industry and a strain on household finances as the cost of items such as cars and food increased dramatically. There is a possibility that it may cause interference.Hannah Levint
Amnesty and Criminal Justice
On Day 1, Trump plans to issue a “massive pardon” to the MAGA rioters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 four years ago, people he calls “incredible patriots.” He wants to free them while also cracking down on progressive district attorneys who are accused of being too soft on other criminals. President Trump said he would ask the Justice Department to investigate locally elected liberal prosecutors. Trump has also promised to reduce crime quickly (already under Biden), and although the president’s authority to control crime trends is questionable, he has “strongly” pushed for the death penalty and by giving police more powers. He indicated that he would take a tougher stance. use force –samantha michaels
trans rights
Trump, to loud applause from his supporters, pledged to wield his presidency against the transgender community. He promised to implement “the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female,” and on his first day ordered “all federal agencies to stop promoting gender transition or transition at any age.” ” This refers to attempts to exclude openly transgender people from military service and block gender-affirming medical treatment under Medicaid, Medicare, and the Veterans Administration (approximately 1 in 5 transgender adults are enrolled in Medicaid) . Trump is also widely expected to reinterpret federal civil rights laws in a way that would allow, and even require, discrimination against transgender people in health care and education. Withhold federal funding for schools that certify care for minors or serve transgender students.madison foley
TikTok
Trump is seeking to save TikTok under a law passed last year that would require China-based ByteDance to sell U.S.-based TikTok or face a ban. The Supreme Court upheld the law on Friday. Trump, who initially viewed TikTok as a national security threat, has instead decided to keep the popular platform, which he now sees as politically beneficial to him. He is reportedly currently considering an executive order to put the law on hold. This is a legally questionable move that is unlikely to preserve access to the platform. But next week he will likely try to broker a sale or deal to keep TikTok in the United States. In a show of support, TikTok’s CEO will have a prominent spot at Trump’s inauguration on Monday.Pema Levi
environment
It doesn’t take much guesswork to decipher Trump’s plans for the environment. At a rally in Phoenix last month, Trump pledged to end “all of Biden’s restrictions on energy production” and implement what he calls the “electric vehicle mandate,” a “first” energy policy that includes overturning the Biden EPA’s carbon cuts. An agenda was presented. Tailpipe emissions standards – Reversing Biden’s moratorium on new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export permits, reopening Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for drilling, and declaring a “national energy emergency.” This is to increase fossil fuel production. He also pledged to “immediately” reverse Biden’s historic move to protect 625 million acres of coastal waters from offshore drilling and quickly halt offshore wind projects, an energy source he criticized as “ugly” and “horrendous.”Jackie Flynn Mogenson
vote
Trump’s lies about voting formed the core of his MAGA agenda, and he will seek to institutionalize his anti-voting agenda if he returns as president. On Day 1, he will almost certainly repeal Biden’s executive order expanding voter registration opportunities at federal agencies. But he won’t stop there. His administration would weaponize key government functions, including adding a citizenship question back to the 2030 census and potentially attempting to privatize the Postal Service. His Justice Department could roll back voting rights enforcement and launch bogus investigations into false claims of voter fraud. Meanwhile, his allies in Congress are quickly advancing legislation that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote, despite finding no significant evidence of non-citizen voting that could disenfranchise more than 20 million Americans.Ari Berman
role
Just this week, Trump announced he would create a “Foreign Revenue Service” to begin collecting import duties on day one. Republicans are famously hostile to the Internal Revenue Service, which brings in $5 to $9 for every dollar it spends on tax enforcement. In fact, Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) recently reintroduced a bill to abolish the IRS and replace the federal income tax with a regressive flat tax. Trump, who has been implicated in alleged tax fraud (although, unlike his companies, has never been indicted and convicted), Trump is also talking about abolishing the income tax and instead funding the government with across-the-board tariffs on foreign imports. Collecting these duties is the job of ERS and likely falls under the purview of the Treasury. The problem is that tariffs cannot raise enough cash to replace income taxes. Moreover, as JP Morgan recently warned investors, other countries will retaliate, “exacerbating the negative impact on global trade,” and Trump’s tariffs “are likely to lead to rising inflation without growing the economy.” Because low- and middle-income Americans spend a much larger share of their income than their higher-income counterparts, tariffs on goods cost them more, Trump’s plan would replace one of a handful of progressive taxes with another regressive tax. This brings us back to the late 1800s, a time of robber barons and labor unrest that historians affectionately refer to as the Gilded Age.Michael Mechanic
public education
Trump has repeatedly promised to dismantle the Department of Education. That’s unlikely, since such a move probably wouldn’t pass the Senate. But he pledged on his first day back home to cut funding for schools that his administration determined were “forcing critical race theory, transgender insanity, and other inappropriate racial, sexual, and political content on our beautiful children.”Kiera Butler
supreme court
Trump has promised to restore the travel ban he imposed during his first term, which blocked people from mostly Muslim countries from entering the United States. In September, Trump called the besieged area teeming with terrorists and said he would expand the scope to include Palestinian refugees. “We will ban refugee resettlement in areas where terrorism is rampant, such as the Gaza Strip,” he said. “We will close borders and reimpose travel bans.” The Supreme Court upheld Trump’s travel ban in June 2018 despite evidence that it targeted Muslims, so it’s likely that a second measure will eventually go into effect again.—Pema Levi
