by James Oliphant
Washington, –
Donald Trump’s second presidential term could have major impacts on US trade policy, climate change, the war in Ukraine, electric vehicles, Americans’ taxes and illegal immigration.
Although some of his campaign proposals will require congressional approval, here is a summary of the policies he has said he will pursue when he takes office in January:
higher tariffs
Trump has floated the idea of 10% or more tariffs on all goods imported into the U.S., a move he says would eliminate the trade deficit. But critics say it would raise prices for American consumers and cause global economic instability.
He has also said that they should have the right to impose higher tariffs on countries that have imposed tariffs on American imports. He has threatened to impose 200% tariffs on some imported cars, saying he is particularly determined to stop cars from Mexico from coming into the country.
But he has also suggested that allies such as the European Union could face higher tariffs on their goods. Trump has especially targeted China. He has proposed phasing out Chinese imports of goods such as electronics, steel and pharmaceuticals over four years. He wants to prevent Chinese companies from owning American real estate and infrastructure in the energy and technology sectors.
Trump has said that “tariff” is his favorite word and that he sees it as a revenue generator that will help fill the government coffers.
mass deportation
Trump has vowed to restore his first-term policies targeting illegal border crossings and move forward with sweeping new restrictions.
He has promised to limit access to asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border and launch the largest deportation effort in U.S. history, potentially triggering legal challenges and opposition from Democrats in Congress.
He has said he will deploy the National Guard and, if necessary, federal troops to achieve his objective, and he has not ruled out setting up internment camps to process people for deportation.
Trump has said he would seek to end automatic citizenship for children born to immigrants, a move that would go against long-standing interpretations of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
He has also suggested that he would revoke protected legal status for certain populations, such as Haitians or Venezuelans.
Trump says he will reimpose the so-called “travel ban” that restricts entry to the United States of people from a list of largely Muslim-majority countries, which sparked several legal battles during his first term . Some of Trump’s early appointments reflect the urgency to execute on his immigration agenda. Trump has named Tom Homan “Border Czar,” and will make Stephen Miller, the architect of his immigration plans, White House deputy chief of staff.
drilling away
Trump has vowed to increase U.S. production of fossil fuels by simplifying the permitting process for drilling on federal lands and will encourage new natural gas pipelines. He has said he would re-authorize oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. Trump has promised to create a National Energy Council to coordinate policies to boost U.S. energy production, to be led by his pick for Interior Secretary, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum.
Whether the oil industry follows suit and increases production at a time when oil and gas prices are relatively low remains to be seen.
Trump has said he would again pull the United States out of the Paris climate agreement, a framework for reducing global greenhouse gas emissions, and support increased nuclear power production. He also would roll back Democratic President Joe Biden’s electric-vehicle mandate and other policies aimed at reducing auto emissions.
He has argued that the US needs to be able to boost energy production to be competitive in developing artificial intelligence systems, which consume large amounts of electricity.
Tax Relief Along with his trade and energy agenda, Trump has promised to reduce federal regulations, which he says limit job creation. He has promised to keep in place the sweeping 2017 tax cuts he signed while in office, and his economic team discussed another round of individual and corporate tax cuts in addition to those enacted in his first term Is.
Trump has promised to reduce the corporate tax rate for companies making their products in the US from 21% to 15%.
He has said he will seek legislation to eliminate taxation on tips and overtime pay to help waiters and other service workers. He has promised not to tax or cut Social Security benefits.
Trump has also said that as president he will pressure the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates – but not demand it.
Most, if not all, of his tax proposals would require congressional action. Budget analysts warn that tax cuts will increase the federal debt.
eliminating diversity programs
Trump has pledged to defund American colleges and universities to “protect the American tradition and Western civilization” and exempt them from diversity programs. He said he would direct the Justice Department to pursue civil rights cases against schools that engage in racial discrimination.
In K-12 schools, Trump would support programs allowing parents to use public funds for private or religious education.
Trump also wants to dismantle the federal Education Department, leaving states in control of schooling.
No federal abortion ban
Trump appointed three justices to the U.S. Supreme Court who were part of the majority that struck down Roe v. Wade’s constitutional protections for abortion. He will likely continue to appoint federal judges who will uphold abortion limits.
Additionally, he has said that federal abortion restrictions are unnecessary and that the issue should be resolved at the state level. He has argued that the six-week ban supported by some Republicans is overly harsh and that any law should include exceptions for rape, incest and the mother’s health.
Trump has suggested he would not seek to limit access to the abortion drug mifepristone after the US Supreme Court challenged the government’s approach to regulating it.
He supports policies that advance in vitro fertilization, birth control, and prenatal care.
Attempt to end the war Trump has been critical of US support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, and has said that if elected he could end the war in 24 hours – although he has not said whether he would do it. How to achieve it?
He has suggested that Ukraine would have to give up some of its territory if a peace agreement is to be reached, an idea Ukraine has consistently rejected. Trump’s selection of his national security adviser, US Representative Michael Waltz, was a criticism of the Biden administration’s decision in November to allow Ukraine to use US-supplied missiles to strike inside Russian territory.
Trump has also said that under his presidency the US would fundamentally rethink “the purpose of NATO and the mission of NATO”.
Trump has appointed US Senator Marco Rubio, who is a supporter of China, as his secretary of state and has been charged with carrying out his foreign policy goals. Trump has supported Israel in the fight against Hamas in Gaza, but urged it to end its aggressive stance. He can be expected to continue the Biden administration’s policy of providing arms to Israel. Also, Trump is likely to emphasize the historic normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, an effort he pursued during his 2017-2021 presidency and which Biden has also pursued.
Trump has said that if he becomes president, he would “stop the suffering and destruction in Lebanon”, but has not stated how he would achieve this.
He has suggested building an “iron dome” – a giant missile-defense shield similar to Israel’s – over the entire continental United States.
Trump also plans to send armed forces to Mexico to fight drug cartels and use the U.S. Navy to create a blockade of that country to stop the trafficking of fentanyl and its precursors. His transition team is compiling a list of potential high-ranking US military officers who could be fired as part of the Pentagon’s purge of those deemed “loyal” to Trump.
Investigating Foes, Helping Allies Trump has repeatedly promised to use federal law enforcement agencies to investigate his political enemies, including election officials, lawyers and party donors. Trump appointed former US Congressman Matt Gaetz as his Attorney General. Gaetz has suggested that he is sympathetic to Trump’s revenge agenda.
Along that line, Trump has said he would consider appointing a special prosecutor to investigate Biden, though he has not specified the basis for such an investigation.
And he has said he would consider firing a US attorney who did not follow his instructions – which would violate the long-standing US policy of an independent federal law enforcement apparatus.
Trump has said that he will consider pardoning all people who have been convicted of crimes in connection with the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
In addition to criminal investigations, he has suggested using the government’s regulatory powers to punish critics, such as television networks.
purging the federal bureaucracy
Trump will try to dismantle what he calls the “deep state” — career federal workers he says are secretly pushing their own agendas — through an executive order that would reclassify thousands of workers. So that they can be removed. This will likely be challenged in court. He has said he will form an independent government efficiency panel, chaired by billionaire backer Elon Musk and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, to root out waste in the federal government. The government already has watchdogs such as investigators general in the Office of Management and Budget and federal agencies.
Trump would crack down on federal whistleblowers, who are generally protected by law, and create an independent body to “oversee” US intelligence agencies.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without any modifications to the text.
