President Trump Inauguration Day: Previewing the Policies and Priorities of the New US Administration

Many sources paint a picture of a second Trump presidency characterized by aggressive, rapid-fire policy changes, a focus on retribution, and significant departures from established norms. While some observers express optimism about potential economic growth and a shift away from progressive cultural trends, there are significant concerns about potential instability, authoritarian tendencies, and the long-term effects of his policies.

Today's sources, which include the Wall Street Journal and New York Times, highlight both the ambitious scope of Trump's plans and the potential for chaos, gridlock, and international tensions. Key themes include a push for deregulation, an overhaul of immigration policies, a focus on economic nationalism, and a desire to reshape government through the appointment of loyalists.

I. Themes & Ideas:

Aggressive Day 1 Action & Swift Policy Implementation:

• Rapid Pace: Trump plans an unprecedented number of executive actions on Day 1, signaling a commitment to swift and decisive change. As one Trump adviser put it, “Trump is back, it’s go time. Like a shock to the system.”
• Preparedness: His team has been planning these actions since well before the election, with conservative groups exploring the bounds of executive power and crafting potential policies.
• Scale: The actions will be "rapid-fire, very intense," exceeding the scope of any recent president's Day 1 actions.
• Sharp Break: The goal is to signal a sharp break from the previous administration and to quickly implement campaign promises.

Retribution and Weaponization of Government:

• Focus on Adversaries: Trump plans to use the power of the Justice Department to target political opponents, including President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Republicans who have crossed him. He has promised to devote his next four years in office to ‘retribution’.
• Pardons: Trump has suggested he may pardon supporters who stormed the Capitol on January 6th, 2021.
• Loyalty Over Competence: He prioritizes loyalty, evident in his dissatisfaction with the FBI director he appointed in his first term because the director proved "insufficiently loyal".

Overhaul of Government & Civil Service:

• Targeting "Deep State": Trump intends to curb the professional ranks of civil servants, reissuing an executive order that allows many to be fired and replaced with political appointees, transforming an ostensibly nonpartisan government into a tool of his political will.
• Department Restructuring: He plans to overhaul federal departments and agencies to remove “corrupt actors” and crack down on leakers.
• Truth and Reconciliation Commission: Trump also plans to implement a "Truth and Reconciliation Commission" to combat what Republicans call the "Deep State".

Economic Nationalism and Trade Protectionism:

• Universal Tariffs: Trump plans to impose "a universal tariff, or tax, on most imported goods," intending to make domestic manufacturers more competitive, potentially sparking a trade war.
• De-coupling from China: He plans to drastically limit the U.S.'s economic relationship with China.
• Tax Cuts: He proposes a variety of tax cuts, including cuts for workers and ending taxes on tips, overtime pay, and Social Security benefits, the cost and effects of which remain unclear. The challenge will be to avoid juicy carve-outs that sound good in a stump speech but do little to boost work and wages.
• Energy Independence: He aims to massively scale up oil and gas production.

Hardline Immigration Policies:

• Mass Deportations: Trump will pursue mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, "a blitz of expulsions that would be unparalleled in modern times."
• Border Security: He intends to close the southern border to asylum seekers, ending “catch-and-release” policies and implementing a travel ban from certain countries.
• Military Funds: Military funds will be used to build large detention camps in Texas.
• Remain in Mexico: He will negotiate the return of the “Remain in Mexico” program.

Cultural and Social Conservatism:

• Education: His proposals include having parents elect school principals, cutting federal funding to schools teaching “critical race theory,” and creating a new credentialing body to only certify teachers who “embrace patriotic values.”
• Transgender Rights: Trump is explicitly anti-transgender rights, planning to strip federal funding from any school that suggests children might be “trapped in the wrong body.” He also plans to ban healthc