The American people have spoken: Donald Trump will be our next president. Project 2025, climate change, immigration, the economy, and the conflict in Gaza are some of the most popular issues he will have to tackle this presidency. But what exactly is the President Elect’s thoughts on these subjects?
Donald Trump holds a conservative view on the Southern border. He vows to increase the number of border agents and increase deportations. Pundits believe he will attempt to bring back the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 which would, without a court hearing, allow him to deport suspected gang and cartel members. Former Pres. Trump has yet to answer questions about whether or not he will reimplement the family separation policy of 2018, which put 5,000 kids into shelters and foster homes while their parents were being prosecuted for illegally entering the United States. Trump hasn’t detailed his plan to capture more illegal immigrants and find additional border patrol agents, especially in light of the fact that CBP has fallen short on recruitment numbers lately.
Project 2025 is a playbook constructed by the conservative Heritage Foundation; an organization producing conservative policies which have influenced our government in the past, especially during the Reagan administration. Though Donald Trump has tried to distance himself from the project, many highlight what they believe to be close personal ties to the foundation; several of his former advisors and campaign managers took part in creating the ideas for Project 2025, and several of his promised policies have similarities to Project 2025 – tough views on immigration, repealing protections for LGBTQ people, and keeping transgender women out of women’s sports.
Donald Trump has spoken at large about his rejection of climate change theory. During a rally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on November 2nd, Trump called climate change a “hoax” and said “the oceans will rise…who the hell cares.” Trump wants to roll back many of the climate regulations enacted during the Biden Administration such as green-energy cars, power plants, and household appliances. He vowed to pull the United States out of the Paris Climate Agreement as he did in his first term, and rejected the Biden Administration’s prioritization of low-carbon energy sources, with his campaign website reports wanting to end “insane wind subsidies.”
In an interview in April, Donald Trump commented on the situation in Gaza, stating “get it over with and let’s get back to peace and stop killing people.” Machelle Oran, a former ambassador to Israel said “he has the most pro-Israeli record of any president.” The soon to be president has hopes to end the war, but is yet to offer a solution. Though he stated the importance of focusing on more domestic issues instead of meddling in foreign countries affairs, Trump has garnered support from the pro-israeli evangelical Christians, potentially influencing his position on the matter post-inauguration.
In respect to the war in Ukraine, Donald Trump claims he could end the war “in a day.” Despite the fact that Ukraine has been reliant on military support from the United States, President-Elect Trump wants to cut funding for the democratic nation. Trump’s advisors have proposed to “uniformly recommend freezing the war in place,” therefore stopping the war but allowing Russia to take the land they already occupy (around 20 percent of Ukraine). Part of Trump’s plan is to construct a 800 mile demilitarized zone, which both countries would have to consent to. Trump is persistent on not sending Americans to the front lines, with a team member saying, “We can do training and other support, but the barrel of the gun is going to be European. We are not sending American men and women to uphold peace in Ukraine. And we are not paying for it. Get the Poles, Germans, British, and French to do it.”
In order to incentivize business in the United States, Donald Trump has proposed a plan to slap a 10-20% tariff on all imports, with a particularly harsh stance on those from China. This would result in a minimum of a 0.8% increase in inflation for next year, as getting items produced in the United States will become more expensive as a result of higher domestic labor costs. Trump also wants to increase tax cuts including on tip income and social security.
With a historic election season and notable Republican dominance in not just the Executive branch, but the House and Senate, the American people are looking for a drastic change. With these policies, Trump has outlined his goals for the future, and it is for the rest of the country, over the next four years, to see if the former President manages to fulfill his campaign promises.
