With Donald Trump back as President, here is everything you need to know
From inauguration to immigration, and from his criminal charges to his climate policies, this is your five minute guide to Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
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His election was definitive; the margin convincing. But many questions remain about Donald Trump’s return to power. Here’s what we know.
What happens now?
With Donald Trump now President-elect, both his team, the executive and the White House move into “Transition,” the process of transferring power. President Joe Biden and Mr Trump are due to meet at the White House soon to discuss arrangements.
The former wrestling entrepreneur and small business envoy Linda McMahon and the billionaire finance CEO Howard Lutnick are the heads of the transition team, with Mr Trump already starting to name his key personnel.
Who will be advising the new President?
Late last week Mr Trump announced his campaign co-chief Susie Wiles would be his Chief of Staff. She’ll be the first woman to ever take the role.
Elon Musk is expected to be given a new role charged with cutting government spending while former independent candidate and vaccine sceptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr could end up running the health department.
Other Trump loyalists could be rewarded with plum posts; Florida senator Marco Rubio has been touted as a possible Secretary of State, while Texas’s Attorney General Ken Paxton and Missouri Senator Eric Schmitt are in the frame as Attorney General.
While Mr Trump’s daughter Ivanka played a key role in his first administration, son Donald Jr will be at the fore this time, having been influential in picking JD Vance as Vice President.
What else happens between now and Trump taking office?
December 11 is known as “safe harbour day”; the day by which all legal issues pertaining to the election count must be resolved. On December 17, each of the 50 states plus the District of Columbia certify their results.
Then on January 6, each state brings their ballots for official certification by the Vice President – which puts Kamala Harris in the awkward position of having to sign off on the victory of the man she ran against.
On January 20, at noon, Donald Trump will take the oath of office and be officially inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States.
What about Trump’s criminal charges?
On November 26 Mr Trump is due to be sentenced on the 34 felony counts relating to false records of hush money payments made to the porn star Stormy Daniels.
Legal experts say the sentencing creates an unprecedented situation, but the judge in the case, Juan Merchan, might find Mr Trump immune from prosecution, simply impose a fine, or decree that sentencing should be delayed until after his presidency.
Reports suggest the Department of Justice is looking to “wind down” some of the other cases against Mr Trump, including his role in the January 6 riot and his handling of classified documents.
Mr Trump has also warned he intends to fire the special counsel who has laid criminal charges against him over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
What will Trump do first?
Donald Trump has made a number of promises about what he will do in his first day in office, including pardoning the January 6 Capitol Hill rioters and signing executive orders enabling the opening up of new areas for gas and oil exploration. “Drill, baby, drill,” is how he put it during the campaign.
What about the other branches of government?
New members of Congress get sworn in on January 3.
In the 100-seat Senate, Republicans already have a clear majority of 53, and there are two races where counting continues.
In the 435-seat House of Representatives, the Republicans are inching towards attaining the 218 seats needed for a majority as the count continues in a score of districts.
A majority in both houses will mean the Republicans will be able to easily appoint their chosen officials and pass legislation. It also means Congressional investigations or moves to impeach the President (something that happened twice during Mr Trump’s first term) have no real hope of getting up.
What does Trump 2.0 mean for trade?
Donald Trump has promised to implement tariffs on all imported goods, a move that analysts believe will disrupt world trade. While China is the main target – Trump has said he wants a 60 per cent tariff on all Chinese goods, and 100 per cent on their cars – many trading nations could face tariffs of 10-20 per cent.
Australia negotiated exemptions during the first Trump presidency and may be able to do so again – but nothing is guaranteed. And retaliatory tariffs put up by other nations could prove extremely damaging to Australia.
What does Trump 2.0 mean for illegal immigration?
Slamming shut the American-Mexican border is one of Mr Trump’s “day one” promises. Further afield the administration has an aim of deporting one million illegal immigrants every year. Others believe migrant detention camps could become a reality.
What does Trump 2.0 mean for legal migration and visas?
Experts do not believe there will be changes to the two-year E3 working visa available to Australians, but if Mr Trump repeats a pause on immigration – something he did in 2020 – it could create problems for business and individuals.
It is believed Mr Trump may also favour skilled migration, using a points-based system, rather than family-based migration – but any changes would likely come later in 2025.
What does Trump 2.0 mean for Ukraine?
Mr Trump has vowed to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours – a promise that many believe will be a bad deal for the Ukrainians. In a call to the President-Elect on the day after his victory, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he and Mr Trump “agreed to maintain close dialogue and advance our co-operation”.
“Strong and unwavering US leadership is vital for the world and for a just peace,” Mr Zelensky said.
What does Trump 2.0 mean for Israel?
A second Trump administration has been welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with some believing the US will give a green light to Israeli attempts to expand settlements in Gaza and the West Bank, and go after Iran.
Middle East policy specialist Lydia Khalil from the Lowy Institute has written that Trump’s approach to the Middle East might be characterised as “Look strong, but don’t do too much”.
“For a region notorious for its complexity and intractability, this is not necessarily a bad approach,” she stated.
What does Trump 2.0 mean for abortion?
While Mr Trump has said he would veto a federal abortion ban, many believe access to abortion could become even more constrained in the US as conservative states enact their own bans, and federal agencies look to restrict access to abortion medication being sent through the post.
State ballot measures to protect abortion access passed in a number of states on election day, including Colorado, Missouri and New York, but measures to overturn abortion bans in Florida and South Dakota failed.
What does Trump 2.0 mean for climate?
Mr Trump withdrew the USA from the Paris Agreement during his first term, and may do so again, after President Joe Biden reversed that decision. There are also concerns he might attempt to take the America out of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which would mean an unprecedented realignment of global climate negotiations.
A massive suite of clean energy programs that had begun under the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act may also be on the chopping block, but experts believe some may be saved because they have meant massive investment and jobs growth, particularly in Republican states.
What else changed on election day?
Besides voting for a new president on November 5, Americans had their say on many other state issues. In Florida and the Dakotas, moves to legalise marijuana were rejected, while many states passed initiatives that will make it harder for undocumented immigrants to vote. Proposals to introduce Australian style proportional representation voting were rejected in Oregon, Nevada and Idaho and Colorado, but passed by voters in Washington DC.
What’s happening with the polling industry after the election?
America’s polling industry is under fire – once again – for failing to predict the outcome of the US Presidential election.
Veteran Australian pollster Gary Morgan said American polling companies relied on unreliable phone and internet surveys, rather than face-to-face questioning and too often they were speaking to people who were not actually going to vote.
Yaron Finkelstein, co-founder of Wolf+Smith, said there remained a “systemic problem” with getting to speak with Trump supporters, and American pollsters “are consistently missing them”.
“There’s a huge media driven demand for polls in America but they’re not getting or paying for quality polling. It’s the junk food equivalent of polling,” he said.
Industry analysts said polling companies will need to revise their methods ahead of the midterm election, due to take place on November 3, 2026.
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