Donald Trump’s first 100 days, his policies and what he promises to do as America’s President
When Donald Trump marches into the Oval Office, he will want to transform the United States before he goes to bed upstairs that night.
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A new president’s first 100 days in power are their best chance to change the country.
But when Donald Trump marches into the Oval Office after his inauguration on January 20, he will want to transform the United States before he goes to bed upstairs that night.
Slamming shut the southern US border. Unleashing new oil and gas projects. Imposing widespread tariffs on America’s trading partners. Pardoning those jailed over the January 6 invasion of the US Capitol, whom he calls “political prisoners”. Firing the special counsel who has laid criminal charges against him over his effort to overturn his 2020 election defeat.
Mr Trump’s list of promises to be enacted immediately is as long as it is significant. To deliver them, America’s 45th and now 47th president is planning to push his executive power to its absolute limits, as he has summed up by pledging to be a dictator “on day one”.
That infamous comment came almost a year ago in a town hall with Fox News host Sean Hannity, who tried to give Mr Trump the chance to tamp down the concerns of his critics.
“Under no circumstances, you are promising America tonight, you would never abuse power as retribution against anyone,” the anchor said.
“Except for day one,” Mr Trump replied, adding: “I want to close the border and I want to drill, drill, drill … After that, I’m not a dictator. Okay?”
Mr Trump’s plan for immediate action also extends overseas: he has vowed to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours. How he intends to achieve this remains a mystery.
“If I told you exactly what I’d do, I could never make the deal,” the Republican told podcaster Joe Rogan in the final days of the campaign.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fears Mr Trump will force him to give up land seized by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces while cutting back American military aid.
Several weeks ago, he pitched his “victory plan” to Mr Trump in New York, and said he believed they had a “common view that the war has to be stopped and Putin can’t win”. Mr Trump – who has refused to say he wants Ukraine to win – only called for “a fair deal”.
Mr Trump will also be immediately tested by the conflict in the Middle East. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, having ignored President Joe Biden’s entreaties for a ceasefire in Gaza, appears to have been waiting to deal with Mr Trump instead. The Republican reportedly told him recently: “Do what you have to do.”
The threat of all-out war has ratcheted up in recent weeks, with Iran and Israel striking each other directly. While it is difficult to predict the situation in two and a half months, Mr Trump’s arrival could well inflame it, especially given Iran’s shocking efforts to assassinate him.
On the domestic front, Mr Trump’s first 100 days will also be dominated by what he promises will be the biggest mass deportation operation in US history. Removing as many as one million illegal immigrants every year – which vice president-elect JD Vance has said is the aim – will require their administration to overcome challenging legal and logistical hurdles.
They hope to leap over those with more executive actions, making it irrelevant which party ends up controlling the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Where the make-up of Congress will matter immensely, however, is in deciding a crucial legislative struggle.
Back in 2017, Mr Trump delivered trillions of dollars in tax cuts for workers and businesses. While the discounted corporate rate remains in place, the reductions for individuals expire at the end of next year, meaning essentially the entire income tax code is up for grabs.
Should the Democrats control either congressional chamber, that would set up one of the biggest budget battles in recent memory, with the party having argued Mr Trump’s original plan disproportionately benefited the rich. (His opponent Kamala Harris promised to extend only the tax cuts for workers earning less than $US400,000.)
Mr Trump has also promised more radical changes. Eliminating taxes on tips and expanding the child tax credit seem likely to progress, given Ms Harris promoted the same policies. But he has also pressed for other hugely expensive measures such as scrapping taxes on overtime and on Social Security pension payments.
Indeed, even if his Republican Party ends up with a majority in the House and the Senate, there is no guarantee all of his plans will be waived through, with more fiscally conservative members raising concerns about adding to America’s $US35 trillion debt bill.
The new president has his work cut out for him.
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