Tariffs and protectionism: Trump advocated for an economic nationalist system, proposing a 10% to 20% universal baseline tariff on all imports, with higher tariffs on specific countries—60% on China, 100% on Mexico, and 100% on foreign-made cars. He aimed to replace income taxes largely with tariffs to protect American manufacturing and phase out Chinese imports of essential goods like electronics, steel, and pharmaceuticals over four years.
Tax cuts: Trump promised to extend the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which included maintaining lower individual and corporate tax rates (proposing a further reduction of the corporate tax rate to 15%) and eliminating taxes on Social Security benefits and tips. These policies were estimated to increase deficits by $3 trillion to $5.8 trillion over ten years, though dynamic estimates suggested a smaller impact due to economic growth.
Federal Reserve influence: Trump and his allies planned to limit the Federal Reserve’s independence, allowing the president to influence interest rate decisions, remove Chair Jerome Powell before 2026, and subject the Fed to oversight from the Office of Management and Budget.
Federal Efficiency Commission: Trump pledged to appoint Elon Musk to lead a commission to audit the federal government and propose “dramatic reforms” to cut spending and regulations.
Mass deportation: Trump promised the “largest mass deportation program in history,” targeting 11 million undocumented immigrants. He proposed using the National Guard and local police, closing the southern border, and ending birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants. He also planned to reinstate his travel ban on several majority-Muslim countries and suspend refugee admissions.
Border security: Trump vowed to complete the border wall, designate drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, and use military budgets for border security. He also proposed prosecuting election crimes and deporting international students supporting Palestinians.
Energy production: Trump campaigned on a “drill, baby, drill” policy, aiming to increase domestic oil, gas, and coal production to halve energy prices. He promised to end delays in federal drilling permits, remove limits on natural gas exports, and reverse Biden’s ban on offshore oil and gas development.
Climate policy rollbacks: Trump planned to exit the Paris Climate Agreement again, undo Biden’s electric vehicle incentives (which he called a “mandate”), and reduce funding for environmental agencies. He also opposed climate change legislation, framing it as harmful to the energy industry.
Department of Education: Trump called for abolishing the Department of Education, transferring education control to states, and cutting federal funding for schools teaching Critical Race Theory or “gender ideology.” He supported school choice, vouchers for private schools, and direct election of school principals by parents.
Transgender rights: Trump promised to ban transgender students from sports aligned with their gender identity, roll back Title IX protections for transgender students, and prohibit gender-affirming care for minors, framing it as “child mutilation.”
Abortion: Trump advocated leaving abortion laws to states, opposing a national ban. He supported access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) by requiring federal or insurance coverage but was vague on mifepristone (abortion pill) access.
Dismantling the “Deep State”: Trump proposed a top-to-bottom overhaul of federal bureaucracies, reissuing his Schedule F executive order to reclassify federal workers as at-will employees, making it easier to fire “rogue bureaucrats.” He also supported term limits for Congress, bans on lobbying by former officials, and prohibiting Congress members from trading stocks with insider information.
Free speech and censorship: Trump vowed to dismantle the “left-wing censorship regime” by firing bureaucrats involved in censoring speech, banning federal agencies from censoring, and passing a digital bill of rights to limit social media platforms’ ability to restrict speech.
Election integrity: Trump promised measures like banning unsecure drop boxes, ballot harvesting, and private funding of election offices, while requiring documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration.
Affordable Care Act: Trump called for repealing the Affordable Care Act but offered no detailed replacement plan. His first term’s attempt to repeal it failed, and he suggested reshaping Medicaid with work requirements.
Prescription Drugs and Veterans’ Care: Trump supported lowering prescription drug costs and expanding veterans’ access to private care through the VA MISSION Act. He criticized Biden’s Medicare drug price negotiations without proposing alternatives.
Isolationist and non-interventionist stance: Trump’s approach was diplomatically isolationist and economically protectionist, promising to avoid military interventions while expanding the military and building a missile defense shield. He aimed to end the Russia-Ukraine war quickly, though details were sparse.
Freedom Cities: Trump proposed chartering 10 new cities on federal land to promote manufacturing, homeownership, and the “American Dream.”
Retribution against opponents: Trump hinted at using the Justice Department to investigate political enemies, including prosecutors like Alvin Bragg and former allies like William Barr and John Kelly.
Second Amendment: Trump promised to roll back Biden’s gun control measures, loosen background checks, and ease restrictions on gun ownership, including for those under 21 or with domestic abuse convictions.