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THE VOTES ARE in and Donald Trump is set to return to the White House for a second term.
The controversial Republican firebrand has been declared President-elect in a historic win.
In what was a highly divisive, bitterly fought campaign, complete with a candidate switch, an assassination attempt and recriminations on both sides, two widely different visions for the future of America were set out.
Trump has made no secret about what he plans for the country, putting as his headline issues slashing taxes for the richest, increasing tariffs, stopping illegal immigration, and drilling for oil.
Following his victory, and with control of the US Senate likely, Trump’s electoral promises could soon become a reality. Here’s a rundown of his main priorities.
Bonus episode of our politics podcast The Candidate: Christine Bohan and Rónán Duffy examine how election night unfolded and what Trump’s imminent victory means for US politics.
An exit poll of US voters found that the economy was one of the major electoral issues. For Trump voters in particular, the economy was what drove their vote.
Rampant inflation over the past few years has made most consumer goods more expensive for Americans.
A recent ABC/Ipsos polls showed 67% of voters believed the economy was in bad shape, while 45% said their own financial situation was worse now than it was four years ago.
On the run up to election day, Donald Trump was seen as more solid on the economy than Harris, and voters obviously followed through on that sentiment.
So, what are his plans?
Well, recalling Trump’s first term, he’s very fond of slapping tariffs on imported goods.
This involves heavily taxing certain consumer and other goods that are brought into the country. The idea is simple enough: making imports more expensive will encourage people to make and buy American.
Trump’s fondness for tariffs during his first term started a trade war with China. This time around, he has promised to go much further, stating that he would slap a 60% tariff on Chinese goods, and 20% on imports from other countries.
Trump has also vowed to cut taxes for companies and for the wealthiest individuals.
Whether this would all have the desired effect is another matter. Last month, 23 Nobel Prize winning economists signed a letter saying Trump’s economic plans will “lead to higher prices, larger deficits, and greater inequality”.
Trump’s plans for the economy could also have seriously negative effects on Ireland.
He has promised to further cut America’s corporation tax, which could see it fall as low as Ireland’s own, which may cause US multinationals to rethink where they are based.
He may also change US tax rules in order to compel American companies to shift their intellectual properties (IPs) back to the US. That means they won’t be funnelling money through Ireland, which would drastically lower this country’s income from corporation tax.
Income tax from US multinationals has become hugely important to Ireland’s economy, and any reduction in that may negatively affect Ireland’s future prospects.
Tackling illegal immigration and deporting undocumented migrants has always been one of Trump’s key positions. Committing to building a wall between the US and Mexico, and divisive, incendiary comments about migrants are what propelled him into poll position back during the 2016 presidential race.
Trump doubled down on this for his 2024 bid, making often xenophobic and completely untrue remarks (such as that Haitian migrants were eating dogs in Ohio) to stoke anger and fear among his base and US voters. He also alleged links between illegal immigration and crime.
Trump repeatedly highlighted issues at the US’s southern border, which has seen a significant jump in crossings in recent years (though the number has fallen this year).
The rhetoric seems to have worked.
Trump has promised the “largest deportation operation in American history”, much to the joy of his supporters, who frequently touted “Send them back” placards at his rallies. He hasn’t provided details on how this would happen, however.
There are an estimated 11 million undocumented people living in the US, with experts warning that mass deportations could de-stabilise the economy. But Republicans argue it will reduce crime and ensure more jobs for American citizens.
Trump has also committed to deploying the Army to the US southern border, and to increasing workplace raids to apprehend undocumented people. He will also, he has promised, “complete the Border Wall” between the US and Mexico.
Trump has always been outspoken on America’s foreign policy, arguing that the country has been involved in too many wars and spends too much money on overseas missions.
He has been vocally critical of the war in Ukraine, and promised to end it “within 24 hours” of becoming president, by negotiating a settlement with Russia.
This will likely be fiercely resisted by Ukraine. He has also said he would stop US cash flowing to Ukraine. The country has spent billions on helping Ukraine defend itself in the war.
Trump has also been critical of Nato, and how much money the US contributes to the military alliance, and will likely increase pressure on US allies – including some EU countries – to pay more.
In relation to the war in Gaza, Trump has always been a staunch supporter of Israel, moving the US embassy to Jerusalem during his first term in office.
Climate change barely featured in this election cycle, with both sides failing to say much about how the world’s biggest economy – and biggest historic polluter- will tackle the issue.
However, Trump and the Republicans pushed a stringent anti-climate action agenda.
Trump has called climate change a “hoax” and “one of the great scams of all time”.
Despite his cosy relationship with Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, Trump has promised to abolish incentives for Americans to drive electric cars.
He has also wholeheartedly endorsed drilling for oil. Saying he would implement a “drill, baby, drill” policy for uncovering oil and gas.
Trump has also been vocally against offshore wind farms and other renewable energy projects.
Trump, unsurprisingly, has also promised to come down tough on crime. His planned policies include extending the death penalty to drug traffickers and significantly increasing police numbers.
He has also vowed to pardon the January 6 rioters who stormed the US capitol six years ago, egged on by Trump’s assertions that the election had been stolen.
In terms of healthcare, Trump’s appointment of three conservative judges during his last administration led to the overturning of Roe v Wade, which ended federal abortion legality across the country.
Despite this, Trump didn’t focus too much on abortion during his campaign, as it was one of the key arguments used against him by the Democrats. However, his time in office is likely to see a further tightening of abortion restrictions in a number of Republican controlled US states.
There were also suggestions by Trump that supporter and former Independent candidate and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would have some sort of health portfolio in his administration.
RFK is conspiracy theorist and anti-vaccine campaigner. He recently made headlines by suggesting that Trump’s administration would advise that fluoride be removed from US water supplies.
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