Trump aims to remake America with a big second act

Each new president begins a new chapter in American history. And when Donald Trump is inaugurated in chilly Washington on Monday, he will be hoping to usher in a new era for this country.

The ceremony in the rotunda of the US Capitol, which was moved indoors for the first time in decades because of the bitter cold, will also mark the moment when he will be judged by actions rather than promises.

And he promised seismic change as well as action on day one. At a raucous rally in the city on Sunday, Trump said he would sign a series of executive orders immediately after his inauguration, covering a wide range of issues from immigration and deportation to the environment and transgender rights.

“You’re going to have a lot of fun watching TV tomorrow,” he told the crowd.

But even if his presidency starts off with a bang, questions remain about what Trump’s second act will look like.

Will we feel the tectonic plates of power shifting beneath our feet when he re-enters the White House? Will he be able to carry out the large-scale reforms he promised? Will it be as apocalyptic as its opponents suggest?

Listening to some of his detractors, you could be forgiven for thinking that the skies will darken and the birds will flee Washington once he is sworn in.

Many worry that he will try to rule as an autocrat and undermine American democracy. His predecessor, Joe Biden, defiantly used his last address in the Oval Office to warn about the dangerous oligarchy of unaccountable billionaires forming around Trump, which threatens the basic rights and freedoms of Americans.

But no one can deny the 78-year-old Trump a clear mandate after his decisive election victory in November. He won the popular vote and the Electoral College. He won a clean sweep of the swing states. His agenda got the green light from voters.

This time, Trump is determined that his agenda will be carried out. He has a much more experienced and deeply loyal team to ensure that this happens.

He also plans – presumably with help “Department of Government Efficiency” by Elon Musk – promptly dismiss a huge number of civil servants and officials.

Trump still believes there is a “deep state” in the US government that will try to derail his agenda. So we can expect a much more drastic elimination of federal employees than is usually the case with a change of administration and a much more politicized government machine behind it.

Many of his plans, such as major tax cuts for large corporations and the very wealthy, would require legislation from Congress.

But that won’t be a problem because he controls the Republican Party and its majorities in both houses. Senators and representatives are unlikely to oppose him in significant numbers. And he has Musk on hand to use his social media platform and vast wealth to force any rebels back into line.

Is there anything to stop Trump from rounding up and deporting millions of undocumented migrants or using the justice system to attack political opponents he considers his enemies?

Undoubtedly, there are logistical and financial obstacles, especially when it comes to mass deportations, but democratic opposition alone is unlikely to be enough to stop it. The party, after all, is still reeling from a resounding electoral defeat.

Internal bickering ensues as participants conduct a lengthy post-mortem analysis of this outcome. And the resistance movement that mobilized before Trump’s first term, sparking days of nationwide protests after his inauguration that brought more than a million people to the streets, appears less vigorous this time around.

After losing the 2020 election, Trump was banned from social media after rioting in the Capitol and his baseless claims of voter fraud. This time, those companies are already treating him differently as he prepares to be inaugurated in the rotunda, where his supporters roamed, on January 6, 2021.

A collection of the world’s richest people will be prominently displayed in the VIP viewing section. Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg will be there. So will the CEOs of Google, Apple and TikTok. This is the living embodiment of the ultra-rich “tech-industrial complex” that Biden warned about in his farewell speech.

These people have already moved on to warm relations with Trump. ZuckerbergMeta waives fact-checking on Facebook and Instagram, Bezos blocked the Washington Post (which he owns) from endorsing Kamala Harris. And they all donated millions to Trump’s inaugural fund.

Whether in Congress or in the corporate world, Trump takes office this time with a warm welcome from America’s power brokers.

There’s no doubt that his slate of executive orders on day one will include some flashy moves aimed at wooing his base. As is the president’s pardoning of many, if not all, of the people convicted of rioting at the Capitol. His supporters will be delighted to see people they consider political hostages released from prison.

Trump will need a steady stream of populist moves like this. Because there is a risk that some of his plans will go against what some of his supporters voted for.

Many wanted to reduce prices after many years of high inflation. But most economists think tariffs on imported goods are likely to push prices up even more.

Mass deportations could lead to labor shortages in construction – complicating his pledge to build more homes – and in the agricultural sector, which could further push up food prices. And it is the billionaires, not the working class, who are likely to benefit the most from the tax cuts.

Enticing proposals, such as a promise to rename the Gulf of Mexico the US Gulf, may excite many of those who put him in office. But it remains to be seen how many Americans will benefit from his policies.

Trump, however, is the ultimate political showman. His ability to entertain is part of his strength and appeal. But his second-term agenda goes beyond mere showmanship and, if enacted, will be grassroots.

His return to the White House will be dramatic and eventful, with repercussions felt around the world. It could change America fundamentally and permanently.