What It Means for Trump To Be President

1st Place, News Analysis
2024-25, Division 3, News Writing

By Ayan Shukla
The City Voice
City High Middle School

On November 6th, 2024, Donald Trump was announced to be the 47th President of the United States by the Associated Press. It is important to consider what his actions and decisions will be and note what the impacts will be on a global level.

Southern Border:

Donald Trump has maintained a tough stance when regarding immigration, as he intends to carry out many plans that revolve around his conservative views on the melting pot of the United States. For example, he has claimed multiple times that his presidency would entail a “mass deportation” (Reuters). He aims to nearly eradicate the presence of all illegal immigrants in the US, while simultaneously ramping up security on the southern border, especially the infamous border wall that was his trademark in the region.

Another key point is that Trump plans to discontinue many programs of President Biden’s in regards to immigration. For example, he intends to stop the implementation of many humanitarian programs that give more widespread access for immigrants in addition to the ceasing of policies that allow unlawful immigrants to gain asylum.

The Economy:

The US:

Donald Trump has received a wide range of critique and support in regards to his plans for the United States economy and impact on the global economy as a whole. He is planning to impose tax cuts, especially for corporations, allowing for a more business-friendly economy. This advantage is also expected to impact the stock market, though whether positively or negatively is yet to be seen. Any additional tax cuts are contingent on a Republican-controlled House of Representatives, which will soon be established as the election results are certified.

However, this financial-ailment relieving plan can possibly have a detrimental effect on the national economy as a whole. Because of the economic broadness with Trump’s campaign, it is important to note that there is going to be an expected federal deficit, adding to government borrowing costs, which could bolster the national debt substantially.

The Global Economy:

Some of the economic stimuli from the proposed tax cuts are planning to be canceled out by the strategic increase in tariffs. These tariffs are expected to grow by a significant 10-20% on all imports into the United States. It is also important to note that these tariffs are planned to be even higher for China, a major competitor with the United States economically on the global stage. On the lower end, a ten percent tariff is projected to increase inflation by 0.8%, according to Pantheon Macroeconomics. This is sure to put an increased drag on US manufacturers.

Another key point about these international taxes is the reason behind it. Donald Trump encourages businesses and corporations to handle manufacturing in the United States. However, high labor costs domestically are going to make it difficult to make up for the expected slowdown in the market because of the reshoring cost. For these reasons, economists are growing concerned about a Trump-led economy.

Foreign Policy:

China:

As aforementioned, economic “cooperation” with China is planned to entail a significant increase in tariffs and other financial competitions. This, as it did in Trump’s first term, will negatively affect relations with China, with an Axios report showing how his economic strategy with Beijing has heightened tensions between powers. It is important to note that the trade war has largely been sparked by Trump’s foreign policy moves during his 2016 term, meaning that this competition and rivalry with China can be expected to continue when considering his views on this issue hasn’t fluctuated much.

Furthermore, escalation between the US and China is likely under the Trump administration because of the incoming President’s claims that Chinese intellectual property theft is “provoking” the United States. As a byproduct of this, economic espionage, especially through Taiwan and other Asian allies, is expected to be hightened to protect American intellectual property.

Thus, Chinese ownership of US land and resources is going to be heavily cracked down on to prevent security and economy related issues that could fall upon the US. Aggressive new restrictions are planned to heighten United States dominance on the global and national economy.

Moreover, tensions between the US and China can worsen because of Trump’s support for Taiwan. The United States’ presence in the area has been considered to be substantial and a priority for regional influence and stability. This has provoked China, leading to a series of military drills throughout the Taiwan Strait. Regardless, Trump still stands strong in supporting Taiwan.

Middle East:

Donald Trump is very strict on his views on the Middle East, and his upcoming term seems to show no difference. The Jerusalem Post reports his election being a “diplomatic bombshell” for relations in the region. This is because of his pro-Israeli beliefs, causing an uproar for international diplomacy because of possible provocation of other nations in the area.

Additionally, Israel’s President Benjamin Netanyahu was ecstatic subsequent to his election, writing his congratulations on X, formerly known as Twitter. This is due to his previously mentioned support for Israel and relative opposition to Iran and its proxies, which Israel is still in conflict with, in his previous term.

For example, this previous term included the moving of the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, which Trump considers its capital, much to the delight of Israel. He also supported the legalization of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. However, this support for Israel is predicted to aggravate Palestine, Iran, and other nations in opposition to Israel. There is no way to tell how Trump will deal with them aside from Israel, with possibilities ranging from relative diplomacy to an increase of the military backdrop in the region.

Russia-Ukraine:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has already stated that he would like to work with Trump subsequent to his election. He wants the US to “play one of the most crucial parts” in ending the war, according to a quote appearing on CNN.

However, these feelings aren’t quite mutual with Trump.

He has discussed his openness to reducing military aid in Ukraine. This has alarmed the nation, which could subsequently be at risk of being subjugated by Russia.

On the other hand, Trump is in negotiation with Putin, in hopes of a ceasefire of the war that has recently surpassed the 1,000-day-mark. Trump has talked about wanting a more permanent solution to the war, with a peace negotiation being possible between Russia and Ukraine. Instead of military support, negotiation and deals have been a cornerstone to Trump’s strategy for the problem in Eastern Europe.

Nonetheless, skepticism has arisen regarding Trump’s plans to end the war in Ukraine. Trump’s former national security advisor, retired Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster says to Fox News, “What I’m worried about is this kind of flawed idea that Putin can be placated, right, that Putin will come to some kind of a deal.” The former advisor calls for a military backdrop to enhance negotiation in order to have a more favorable outcome that supports Ukraine.

NATO:

Trump has begun to outline his willingness to leave NATO. Politico reports of Trump’s critique of NATO allies for “not meeting defense spending targets.” Pointedly, the US has been a spending backbone for NATO, providing the heaviest amount of capital for defense capabilities, with Trump remarking, “I said: Everybody’s gotta pay. They said: Well, if we don’t pay, are you still going to protect us? I said: Absolutely not. They couldn’t believe the answer.”

Moreover, Scott Anderson, a Brookings Institution scholar says the law is not “airtight.” This means that there is not enough clear legislation discussing withdrawal of NATO membership. He has called for stricter regulations for this purpose. It is not confirmed whether a presidential order of NATO withdrawal can have the Senate legally sue Trump, meaning that he may have a way out.

It is important to note that this opinion can be traced to many other views Trump has, because he has a heavy emphasis on American security and prosperity. A possible NATO membership removal from him is because of American foreign defense expenditures, hinting at a foreign policy of protecting Americans and the US as a whole first, before international issues.

Social Policies and Issues:

Abortion:

Trump has historically wavered his stance on abortion, largely due to contrasting opinions from his supporters flooding his own views.

During the debate with Vice President Kamala Harris on September 10, he stated that he would not sign a national abortion ban law into effect. In addition to this, he has never explicitly talked about an official law in regards to times outside of the debate and has said he would veto any proposal to do so.

However, his Republican supporters have stated otherwise, and the Harris campaign relied heavily on his stance on abortion, whether it be true or not. This has caused confusion and doubt on his views on the important topic.

Another important note to consider is that Trump could enforce this without directly creating a ban. Some options include using the newly-appointed Food and Drug Administration (FDA) leaders to rescind the licensing of abortion pills and medications. Another viable path would be to use his appointees in the Justice Department to not defend the use of abortion pills, should complications or legal challenges arise.

Because of all of the uncertainty surrounding Trump’s stance on abortion, it is difficult to tell whether a national abortion ban would be created.

Social Security:

Next, Social Security has been a large talking point for Trump during his campaign. He has discussed the decrease or complete removal of taxes on Social Security for retirees.

However, this can strain the Social Security system’s finances, which are already poor. In order to actually be able to put this proposal into effect, Trump will have to find a way to increase revenue for the program to ensure that the economics of it are not devastated. But, when considering the Republican dominated Senate and House, it is possible for this to receive funding.

Transgender People:

One last consideration for social issues in America for Trump are transgender people and his stance on them. He has repeatedly discussed his harsh policies that he plans to put into effect after his inauguration, and these conservative views have drawn on much controversial critique: some are calling him out on being bigoted, while others laud him for his beliefs.

Trump has recently been downplaying the importance of this subject for citizens. He said on December 7th that “I don’t want to get into the bathroom issue. Because it’s a very small number of people we’re talking about, and it’s ripped apart our country, so they’ll have to settle [for] whatever the law finally agrees.”

The “bathroom issue” that he talks about is the issue on which gendered bathroom transgender people can use. It has been very controversial, with discussions on legislation surrounding the topic reflecting it as such.

It is also speculated that he will ban openly transgender people in the military, being subsequent to his first term, in which he reversed an order to allow this. A string of lawsuits followed, and will be expected to repeat itself for the 2024 term.

Lastly, he plans to significantly cut back on support and maximize restrictions on gender-affirming healthcare. This has been one of the largest topics he discussed within his standpoint on the rights of transgender people, sparking much debate throughout the United States and even in the Republican Party.

Why is This Important?

Donald Trump has presented many opinions and ideas regarding his imminent presidency, sparking debate over the prosperity of the US and the globe. These decisions, regardless of what they turn out to be, will have a substantial impact on many. That is why it’s important to know the policies and ideologies of America’s President-elect.

Works Cited

NW-05. News Analysis

Stories should be interpretive in nature, not straight news stories. The elements “why” and “how” should be examined through research, but the writer’s opinions should not be expressed. An analysis covers issues and problems that relate to specific events of a news nature. Submit a PDF of the print page(s) on which the story was published or the URL to the story on an online news site.

JUDGING CRITERIA

Sharp, attention-getting lead that underscore the why/how elements of the news
Clarifies the news elements, i.e. timeliness, nearness, impact and prominence
Clarifies through research the background necessary to understand current news
Develops an understanding of the issues/problems through interviews with varied and balanced sources
Avoids personal opinion unless properly attributed
Sentences, paragraphs of varied length, written clearly, concisely and vividly
Effective use of facts/quotes from both primary and secondary sources
Proper diction/grammar; use of third person