Trump offered a bountiful batch of campaign promises that come due on
Day 1
Send a link to a friend
 [January 17, 2025]
By CALVIN WOODWARD
WASHINGTON (AP) — After Donald Trump becomes president again on Monday,
he is on the hook for achieving a hefty chunk of his promises even
before the day is out. One of those promises is to make you dizzy.
“Your head will spin when you see what’s going to happen," he said of
Day 1.
Steady yourself. This is some of what the Republican promised voters he
would get done on his first day in office:
— Launch the largest deportation in U.S. history to remove all people in
the country illegally.
— Close the border.
— End automatic citizenship for everyone born in the U.S., known as
birthright citizenship.
— Sign pardons for some or many of those convicted or charged in the
Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol.
— Impose a 25% tariff on everything imported from Mexico and Canada and
add a 10% tariff to duties already imposed on goods from China.
— Even before Monday, end the Russia-Ukraine war.
— End what he calls the "electric vehicle mandate."
— Declare a national energy emergency to spur the approval of more
drilling, pipelines, refineries, power plants and reactors.
— Cut federal money to schools that push “critical race theory,
transgender insanity and other inappropriate racial, sexual, or
political content onto the shoulders of our children.” Also cut money to
any schools that have a vaccine or mask mandate.
— Take steps to uproot the “deep state.”
All of that on Monday?
Not likely. Trump simply can't accomplish all he said he will do on Day
1 because there are two more branches of government — Congress and the
courts. The constitutional right to birthright citizenship, for example,
cannot be ended with a stroke of his pen. (Moreover, in 2017 he
considered Jan. 21 — his first full day on the job after the Jan. 20
inauguration — to be his Day 1.)
But as other presidents have done — and as Trump did aggressively and
with decidedly mixed results in his first term — he will quickly test
the limits of his executive power.
The power to pardon is within his grasp, and he can steer border
enforcement efforts, tweak tariffs and find ways to spur energy
production without Congress necessarily having to pass a law. Yet many
of his executive orders will essentially be statements of intent — stage
setters for struggles to come.
Here's a closer look at what he promised to do on Day 1:
IMMIGRATION
The promise
“On Day 1, I will launch the largest deportation program in American
history.”
Under this core promise, Trump would unilaterally declare a national
emergency to set the stage for tracking down millions of people in the
United States illegally and holding them in huge detention centers until
they can be removed from the country.
What could he do?
Domestic police forces and the National Guard in some states could be
empowered to help federal agents in an extraordinary effort to track
down and deport millions of people. As a disincentive to cross into the
U.S. illegally, it is untested. Illegal crossings surged during the
Biden administration before dropping recently and hovering near a
four-year low.
How serious is he?
Trump made this central promise in rally after rally and in other public
comments. It's unclear whether the declaration of a national emergency
would come as part of his Day 1 launch or after.
What he said in the campaign
“The day I take the oath of office, the migrant invasion ends and the
restoration of our country begins. ... On Day 1, I will launch the
largest deportation program in American history. I will rescue every
city and town that has been invaded and conquered.” — Kinston, North
Carolina, rally, Nov. 3, 2024.
Since the election ...
— Trump said in an interview with Time magazine that the federal
prohibition on using military forces for most domestic security
enforcement should not apply “if it’s an invasion of our country, and I
consider it an invasion of our country."
"And I think in many cases, the sheriffs and law enforcement is going to
need help. We’ll also get National Guard," he said during the November
2024 interview.
— In a possible hedge to his vow to deport everyone who's in the U.S.
illegally, Trump said, “We're starting with the criminals, and we’ve got
to do it. And then we’re starting with others, and we’re going to see
how it goes.” — “Meet the Press,” Dec. 8, 2024.
In the past
The Dwight Eisenhower administration in the 1950s and Franklin
Roosevelt’s in the 1930s carried out mass deportations, specifically of
Mexicans. Estimates of the number of people taken out of the U.S. in the
1950s deportation range from several hundred thousand to 1.3 million.
Many were U.S. citizens descended from Mexican migrants. An FDR-era
deportation ejected an estimated 1 million or more people, most of whom
held U.S. citizenship.
___
The promise
Close the U.S. border.
What he said in the campaign
“And on Day 1, I will close the border, and I will stop the invasion of
illegal criminals coming into our country.” — Coachella, California,
rally, Oct. 12, 2024.
How serious is he?
Not serious about closing U.S. land borders, as promised. Instead, he
aims to come forward with Day 1 administrative action tightening
enforcement against criminal entry.
Since the election ...
Trump adviser Jason Miller walked it back: "Now, when you say close the
border, the impression is that nobody’s allowed to go back and forth.
What the border will be closed to is for people trying to enter the
United States illegally. So there’s a distinction. I want to make sure
people don’t think that all of a sudden, like all trade between the
countries or traditional commerce or it’s going to be shut down.” —
Interview with NPR News, Dec. 17, 2024.
___
The promise
On Day 1, end automatic citizenship for everyone born in the U.S.,
including children of parents who came to the country illegally.
What he said
“I will sign a Day 1 executive order ending automatic citizenship for
the children of illegal aliens.” — Pickens, South Carolina, rally, July
1, 2023.
What it means if he keeps the promise
This is a broken promise waiting to happen.
Trump is extremely unlikely to be able to achieve his promise by mere
executive order, because birthright citizenship is enshrined in the
Constitution. He could only embark on a daunting quest to build the
support that would be needed not just to win congressional approval but
to change the 14th Amendment, which states: “All persons born or
naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction
thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they
reside."
Since the election ...
In a remark conceding an executive order may not be enough to end
birthright citizenship: “We’ll maybe have to go back to the people." —
NBC's “Meet the Press," Dec. 8, 2024.
___
TARIFFS
The (post-election) promise
Impose a 25% tariff on all imports from Canada and Mexico and put an
additional 10% tariff on everything from China, as one of his first
executive orders upon becoming president.
What it means if he keeps the promise
A seismic shock to the highly integrated North American economies,
almost certainly resulting in higher prices for consumers and probably
retaliation against U.S. exports. It would also strengthen incentives to
produce more in the U.S. and step up pressure to restrain migrant flows
and drug smuggling.
How serious is he?
Serious in general terms, maybe not in the specifics here.
Trump clearly supports raising tariffs to induce more domestic
manufacturing. But his threat could be a bargaining chip in part. The
size and scope of the tariffs may change, depending how the three
countries respond before he takes office.
He has tied this heavy round of tariffs to what he calls the failure of
these countries to stem the flow of Chinese-made fentanyl smuggled into
the U.S. or to take effective steps from their side against migration
surges at the borders. That stance may leave room for negotiation or
revision.
What he said
“On January 20th, as one of my many first Executive Orders, I will sign
all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% Tariff on ALL
products coming into the United States.” In addition, “we will be
charging China an additional 10% Tariff, above any additional Tariffs,
on all of their many products coming into the United States" until China
stems the flow of drugs into the U.S. — Truth Social posts, Nov. 25,
2024.
Post-election hedge
"We adjust it somewhat" if tariffs are merely passed on to consumers in
the form of higher prices, as is usually the case. — “Meet the Press,"
Dec. 8, 2024.
He gave Mexican and Canadian leaders an opening to avoid the tariff by
saying he will impose it “if it doesn't stop," meaning the flow of drugs
and illegal crossings.
[to top of second column]
|
The sun rises behind the U.S. Capitol as a rehearsal takes place on
the West Front ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's upcoming
inauguration, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jon
Elswick)
In the past
Trump imposed higher tariffs on $360 billion in Chinese goods in his
first term. Democrat Joe Biden not only retained those penalties as
president but imposed a 100% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles. Trump
also renegotiated parts of the free trade agreement with Canada and
Mexico on terms he considered more favorable to the U.S.
___
TRANSGENDER RIGHTS
The promise
"On Day 1, I will sign a new executive order to cut federal funding for
any school, pushing critical race theory, transgender insanity, and
other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content onto the
shoulders of our children. And I will not give one penny to any school
that has a vaccine mandate or a mask mandate. — Atlanta rally, Aug. 3,
2024.
What it means if he keeps his promise
Such broad cuts are unlikely to be achieved through executive action,
absent legislation, which certainly won't be in place on his first day.
Still, Trump may be able to use his threat as a cudgel in certain
situations.
Trump had also promised on Day 1 to roll back Biden administration Title
IX protections barring discrimination against students based on gender
identity and sexual orientation. But this month a federal judge struck
down those regulations, ruling that they overstepped presidential
authority.
___
ELECTRIC VEHICLES
The promise
“‘I will end the electric vehicle mandate on Day 1." — Republican
National Convention speech, July 18, 2024.
What it means if he keeps his promise
Not totally clear, because there is no specific federal EV mandate to
end. But he is likely to try to loosen Biden-era tailpipe pollution and
fuel economy standards that are an incentive for automakers to sell and
consumers to buy more EVs. It's also unclear whether Trump intends to
revoke a federal tax credit of up to $7,500 for buying a new EV.
How serious is he?
He made the Day 1 promise in rally after rally, often in identical
words. He told podcaster Joe Rogan it might take him two days.
What he said
“I will cancel Kamala’s insane electric vehicle mandate.” — Grand
Rapids, Michigan, Nov. 4, 2024.
Since the election
“We want people to buy electric cars” but “we’re going to end the
electric mandate immediately for the cars. It’s ridiculous.” — "Meet the
Press," Dec. 8, 2024.
In the past
Trump rolled back a variety of Obama-era limits on auto pollution in his
first term. Biden acted quickly to reverse that course.
___
JAN. 6
The promise
Pardon some or many of the people convicted of or charged with crimes
from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol: “I will sign their pardons
on Day 1.”
What it means if he keeps his promise
Freedom and cleared criminal records for some of those imprisoned for
Jan. 6 crimes and impunity for others convicted or awaiting trial. As he
has described his promised process, it also means his transition team is
reviewing Jan. 6 cases to deem who merits a Jan. 20 pardon,
independently of how courts ruled.
How serious is he?
A key promise, made repeatedly, though the scope of his promised pardons
has ranged from covering all rioters who were charged or convicted, to
most, to those who are innocent in his estimation, whether convicted or
not.
What he said in the campaign
“The moment we win, we will rapidly review the cases of every political
prisoner unjustly victimized by the Harris regime, and I will sign their
pardons on Day 1.” — Mosinee, Wisconsin, rally, Sept. 7, 2024.
"Oh, absolutely, I would," he said when asked about pardoning Jan. 6
rioters. “If they’re innocent -- if they’re innocent, I would pardon
them.” This could include some who were convicted under “a very tough
system.” — National Association of Black Journalists interview, July 31,
2024.
Since the election ...
Asked if he still intends to pardon Jan. 6 rioters on his first day:
“We’re looking at it right now. Most likely, yeah. ... Most likely, I’ll
do it very quickly.” — “Meet the Press," Dec. 8, 2024.
We're going to look at each individual case, and we’re going to do it
very quickly, and it’s going to start in the first hour that I get into
office. And a vast majority of them should not be in jail." — Time
magazine, Dec. 12, 2024.
In the past
Trump's remarks from the White House on Jan. 13, 2021, before reversing
course and characterizing the rioters as patriots who protested mostly
peacefully: “I would like to begin by addressing the heinous attack on
the United States Capitol. Like all Americans, I am outraged by the
violence, lawlessness and mayhem. I immediately deployed the National
Guard and federal law enforcement to secure the building and expel the
intruders. America is, and must always be, a nation of law and order.
The demonstrators who infiltrated the Capitol have defiled the seat of
American democracy.”
___
ENERGY
The promise
Declare a national energy emergency and approve new energy projects
“starting on Day 1.”
What it means if he keeps his promise
A national emergency might give him more authority to act unilaterally.
It remains questionable how much can be accomplished on this front
without action from Congress. But he can reverse Biden executive orders
on renewable energy and environmental protections.
How serious is he?
Very. “Drill, baby, drill” was a mantra rivaling “Make America great
again” in his public remarks.
What he said in the campaign
“Starting on Day 1, I will approve new drilling, new pipelines, new
refineries, new power plants, new reactors, and we will slash the red
tape.” — Potterville, Michigan rally, Aug. 29, 2024.
“I will immediately issue a national emergency declaration to achieve a
massive increase in domestic energy supply.” — New York Economic Club
speech, Sept. 5, 2024.
___
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
The promise
End the war before taking office.
What he said in the campaign
“I’ll get the war with Ukraine and Russia ended. If I’m president-elect,
I’ll get it done before even becoming president.” — Fox News Channel’s
“Fox & Friends," Sept. 11, 2024.
Post-election hedge
His promise to end the war before taking office — or to end it in 24
hours, as he sometimes put it — is about to be broken.
He's been bending to that reality: “I think that the Middle East is an
easier problem to handle than what’s happening with Russia and Ukraine.
OK, I just want to say that up front. The Middle East is going to get
solved.” — Time magazine, Dec. 13, 2024.
Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said the day after the election that
Trump would bring the Russian and Ukrainian leaders to the negotiating
table on Day 1. That's not ending a war, as promised, before Monday.
___
‘DEEP STATE’
The promise
Launch an effort to fire or otherwise neutralize the influence of
federal workers he considers disloyal and an impediment to his agenda.
Also, use legal intimidation or other means to crush those he regards as
his political enemies.
What he said in the campaign
“We will demolish the ‘deep state.’ We will expel the warmongers from
our government. We will drive out the globalists. We will cast out the
communist, Marxists and fascists. We will throw off the sick political
class that hates our country. We will rout the fake news media.” —
Windham, New Hampshire, rally, Aug. 8, 2023.
“We’re going to find the ‘deep state’ actors who have buried into
government, fire them and escort them from federal buildings, and it’ll
go very quickly.” — Columbia, South Carolina, rally, Jan. 28, 2023.
“You'll see that, on the very first day of my presidency, the ‘deep
state’ is destroying our nation. But the tables must turn, and we will
quickly destroy the ‘deep state.’” — speech to Alabama GOP dinner in
Montgomery, Aug. 4, 2023.
What it means if he keeps his promise
A likely first step is an executive order seeking to reclassify tens of
thousands of job-protected and apolitical civil servants as political
appointees, subject to being fired at will. He would do so by reviving
his Schedule F order from 2020, which Biden reversed when he took
office.
Post-election, ABC News settled a defamation lawsuit brought by Trump,
agreeing to contribute $15 million to his presidential foundation, and
he sued The Des Moines Register and its pollster for “brazen election
interference” in publishing a flawed survey the weekend before the
election that found Democrat Kamala Harris leading Trump in the state.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
