On Day 1, how will Trump fulfill his promises?

Donald Trump has made a bevy of promises for Day 1 and beyond of his second term. Some can be accomplished with the stroke of a pen. Others will require congressional approval, or possibly even a constitutional amendment. Some of his most-repeated campaign promises include:

Repealing Biden’s executive orders

President-elect Trump has promised that on Day 1 he would overturn executive orders signed by President Joe Biden that had expanded background checks for gun purchases, established guardrails around artificial intelligence, and promoted diversity, equity, and inclusion in the federal workforce.

Pardoning Jan. 6 defendants

More than 1,500 people were charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, riot, in which Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. Mr. Trump has vowed to pardon these supporters, whom he calls “hostages” – although there “may be some exceptions,” he’s said. Prosecutors have secured more than 1,100 convictions, and more than 600 people have been sentenced to prison, with terms from a few days to 22 years.

Imposing new tariffs

On the campaign trail, Mr. Trump repeatedly vowed to impose stiff tariffs, proposing a blanket tariff of at least 10% on all nondomestic goods sold in the United States and 60% on all goods from China. A few weeks after he won the election, he threatened to impose a 25% tariff on all goods coming from Mexico and Canada unless those nations crack down on illegal immigration and drug smuggling, and an additional 10% tariff on China until it halts the flow of fentanyl. Although the Constitution gives Congress the authority to enact tariffs, Congress over time has delegated more of this authority to the president through laws like the Trade Act and the Trade Expansion Act.

Reducing the federal workforce

At the end of his first term, Mr. Trump signed an executive order called Schedule F that removed job protections for tens of thousands of civil servants, making them easier to fire. President Biden revoked it when he took office, and later issued a new rule to protect civil servants. That rule will slow Mr. Trump down. But this probably wouldn’t ultimately stop him from reimplementing Schedule F.

Deporting unauthorized immigrants

Mr. Trump has vowed to launch the largest deportation program of criminals in the history of the U.S. on the first day of his presidency. He can start the process as soon as he takes office, through executive action. But carrying out the largest deportation in the country’s history – an operation that Mr. Trump says could target up to 20 million people – will be complicated. It will require massive numbers of agents to arrest migrants, detention facilities to hold them, and airplanes to transport them. Mr. Trump would also need to convince unwilling countries to accept deported migrants.

Repealing Biden’s EV “mandate”

“I will end the electric vehicle mandate on Day 1,” Mr. Trump told a crowd during the Republican National Convention. President Biden did not impose a specific EV “mandate,” but he has urged Americans to adopt electric vehicles. His Inflation Reduction Act included policies like a $7,500 EV consumer credit. Mr. Trump can’t end these incentives without Congress. But he could work to undo Biden administration regulations, such as on emissions standards, that indirectly incentivize electric vehicles.

Cutting funding for “woke” schools

Mr. Trump promised to cut federal funding from any school advocating critical race theory or “transgender insanity.” He said he would do this through an executive order, but the reality is more complicated, since federal education funding is allocated through Congress. Mr. Trump and his advisers have argued that the Constitution gives the president authority to withhold money allocated by Congress. Legal experts say this is an untested legal theory that would almost certainly result in court challenges. Mr. Trump could also use the Department of Education to withhold funds through its Office for Civil Rights.

Firing up “drill, baby, drill”

Mr. Trump has promised to approve new drilling and pipelines on Day 1, and to “end the Biden-Harris war on energy.” (The Biden administration in fact presided over record levels of U.S. oil production.) Mr. Trump could issue directives to open federal lands for oil and gas leases, although they would still be subject to environmental regulations. He could rescind some regulations, but would need Congress’ help with others.

Other promises

There are some promises Mr. Trump won’t be able to fulfill without Congress. He almost certainly can’t shut down the Department of Education without a supermajority of 60 votes in the Senate. Ending taxes on Social Security income and expanding the child tax credit would also need congressional sign-off.

Mr. Trump has also vowed to end the war in Ukraine – though he has not laid out a specific plan. He can’t simply end the war, but he could facilitate peace talks. He could also withhold funding from Ukraine.

One of his more controversial promises is to end birthright citizenship – the 14th Amendment guarantee that most people born on U.S. soil have an automatic right to citizenship. Mr. Trump said he will end it through executive action. But any such order would likely go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Changing the citizenship clause in the Constitution would require a constitutional amendment.

Read more about the political and cultural significance of Donald Trump’s second inauguration in “What Trump’s return says about this moment in America“ by Washington Bureau Chief Linda Feldmann.