His reelection loss to Biden came amidst a series of crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic and its resulting aftermath, along with numerous protests and riots. In the aftermath of the election, Trump repeatedly made false claims that widespread electoral fraud had occurred and that only he had legitimately won the election. Although most resulting lawsuits were either dismissed or ruled against by numerous courts,[3][4][5] Trump nonetheless conspired with his campaign team to submit documents in several states (all of which had been won by Biden) that falsely claimed to be legitimate electoral certificates for President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.[6] After the submission of these documents, the Trump campaign intended that the presiding officer of the United States Senate, either President of the Senate Pence or President pro temporeChuck Grassley, would claim to have the unilateral power to reject electors during the January 6, 2021 vote counting session; the presiding officer would reject all electors from the several states in which the Trump campaign had submitted false documents, leaving 232 votes for Trump and 222 votes for Biden, thereby overturning the election results in favor of Trump.[7][8][9] The plans for January 6 failed to come to fruition after Pence refused to follow the campaign's proposals.[10][11] Trump nevertheless urged his supporters on January 6, 2021, to march to the Capitol while the joint session of Congress was assembled there to count electoral votes and formalize Biden's victory, leading to hundreds storming the building and interrupting the electoral vote count; as a result, the House impeached Trump for incitement of insurrection on January 13, 2021, making him the only federal officeholder in American history to be impeached more than once (the Senate would later acquit him for the second time on February 13, 2021, after he had already left office).
First post-presidency and 2024 presidential election
The presidential transition period began following Trump's victory in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, though Trump had chosen Linda McMahon and Howard Lutnick to begin planning for the transition in August 2024. According to The New York Times, Trump is "superstitious" and prefers to avoid discussing the presidential transition process until after Election Day. His transition team is expected to rely on the work of the America First Policy Institute, rather than The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank that garnered controversy during the election for Project 2025, a set of initiatives that would reshape the federal government.[29] By October, he had not participated in the federal presidential transition process,[30] and he had not signed a required ethics pledge, as of November.[31] During the transition period, Trump announced nominations for his cabinet and administration.
Upon taking office, Trump quickly signed a series of executive orders described as a "shock and awe" campaign that tested the limits of executive authority, which drew immediate legal challenges.[36][37] He issued more executive orders on his first day than any other president in history.[38] Four days into Trump's second term, analysis conducted by Time found that nearly two-thirds of his executive actions "mirror or partially mirror" proposals from Project 2025,[39] which was seconded with analysis from Bloomberg Government.[40] Trump's executive orders withdrew the U.S. from the World Health Organization and Paris Agreement,[41]rolled back recognition of "gender ideology",[42] froze new regulations from bureaucracy, froze hiring for federal workers, founded the Department of Government Efficiency, barred federal government involvement in criminal investigations of political adversaries, prevented government censorship of free speech, reversed the withdrawal of Cuba's designation as a state sponsor of terror, reversed sanctions on Israeli settlers, reversed an executive order on artificial intelligence, reversed the Family Reunification Task Force,[43] issued a mass pardon of approximately 1,500 January 6 rioters,[44][45] designated Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, attempted to end birthright citizenship, and declared a national emergency on the southern border that would trigger the deployment of armed forces.[46][47] In the days following his inauguration, Trump signed another executive order to dismantle federal DEI initiatives and programs, rolling back a key 1965 amendment to the Civil Rights Act prohibiting employment discrimination.[48]
Trump's cabinet choices were described by news media as valuing personal loyalty over relevant experience,[49][50] and for having a range of conflicting ideologies and "eclectic personalities".[51][52] It was also described as the wealthiest administration in modern history, with over 13 billionaires chosen to take government posts.[53][54] Trump officials and Elon Musk threatened to fund primary challengers in upcoming elections against Republican Senators who did not vote for Trump's nominees.[55][56]
Trump frequently promised to exact retribution and revenge against perceived political enemies through his 2024 campaign,[57][58] and has said he has "every right" to go after political opponents.[59] By 2024, Trump repeatedly voiced support for outlawing political dissent and criticism,[60] and that media companies should be prosecuted for treason for displaying "bad stories" about him and possibly lose their broadcast licenses if they refuse to name confidential sources.[61]The New York Times described Trump as using "grievance as a political tool, portraying himself as the victim of what he claims is a powerful and amorphous 'deep state.'"[62]
Revocation of security clearances and details
Within 24 hours of being elected, Trump revoked the security clearances of 50 officials who signed onto a letter about the Hunter Biden laptop controversy as well as John Bolton, ex-DNI Director James Clapper and ex-CIA Directors John Brennan and Leon Panetta.[63] Trump revoked the security protection for Mike Pompeo, his aide, Brian Hook, and John Bolton, who all had faced assassination threats from Iran. The revocation of security protection was described as part of Trump's vow to target those he perceives as adversaries.[64] He also revoked protection for Anthony Fauci who had received several death threats, and said to reporters that he would not feel any responsibility if harm befell the former government officials he revoked security details from.[65]
Investigations on the Biden administration
Trump also ordered the attorney general via two executive orders to launch what The Guardian described as "politically charged reviews into his personal grievances" regarding the former Biden administration.[66][clarification needed] The orders asserted that the Biden administration had committed criminal conduct against him and his supporters and demanded evidence be found to "correct past misconduct".[62]
Actions against the media
On January 22, Trump FCC chair Brendan Carr revived three investigations into claims of bias from CBS, ABC, and NBC, but not Fox News, and Carr previously promised to punish news broadcasters he saw as unfair to Trump or Republicans in general.[67]
Other actions
Hours after Trump was inaugurated, former Joint Chiefs of Staff chair Mark Milley's official portrait was removed from a Pentagon corridor where the portraits of all former chairs of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are displayed. A U.S. official told the New York Times that "the White House" had ordered the removal.[68][69]
Domestic policy
Trump signing executive orders on January 20, 2025, his first day in office, at Capital One Arena.
Prospective policies for Trump's second presidency were proposed in Agenda 47, a collection of his formal policy plans.[70][71]
Abortion
Trump declared that abortion should be delegated to states in April 2024.[72] To that extent, he stated that in a Time interview he would allow states to monitor pregnancies and criminally charge abortion patients.[73] Trump criticized the Arizona Supreme Court's ruling in Planned Parenthood Arizona v. Mayes (2024), in which the court upheld an 1864 law criminalizing abortions except to save the life of the mother, stating that he would not sign a federal abortion ban[74] and reaffirmed his position in October.[75]
At a private dinner at Mar-a-Lago in April 2024, Trump encouraged fossil fuel companies to donate to his campaign, saying that he would roll back environmental regulations if elected.[78]
Trump's transition team for climate and the environment is led by David Bernhardt, a former oil lobbyist who served as interior secretary, and Andrew R. Wheeler, a former coal lobbyist who led the EPA under Trump. The team is preparing to withdraw from the Paris Agreement for a second time, expand drilling and mining on public land, and dismantle offices working to end pollution, while other officials have discussed moving the Environmental Protection Agency from Washington, D.C. Trump will redraw the boundaries of the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monuments as he did in his first presidency, end a pause on new natural gas export terminals that began under President Joe Biden, and prevent states from setting their own pollution standards.[79]
Upon taking office, Trump appointed oil, gas, and chemical lobbyists to the Environmental Protection Agency to roll back climate rules and pollution controls.[80] Trump ordered the pause on disbursement of climate-related funds issued by the IRA and BIL, and falsely conflated the funds with the "Green New Deal".[81]
Criminal justice
Trump entered office following 2024's 50-year record-low level of violent crime.[82][83]The Associated Press reported that despite historic drops in crime, many voters felt unsafe due to "misleading campaign rhetoric".[84]
Upon taking office, Trump issued an executive order to resume and pursue executions for criminal cases,[85] and the Justice Department put a freeze on civil rights cases and signaled it would roll back consent agreements with police departments.[86] A New York Times analysis described Trump's conflicting policies and pardons towards criminal justice as sending a message of "backing the blue" as long as they backed him.[87]
Trump has said multiple times that if he were reelected in 2024, he would pardon rioters of the January 6 Capitol attack.[89][90][91] As of March 2024[update],[needs update?] 500 people had been sentenced to prison terms and 1,358 had been criminally charged.[92] Upon assuming the presidency again on January 20, 2025, Trump followed through on his promise and issued a mass pardon for those charged with the attack.[93]
In May 2024 at the Libertarian National Convention, Trump said that he would commute Ross Ulbricht's sentence on his first day in office.[94] Since 2015, Ulbricht had been serving a life sentence for charges related to creating and operating the darknet market website Silk Road, which operated as a hidden service on the Tor network and facilitated the sale of narcotics and other illegal products and services.[95][96] On January 21, 2025, Trump issued a full and unconditional pardon to Ross Ulbricht.[95][97]
On January 23, 2025, Trump granted pardons to 23 anti-abortion protestors. Among the 23 pardoned were Lauren Handy and 9 of her co-defendants, who were involved in the October 2020 blockade of a Washington, DC abortion clinic, and later convicted in violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.[98][99]
Following Trump's grant of clemency to all January 6 rioters, on January 22, House Majority Leader Mike Johnson announced a formation of a panel to investigate the January 6 committee in what The Associated Press described as "an effort to defend Trump's actions that day and dispute the work of a bipartisan committee that investigated the siege two years ago".[101]
Trump inherited a rebounding economy from the Biden administration, with positive growth, low unemployment, and falling inflation.[102][103][104][105]The New York Times and Economic Policy Institute described the economy as "in better shape than that bequeathed to any newly elected president since George W. Bush came into office in 2001".[106][107] Despite this, many Americans still felt the impacts of the 2021–2023 inflation surge, which partly contributed to Trump's reelection win.[105]
Trump has promised to impose higher tariffs on imports from all countries, particularly China.[108] On November 25, 2024, Trump said he would sign an executive order placing 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico, and impose an additional 10% tariff to China.[109] On November 30, 2024, Trump threatened to impose a 100% tariff to BRICS nations if they tried to create a new BRICS currency or promote another currency to replace the U.S. dollar as the global reserve currency.[110]
Education
During his first term, Trump cut funding to the Department of Education, while continuing to criticize it. During his 2024 campaign, Trump actively promoted the idea of abolishing the Department of Education and proposed handing over control of education to individual state governments.[111]
Federal government
The Trump administration established the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) temporary organization with Elon Musk as its administrator, and renamed the US digital service to the United States DOGE Service to function as a parent agency. DOGE is a unit tasked with recommending cost-cutting measures, and according to the executive order that established it, its formal purpose is to "modernize federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity".[112][113][114]
Once the second Trump presidency began, White House screening teams fanned out to federal agencies to screen job applicants for their loyalty to the president's agenda. On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order asserting to restore merit-based federal hiring practices and "dedication to our Constitution".[115][116]
Healthcare
On November 14 at a speech at Mar-a-Lago, Florida, Trump announced that he would nominate Robert F Kennedy Jr for the position of health secretary. This appointment caused controversy, due to Kennedy's repeated endorsement of anti-vaccine conspiracy theories, with the director of the American Public Health Association stating that Kennedy "already caused great damage in health in the country" and that he is also "a person without a health background".[117] In December, Trump revealed he was discussing ending childhood vaccination programs with RFK Jr and promoted the scientifically disproven claim of a link between vaccines and autism.[118]
Upon election, the Trump administration ordered a freeze on all communications and reports from HHS and sub-agencies unless approved a political appointee.[119]
Trump announced on November 10, 2024, that Tom Homan will be joining the incoming administration as the "border czar",[122] writing that "Homan will be in charge of all deportation of illegal aliens back to their country of origin."[123]
Average daily border crossings were at the lowest level since summer 2020 shortly before Trump took office partly attributed to an executive order restricting asylum Biden passed the prior year.[124] Shortly after he became president on January 20, the Trump administration ended services for the app of CBP One and declared a national emergency at the southern border, ordered the armed forces to draft plans for deployment,[125][126] and declared actions to move towards labeling Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations.[127] Trump increased deportation authorities for the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and the US Marshals Service.[128] He gave ICE the power to deport immigrants who came to the United States legally under Biden administration programs,[129] and established daily deportation quotas to ICE offices.[130]
Trump revoked guidance from 2011 prohibiting immigration arrests in sensitive areas such as courthouses, schools, churches, and hospitals, or during funerals and weddings.[131]
NPR reported that a "growing number" of Democratic and Republican officials in cities, states, police departments, school districts and other local governments stated they wouldn't assist in migrant raids citing public safety, civil rights, and administrative capability concerns.[133]
In his second campaign, Donald Trump has detailed a range of proposals aimed at reversing recent LGBTQ-related policies and reshaping federal guidelines on gender identity and transgender rights. Trump has stated that on "day one", he would reverse the Biden administration's Title IX expansion, which protects transgender students' rights to use bathrooms, locker rooms, and pronouns that align with their gender identity. Trump also pledged to cut federal funding to schools promoting "critical race theory, transgender insanity, and other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content".[134]
His proposed policies would significantly limit gender-affirming care, including calling for a federal ban on such care for minors and blocking Medicare and Medicaid funding for doctors providing gender-affirming services. Trump has also proposed forbidding federal agencies from "promoting" gender transitions and plans to task the Justice Department with investigating potential long-term effects of gender-affirming treatments.[135]
In his inauguration speech, he stated "it will be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female".[136] The order does not include any exceptions for intersex people for whom a sex may not be clearly assigned at birth immediately.[137][138] Among his first executive actions, he rescinded protections for transgender members of the US military, clearing the way for a potential new ban on transgender persons from serving in the military.[139][140]
On January 23, 2025, the Trump administration froze all applications for US passports with the non-binary 'X' marker, and announced that passports would only reflect a person's sex assigned at birth, prohibiting Americans from choosing the 'X' marker or changing their sex designation on US passports.[141]
Military
In November 2024, Trump's transition team was reportedly compiling a list of military officials involved in the withdrawal from Afghanistan, and investigating whether they could be court-martialed. They were also considering creating a commission to investigate the withdrawal, including whether some officials could be eligible for treason.[142] During his campaign, Trump promised to use the military on American soil to fight "the enemy from within" which he described as "radical left lunatics" and Democratic politicians such as Adam Schiff.[143][144]
Upon taking office, Trump was described as politicizing the military and introducing culture war topics.[145]
Religion
Trump's campaign took on the symbols, rhetoric and agenda of Christian nationalism.[146] He wove Christian religious imagery into his ideology, characterizing it as a “righteous crusade” against "atheists, globalists and the Marxists".[147]
Foreign policy
Prospective foreign policies for Trump's second presidency were proposed in Agenda 47, a collection of his formal policy plans.[70][71]
Just before Trump's second inauguration, Vice President Vance and ally Elon Musk each held separate meetings with China's vice president Han Zheng, who was in Washington attending the event as China's president Xi Jinping's special representative.[151] Han's presence at the event was seen by commentators as representative of Xi's interest in strengthening China–United States relations under Trump's tenure.[152][153]
During his election campaign, Trump said that European allies "treat us actually worse than our so-called enemies". He added, "We protect them and then they screw us on trade. We're not going to let it happen anymore". He vowed to impose tariffs on trade partners including those in Europe, which economists said could spark trade wars.[154]
Trump said he would not defend NATO allies in Europe if they did not meet the alliance's target of spending 2% of GDP on defense, and instead he would "encourage" Russia to "do whatever the hell they want".[155][156][157]
A month after the election, Trump traveled to Paris to attend the reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris on December 7, five years after it was severely damaged by a fire. It was his first foreign trip as president-elect since his second electoral victory. He met with a number of world leaders ahead of the ceremony, including French president Emmanuel Macron, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Prince William of the United Kingdom.[158]
On the Russo-Ukrainian War, Trump vowed that even before he is inaugurated, he will negotiate an end to the war in a day,[159] stop the "endless flow of American treasure to Ukraine", and make Europeans reimburse the U.S. the cost of rebuilding its old stockpiles.[160] However, it was pointed out that most of the money set aside for Ukraine actually goes to American companies, factories and workers who make weapons and military equipment.[161][162][163]
Following his victory, Trump called Russian president Vladimir Putin to warn him not to escalate the Russian invasion of Ukraine, expressing an interest in resolving the war at a later date.[164] Trump met with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the campaign and on the reinauguration of the Notre Dame Cathedral.[165]
Retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg and Frederick H. Fleitz, who both served in Trump's National Security Council staff, presented Trump with a detailed peace plan to end Russia's war in Ukraine. The plan aims to force the two sides into peace talks and a ceasefire based on the current frontlines. If Ukraine refused to enter peace talks, weapons supplies would be stopped; if Russia refused peace talks, weapons supplies to Ukraine would be increased.[166]
On November 14, 2024, Argentine president Javier Milei headed to Florida to meet with Trump at Mar-a-Lago.[167] He was the first foreign head of state to travel to the United States after Trump's victory and to meet the president-elect.[168] A right-wing libertarian economist, Milei had previously shown his fervent support for Donald Trump and his politics, wanting to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties between Argentina and the Western world. In a call following the election results, Trump called Milei his "favorite president" in response according to reports.[168] The president of Argentina gave a speech at a CPAC summit in Miami.[169] Milei also met with Department of Government Efficiency planned-directors Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to advise them on their goal to "dismantle bureaucracy", cut government spending and reorganize the federal personnel.[168][170]
Former president Jair Bolsonaro was invited to the inauguration, however the Judicial System of Brazil denied him the permission to attend. He appealed.[171]
During Donald Trump's second administration, U.S. foreign policy in Latin America is focused on countering China's influence in the region, particularly in the context of strategic trade infrastructure. A notable example is the emphasis placed on strengthening ties with Chile, specifically through potential investments in the modernization of the Port of San Antonio in Valparaíso. This initiative was framed as a strategic counterbalance to the Chinese-financed megaproject at the Port of Chancay in Peru.[172] U.S. investors, facilitated by the Development Finance Corporation, were set to visit Chile to assess opportunities for technological and infrastructural development. Meanwhile, reports suggested that the Trump administration considered imposing tariffs of up to 60% on goods exported from the Chancay port, reflecting its broader strategy to support allies like Chile in the face of China's expanding footprint in Latin America. These developments occurred amidst high-level diplomatic engagements between Chilean and U.S. officials, underscoring shared interests in enhancing Pacific trade networks.[173]
In January 2025, a dispute arose between Colombia and the United States after Colombian President Gustavo Petro refused to allow two U.S. military aircraft carrying deported Colombian nationals to land. Each flight was carrying approximately 80 Colombian deportees. In response, President Trump imposed emergency 25% tariffs on all Colombian imports, implemented travel bans and visa revocations for Colombian government officials, and implemented enhanced customs and border protection inspections for all Colombian nationals and cargo from Colombia. According to CNN, this was the first instance of "Trump using economic pressure to force other nations to fall in line with his mass deportation plans since he took office."[179][180] Trump said he would double the tariffs to 50 percent in one week if Petro did not reverse his decision.[181] Petro has backed down in response, stating that he would arrange his presidential plane to transfer the deported Colombians from the United States to Colombia.[182][183] Colombian foreign minister Luis Gilberto Murillo has confirmed that Colombia will be taking in deported Colombians.[184][185] In response, the White House has stated it will pause tariffs and financial sanctions.[185][186]
In January 2025 Elon Musk reportedly helped Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni liberate their citizen Cecila Sala from Iranian regime detention.[189]
In his first term, Trump was considered one of the most pro-Israel presidents of the United States.[190][191] During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump urged Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war in Gaza within two months and opened the door to attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities.[192] Trump warned Hamas that they would have "all hell to pay" if the war did not end before he took office in January.[193] Following the election, Trump spoke with Palestinian presidentMahmoud Abbas for the first time since 2017.[194] During their phone call, Trump expressed his desire to quickly end the war in Gaza.[195]
Trump's son-in-law and former White House senior advisor Jared Kushner is expected to play a key role in the future United States' Middle East policy as an outside presidential adviser. Being pro-Israel and having ties with several Arab leaders, Kushner previously helped to broker the Abraham Accords during Trump's first presidency.[196] Most of Trump's advisors and appointees are considered staunch supporters of the Jewish state,[197][198] including Hegseth, Huckabee, Ratcliffe, Rubio, Stefanik, and Waltz.[199] Lebanese-American businessman Massad Boulos, who was appointed as a senior advisor on Arab and Middle Eastern Affairs and has ties with Lebanese politicians, is viewed as an intermediary between Trump and Arab leaders.[200] While Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff is expected to deal with Israel, Boulos will help in negotiations with the Arab world.[201]
Days before the inauguration of the administration, a ceasefire agreement was reached between Israel and Hamas.[202] Trump and Biden both claimed credit for the ceasefire deal, with the former describing it as "EPIC".[203] Several media sources, including Haaretz and The Times of Israel, credited Trump and Witkoff as responsible.[204][205]
In the Syrian civil war, the Syrian oppositionlaunched an offensive against the pro-government Syrian Armed Forces in late November 2024, capturing the large cities of Aleppo and Hama. As opposition forces continued to close in on Damascus, President-elect Trump stated on December 7 that the U.S. should stay out of the conflict, stating "THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT" in a social media post.[206] Rebel groups captured Damascus the next day, December 8, as government forces surrendered and president Bashar al-Assad reportedly fled the country.[207]
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NATO
Trump has repeatedly stated that he, as the president, would not commit to defending NATO member states that are not spending at least 2% of their GDP on defense. Additionally, Vice President-elect JD Vance has stated that in his view NATO is a "welfare client" and that it should be "a real alliance".[208]
Trump has said he will impose a 25% tariff on all goods from Canada in an effort for the Canadian government to stop what in his view is an illegal migration crisis and drug crisis on the Canada-United States border.[210] Canadian officials have responded by threatening the United States with retaliatory tariffs, and have even proposed cutting off the supply of Canadian energy into the Northern United States.[211] This has led to Trump taunting Canadian prime minister Trudeau with joke offers for Canada to join the Union, and Trump has referred to Trudeau as the 'Governor of the Great State of Canada'.[212]
In December 2024, Trump stated a further proposal for the United States to purchase Greenland from Denmark, describing ownership and control of the island as "an absolute necessity" for national security purposes. This builds upon a prior offer from Trump to buy Greenland during his first term, which the Danish Realm refused, causing him to cancel his August 2019 visit to Denmark.[213] On January 7, 2025, Trump's son Donald Trump Jr. visited Greenland's capital city Nuuk alongside Charlie Kirk to hand out MAGA hats.[214] At a press conference the following day, Trump refused to rule out military or economic force to take over Greenland or the Panama Canal.[215] However, he did rule out military force in taking over Canada.[215] On January 14, the Trump-affiliated Nelk Boys also visited Nuuk, handing out dollar bills to locals.[216] On January 16, the CEOs of major Danish companies Novo Nordisk, Vestas and Carlsberg among others were assembled for a crisis meeting in the Ministry of State to discuss the situation.[217][218] On the subsequent day, former chief executive Friis Arne Petersen in the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the situation as "historically unheard of", while Noa Redington, special adviser to former prime minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, compared the international pressure on Denmark that during the 2005 Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy.[219]
Panama Canal
In 2024, Trump demanded that Panama return control of the Panama Canal to the United States due to 'excessive rates' being charged for American passage.[220] If the United States were to take control of the Panama Canal, it would mark the first time the United States controlled Panamanian territory since the United States invasion of Panama.[221]
Trump's second presidency was described by political commentators as having fewer prohibitions on business activity and guardrails against potential conflicts of interest than his first, and for having more opportunities to directly influence Trump.[222][223]
On January 24, 2025, Trump fired 17 independent inspectors general at federal agencies, which appeared to violate federal law that requires advance notice of dismissals to both chambers of congress with reasons given 30 days in advance.[224] Trump also fired all Democratic but not Republican members of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, which would prevent the board from meeting quorum and functioning.[225]
Potential conflicts of interest
Trump's second presidency included multiple potential conflicts of interest that did not exist during his first term in office, including a publicly traded company in Truth Social, a cryptocurrency venture, new overseas real estate deals involving state-affiliated entities, and several branding and licencing deals selling Trump-branded merchandice.[222]
His 2024 campaign was noted for an "unprecedented" mixing of personal business and political fundraising.[226] Trump promoted $59.99 bibles, $399 sneakers, $99 "Victory47" cologne, and $99 Trump-branded NFT digital trading cards for his personal, non-campaign accounts.[227][228] Trump's campaign was noted for spending large sums of campaign money at Trump-owned businesses, in particular his Mar-a-Lago resort and the Trump National Doral Miami.[229]
After winning the election, Trump mirrored his first term's ethics commitments and did not divest from his interests in branding and real estate. He also did not place his assets in a trust managed by an independent trustee.[230] Trump transferred his shares of Truth Social into a trust in which he is the sole beneficiary, of which his oldest son is the trustee. Ethics experts described it as falling "well short of the blind trusts and divestitures from private business interests that other presidents have used to avoid ethical conflicts with their job". Trump's son, Eric Trump, said the Trump Organization would continue to pursue business deals overseas, dropping a self-imposed prohibition during Trump's first presidency.[223]
Trump profited from holding events at his hotels and golf courses.[230] Trump's conflicts of interest were described as having national-security risks, with particular emphasis placed on relationships with the Saudi and Dubai governments through the Trump Organization and his son Jared Kushner's investment fund backed by the Saudis.[231]
Trump repealed ethics rules prohibiting executive branch employees accepting major gifts from lobbyists and two year bans on lobbyists seeking executive jobs and vice versa. Critics described the repeal as the opposite of his pledge to "drain the swamp".[232] Trump's wife, Melania, entered into a deal with Amazon to create a documentary about herself, which raised ethics concerns as it was made while in office and was described by former ethics lawyer Norm Eisen as Jeff Bezos currying favor with Donald Trump.[230]
Cryptocurrency memecoin
On January 17, Trump launched, promoted, and personally benefited[232] from a cryptocurrency memecoin, $Trump, that soared to a market valuation of over $5 billion within a few hours—a total $27 billion diluted value—through a Trump-owned company called CIC Digital LLC, which owned 80 percent of the coin's supply.[233] Within two days, the $Trump coin became the 19th most valuable form of cryptocurrency in the world, with a total trading value of nearly $13 billion, and a total of $29 billion worth of trades based on a $64 value of each of the 200 million tokens issued by the afternoon of January 19. The New York Times reported that Trump affiliates controlled an additional 800 million tokens that, hypothetically, could be worth over $51 billion, potentially making Trump one of the richest people in the world. Trump also launched a new memecoin named after his wife, $Melania, and promoted it on TruthSocial shortly before attending an inauguration rally. The crypto venture was criticized by ethics experts and government watchdogs.[234] The venture and the possibility of foreign governments buying the coin was highlighted as possibly violating the Constitution's foreign emoluments clause.[235]
^Peterson, Matt (January 21, 2025). "Trump's New Executive Orders Show His Power—and His Limits". Barron's. Retrieved January 23, 2025. President Donald Trump's first day back on the job began with what has been dubbed a shock and awe campaign, a burst of dozens of executive orders meant to jump-start his political and economic strategies.
^"The Trump administration revoked a Biden executive order that created a task force to reunify families separated at the southern border. In the time the task force was in place, it reunified nearly 800 children with their parents, according to a report it released last year." "Live Updates"The New York Times, January 20, 2025.
^Tau, Byron (January 22, 2025). "Trump's perceived enemies worry about losing pensions, getting audited and paying steep legal bills". The Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 23, 2025. Retrieved January 23, 2025. Revenge played a central role in many of Trump's remarks after he left the presidency in 2021. He said at a 2023 rally, "For those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution." ... But hours after being sworn in, he issued executive orders aimed at settling scores, including the one stripping clearances from 50 former intelligence officers. He also rescinded Secret Service protection for Bolton, whose life has been threatened by Iran.
^ abSchmidt, Michael S.; Mazzetti, Mark (January 21, 2025). "A Trump Executive Order Sets Out What Could Be a Road Map for Retribution". The New York Times. ISSN0362-4331. Retrieved January 24, 2025. The order is titled "Ending the Weaponization of the Federal Government", but it asserts that the Biden administration might have acted illegally and directs agencies to seek evidence.
^Tucker, Eric (January 21, 2025). "Trump moves to revoke clearances of ex-intel officials who signed letter on Hunter Biden laptop". The Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 23, 2025. Retrieved January 23, 2025. The action is an early indication of the president's determination to exact retribution on perceived adversaries and is the latest point of tension between Trump and an intelligence community of which he has been openly disdainful.
^Lowell, Hugo (January 24, 2025). "Trump enlists attorney general to investigate Biden administration". The Guardian. Retrieved January 24, 2025. Donald Trump has tasked the attorney general in two executive orders to conduct far-reaching investigations into the previous administration, using the weight of the justice department to pursue what are effectively politically charged reviews into his personal grievances.
^ abMary Walrath-Holdridge (July 17, 2024). "As Trump creates distance from Project 2025, conservative Agenda47 comes into focus". USA Today. Retrieved January 18, 2025. Starting in 2022, Trump's official campaign began uploading a series of policy plans to its website, detailing how the Republican candidate plans to tackle some of the country's most pressing issues. Called Agenda47, the campaign materials paint a big picture of what Americans may expect under another Trump presidency.
^Frazen, Rachael; Budryk, Zack (January 22, 2025). "White House narrows executive order restricting IRA funds". The Hill. Retrieved January 26, 2025. Trump has frequently falsely conflated Biden-era climate policies with the "Green New Deal," an ambitious suite of energy and environmental legislation supported by lawmakers including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.).
^"Iranian official met with Musk in a possible step to ease tensions with Trump". Associated Press. November 16, 2024. Archived from the original on November 27, 2024. Retrieved November 16, 2024. Iran's U.N. Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani met with Musk — a Trump ally named this week to advise his administration on ways to cut the federal government — on Monday in New York, according to a U.S. official briefed on the meeting by a foreign colleague.
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