Former President Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election.
Trump’s political agenda for a second term resurrects some proposals from his first term, but goes further on many fronts. The new proposals include a more aggressive deportation policy, increasing tariffs and banning gender-affirming surgery on minors.
Since PolitiFact’s founding in 2007, we have tracked the progress, or lack thereof, of the sitting president’s campaign promises.
We tracked 533 promises former President Barack Obama made during his 2008 and 2012 campaigns.
When Trump won in 2016, we tracked 102 of his promises. We also tracked progress on 99 promises made by President Joe Biden during his 2020 campaign.
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Since announcing his candidacy in late 2022, Trump has made more than 100 policy proposals. They are part of our list, promises that Trump himself has made in speeches, interviews, rallies or on social networks. We did not include proposals supported solely by outside groups, such as the conservative Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025. Project 2025 is a 900-page manual that includes policy proposals for the next Republican administration.
Here we tell you some of Trump’s promises for his second term.
Carry out the largest deportation in US history
In his first mandateTrump promised but failed to deport all immigrants living in the country illegally.
Immigration experts said mass deportations probably wouldn’t work because of resources and constitutionality.
Most of Trump’s promises on immigration are the same ones he made during his first term, many of which we rate as broken promises.
End birthright citizenship
Trump He failed during his first presidency to fulfill his promise to end people’s right to be citizens if they are born in the United States, regardless of their parents’ immigration status.
Legal experts told us that attempts to end birthright citizenship would lead to a court battle and could require a constitutional amendment.
Suspend refugee resettlement
During his first presidency, Trump pauso the refugee resettlement program for 120 days. He considered lowering the limit to zero but instead reduced the limit each year from Obama’s limit of 110,000 in fiscal year 2017 to a record low of 15,000 in fiscal year 2021. Now he proposes suspending it completely.
Immigrants who come to the United States as refugees They are people who fled their countries of origin due to persecution related to race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a specific social group. They have received refugee protection from the US before entering the country. Asylum seekers must also meet the definition of a refugee, but they have to be physically in the United States to request protection.
Biden raised the limit of refugees allowed to enter the country to 125,000 in fiscal years 2022 and 2023.
Add a 10% to 20% tariff on all non-domestic products sold in the United States
Trump’s main economic promises also reiterate themes he already addressed during his previous term.
He would pursue an aggressive trade policy, this time including a 10% tariff on foreign goods. Critics have said this would trigger inflation.
Trump has said he would prevent U.S. investment in Chinese companies and often singles out China as an economic adversary.
End the war between Russia and Ukraine in 24 hours
On foreign policy, Trump is moving away from approaches that he believes Biden has failed, although his promises often lack details.
As for Russia, Trump has pledged to end that country’s war against Ukraine within 24 hours, which Ukrainians fear, and U.S. officials and political experts agree, could lead to Russia occupying parts of Ukraine.
Even a Russian official has said publicly that 24 hours is not a feasible time frame.
Abolish the Department of Education
Trump is following the lead of a generation of conservative activists who have called for the abolition of the Department of Education.
In its most extreme form, this could eliminate federal funding for K-12 schools. Setting aside an increase during the pandemic, this funding typically represents about 10% of K-12 budgets nationally, with significant variation by jurisdiction.
But Trump has not realized his vision, and it is unclear whether Congress would approve such a proposal.
He will pardon those convicted of storming the Capitol on January 6, 2021
Trump has promised to pardon those convicted of storming the Capitol on January 6, 2021. He has also said he would “consider” doing so rather than fully committing.
Trump’s election-related promises rely heavily on falsehoods he has spread about alleged 2020 voter fraud.
The changes he proposes would massively alter how elections work in the US, but in many cases the states have jurisdiction over these proposals, not the federal government.
Give a big tax cut to the “middle class, upper class, lower class, business class”
Trump has called for a tax cut that helps all economic classes. Critics have said his 2017 tax law gave disproportionate benefits to the wealthiest Americans.
He has also supported eliminating taxes on tips, lowering car and housing costs and imposing a 25% tariff on product manufacturers in Mexico.
Sign legislation banning gender affirmation surgery on minors
The promise Trump’s move to regulate gender-affirming surgeries for minors reflects existing laws in 26 states.
Trump’s promises focus on banning or criminalizing a type of surgical procedure that is rarely performed on minors, and not without parental consent. It is much more common for minors to receive gender-affirming non-surgical care.
Lower the cost of energy within the first year by 50%
Trump has criticized how Biden has handled energy, notably gasoline prices, which rose to record highs after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Energy production under the Biden administration has reached new highs.
Senior correspondent Amy Sherman and staff writers Grace Abels, Samantha Putterman, Maria Ramirez Uribe, and Mia Penner, as well as former staff writers, contributed to this story.
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