In the early morning of November 9th, 2016, Donald J. Trump became the President Elect of the United States of America. After the election, many called upon the electoral college, a group of delegates representing each state who vote for president, to vote based on their own opinion when they hold their official vote on December 19th. This move would be highly unprecedented and complicated, as some states require delegates to vote based on the popular vote within that state. Clinton has won the popular vote by over 2 million, as votes in many states are still in the process of being counted, but Trump won the most electoral votes, 306 to Clinton’s 232.
While on the campaign trail, Trump made fairly radical statements regarding his stance on various policies. Since becoming president elect, he has reversed or moderated some of his stances on controversial political issues. Trump recently released a video outlining his first 100 days in office. The information shared in the video is essentially the same as what Trump said while on the campaign trail.
Over the past 18 months, Trump has called for a complete repeal of the Affordable Care Act, known to most as Obamacare, claiming that it “has tragically but predictably resulted in runaway costs, websites that don’t work, greater rationing of care, higher premiums, less competition and fewer choices,” as he outlined on his website. However, since becoming president elect, Trump has indicated that he would like to maintain two parts of the Affordable Care Act, reported by The Washington Post. This would allow children to stay on their parents plans until the age of 26 and “prevent insurance companies from denying coverage based on preexisting condition.” Many critics have stated that it is almost impossible to only repeal parts of Obamacare because the sections that will be repealed are the ones that allow the entire system to function.
Trump’s website, on which he lays out all of his policies, does not the most comprehensive plan in terms of addressing terrorism. The platform talks about rebuilding the military and his plan to “suspend, on a temporary basis, immigration from some of the most dangerous and volatile regions of the world that have a history of exporting terrorism.” The campaign also writes that Trump plans to “establish a Commission on Radical Islam to identify and explain to the American public the core convictions and beliefs of Radical Islam, to identify the warning signs of radicalization, and to expose the networks in our society that support radicalization.” This is a bold plan, especially considering Trump’s lack of foreign policy and military experience. These claims are also general and do not specify Trump’s plan to defeat ISIS that he boasted about on the campaign trail.
Trump has made several polarizing policy statements. According to ontheissues.org, Trump stated “Planned Parenthood should absolutely be defunded. I mean if you look at what’s going on with that, it’s terrible. And many of the things should be defunded and many things should be cut.” This coincides with Trump’s radical statements on abortion during the presidential debates and his running mate Mike Pence’s voting record on abortion rights.
Trump has mentioned his desire to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a pact signed by 12 nations in Asia, Oceania, North America, and South America that looks to strengthen economic ties between the countries by reducing tariffs and fostering trade. Trump has stated “the TPP is a horrible deal. It is a deal that is going to lead to nothing but trouble. It’s a deal that was designed for China to come in, as they always do, through the back door and totally take advantage of everyone.”
These are only some of president-elect Trump’s policies. His platform is fully explained on his website. His stance on political issues can also be seen through the people he appoints to various executive positions such as Nikki Haley, Reince Priebus, Jeff Sessions, and Steven Mnuchin and their stances on the issues they have been appointed to. Americans will not know the scope of Trump’s impact on political policy until he is in office.
Olivia Columbus
news editor
Graphic: Jessica Chang