With former President Donald Trump set to begin his second term as president of the U.S. in January, it makes sense for students at Marlborough and around the world to ask the question: What comes next?
Many Democratic-leaning students worry about the possibility of Trump enacting a federal abortion ban, implementing tariffs that will cause inflation or pardoning himself of his crimes and pending investigations. Here is an outline of what Trump may try to accomplish in the next four years.
Can Trump pardon himself of all of his charges?
Ever since Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts for falsification of business records in May, his legal team has been delaying his sentencing — a process that will likely continue now that he has been elected, according to USA Today. Furthermore, legal experts who spoke to BBC said that it is doubtful he would be sentenced to prison as a first-time, older offender anyway.
It would be difficult for Trump to completely pardon himself of his crimes. Though he has the presidential power to do so, this is limited to federal crimes, and his convictions in New York are state crimes.
In terms of his other criminal indictments, many of them are at risk of being dismissed. It is a well precedented rule that a president cannot be prosecuted while in office, according to former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani. Furthermore, Trump has already pledged to fire special counsel Jack Smith, who is prosecuting Trump on the classified documents and Jan. 6 cases, if he does not drop the charges once Trump takes office.
How could Trump’s presidency affect U.S. climate policy?
Trump has pledged to roll back almost all of the Biden administration’s climate policies, including the Inflation Reduction Act, which invests billions of dollars into clean energy. However, regulations are difficult to unwind and Trump may face pushback in doing so by members of Congress, both Democrat and Republican who want to protect their states from climate change, according to Matthew Daly from The Associated Press.
Additionally, CEO of Tesla Elon Musk, who spearheaded innovation and design for electric vehicles (EVs), has become one of Trump’s closest advisers since his first term. Since Musk has formed a relationship with Trump, Trump’s pushback for EVs mandates has decreased, which is likely to continue throughout his presisdency
It is also likely that Trump will withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, just as he did in 2017 during his first term.
Can Trump enact a federal abortion ban?
While Republican majorities in Congress make it a possibility that Trump could enact a federal abortion ban, it is uncertain how long this may take, and he did not campaign on this promise. A federal ban would require a majority vote in the House and the Senate, but Democrats have an opportunity to block the bill via a Senate filibuster. However, a filibuster requires 60 votes, and Democrats only have 47 seats.
Since the Dobbs decision left abortion rights up to the states, a federal abortion ban may face opposition in certain states’ courts.
With Trump’s regulation of federal agencies, particularly the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), abortion medications are arguably the most at risk. The FDA could scale back approval for mifeprestone, a drug that is used to terminate pregnancies, according to ABC News and The Guardian. The FDA could also restrict access to contraceptives, like IUDs, Plan B and certain birth control pills.
Because of the Republican party’s control of Congress, Trump may have an easier time carrying out his goals. However, Trump’s actions may face pushback from courts, officials and activists. Additionally, the Biden administration is working to solidify their policies to make it more difficult for Trump to repeal them in the next four years. Trump’s second term will not go unchallenged.
