President Trump Releases Policy Plans

As President Donald J. Trump completed his inauguration ceremony, the White House website launched the incoming administration’s new online content. Part of the new content includes details on policy priorities for the Trump Administration.  Here is a run-down of what was released under the website’s “issues” section, on January 20.

An America First Energy Plan. The plan focuses on maximizing domestic energy production (with an emphasis on shale oil and gas, including on federal lands), lowering energy costs for consumers, and reducing or eliminating dependence on foreign oil from OPEC and nations hostile towards America.  Revenues from increased oil and gas production will go towards rebuilding infrastructure. The plan reiterates a commitment to eliminate the Clean Power Plan and Waters of the U.S. rule, develop clean coal technology, and revive the U.S. coal industry. The energy strategy reaffirms the importance of responsible environmental stewardship, noting the President plans to “refocus” the EPA on its essential mission of protecting air and water.

America First Foreign Policy. Trump emphasizes a peace through strength approach to foreign policy, with defeating ISIS and other radical Islamic groups as the highest priority. The plan strategies include aggressive military action, cutting off funding to terrorist groups, expanding intelligence sharing, and engaging in cyberwarfare. The plan seeks to rebuild America’s military to ensure American dominance is unquestioned, noting the Navy and Air Force has shrunk considerably since 1991. America will also endeavor to embrace diplomacy, welcoming old enemies as friends, and old friends as allies.

Trade Deals Working for All Americans. The President plans to use his negotiating skills to develop tough but fair trade deals that will put blue-collar Americans back to work. He plans on withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, renegotiating or withdrawing from NAFTA if America’s interests are not met, and increasing enforcement actions on trade violations.

Making Our Military Strong. Trump plans to pursue the highest level of military readiness to ensure no other nation can surpass our military capability. He plans on ending the defense sequester budget stalemate and proposing a new budget to rebuild the military, including a state-of-the-art missile defense system to protect against missile-based attacks from Iran and North Korea. Trump plans on increasing America’s cyber defense and offensive capabilities and recruiting the best talent to protect our nation’s systems and secrets. The President emphasizes that America will meet its commitment to veterans by transforming the Department of Veterans Affairs, firing VA executive responsible for letting veterans down, modernizing bureaucracy, and empowering healthcare professionals to improve veteran health care.

Bring Back Jobs and Growth. President Trump plans on creating 25 million new American jobs in the next decade and returning the nation to 4% annual economic growth by instituting a pro-growth tax reform plan that will lower corporate and individual taxes and simplify the tax code. He will institute a moratorium on new federal regulations and will identify existing “job-killing” regulations for repeal. The President also plans to renegotiate existing trade deals and take a tougher stance on new deals, to better benefit American manufacturing and workers.

Standing Up for Our Law Enforcement Community. President Trump states the anti-police atmosphere in America is wrong and that his administration will end it. No implementation strategies are provided, but strong emphasis is placed on reducing violent crime, increasing law enforcement and effective policing, greater community engagement, and supporting our citizens’ ability to protect themselves via defense of Second Amendment rights.  The President reiterates support for building a border wall, ending sanctuary cities, enforcing border laws and stemming illegal immigration, stopping drug traffic, and deporting illegal aliens with violent criminal records.

In summary, greater development of domestic energy production, better trade deals, reduced federal regulations, and tax reform will boost the American economy benefitting manufacturing and blue-collar workers. Increased spending will be funneled towards expansion of our physical and cyber military capabilities to defeat enemies and assert dominance, and veteran’s affairs administration and local law enforcement capacity will be improved. Americans will be safer with a stronger police force, reduced illegal immigration, and reaffirmation of the right to bear arms.  

Christina Simeone

Kleinman Center Senior Fellow

Christina Simeone is a senior fellow at the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy and a doctoral student in advanced energy systems at the Colorado School of Mines and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a joint program.