Donald Trump's 2016 presidential victory shocked many Americans. While their country closed the doors of the White House to the first official female presidential candidate, it opened them to a man who had publicly boasted about treating women like objects.
Eight years have gone by, and the polemics of that time pale in comparison to what Trump has promised to accomplish in his second term, which now seems a foregone conclusion given the results of the November 5 election. Today, it is no longer shock or disillusionment that dominates among his opponents, but fear and anxiety in the face of the radical changes he intends to implement, which represent, even more clearly than before, the triumph of the far right.
Therefore, in the wake of his victory, it is useful to identify the main objectives that Trump intends to pursue upon his return to the White House. These transformations promise to be more far-reaching than those undertaken between 2017 and 2021.
One of his major objectives, which takes precedence over almost every other aspect of his program, is to bend the federal administration to his will. In response to accusations of a "deep state" that obstructed Trump during his first term, this plan seeks to remove the legal protections that currently safeguard tens of thousands of civil servants so that they can be dismissed and replaced by loyal supporters who are prepared to strictly adhere to White House directives.
Control of the three powers
Russ Vought, Trump's former budget director, has explicitly said he wants to inflict "trauma" on career civil servants to dissuade them from continuing their work. Meanwhile, the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 has already identified replacements for thousands of key positions. Within the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement, some are also considering the possibility of bypassing the administrative security investigations traditionally carried out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). This could potentially allow individuals closely associated with the far right, such as Michael Flynn or Steve Bannon, to return to or take on positions of responsibility.
Such an upheaval would mark the end of a merit-based public service and the return of a spoils system reminiscent of the 19th century when positions were awarded to the supporters of the election winner. However, two major differences stand out: Not only are the appointments outlined by Project 2025 much more comprehensively and systematically planned, but they also aim to anchor a specific ideology rather than reward mere partisan loyalty.
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