The specifics of Trump 47’s policies—to the extent that Trump bothers with policies—are a matter of speculation. But some broader actions seem certain, according to current and former Trump insiders interviewed by Newsweek: avoiding his first-term approach of appointing people who might protect him from his worst instincts and instead packing the administration with loyalists; trying to get a firmer grip on the military with an eye to consolidating power; drastically shrinking the civil service and throwing a steady diet of red-meat culture-war goodies at his base.
These policies would open the door even wider than it already is to the disenfranchisement of voters, including Blacks, LGBTQ people and Native Americans. The FBI, Internal Revenue Service and the military could be harnessed to harass or imprison his political enemies. Foreign policy would be turned on its head, as Trump resumes his antagonism toward allies in Europe and renews his friendship with Vladimir Putin. And basic democratic norms, such as the constitutional prohibition of a third presidential term, could give way.
In other words, it would be classic Trump—but more so, and with fewer obstacles standing in his way. “If you thought it was insane during his first term, you haven’t seen anything yet,” says Reed Galen, co-founder of the Lincoln Project, a Republican-run political action committee that opposes Trump and Trumpism.
[DS–If you want to look into the dark and twisted fears of the Establishment, this is your article. Personally I hope the Republicans get sweet revenge on the Democrats, although I would prefer it to be under a DeSantis administration]
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