Seven things he says he wants to do as president

Donald Trump is set to return to the White House after promising action on issues including immigration, the economy and the war in Ukraine.

He appears to enjoy plenty of support for his policy agenda in Congress after his Republican Party regained control of the Senate.

In his victory speech, Trump vowed: “I will govern by a simple motto: Promises made, promises kept. We’re going to keep our promises.”

But in some cases, he has given little detail about how he can achieve his goals.

Asked in 2023 by Fox News whether he would abuse his power or target political opponents, he replied that he would not, “except from day one.”

“No, no, no, other than day one. We close the border and we drill, drill, drill. After that, I’m not a dictator.”

During the campaign, Trump promised the largest mass deportations of undocumented migrants in American history.

He also promised to complete the construction of a wall on the border with Mexico, which was begun during his first presidency.

The number of crossings at the US southern border hit record levels late last year under the Biden-Harris administration, before falling in 2024.

Experts have told the BBC that deportations on the scale Trump has promised would face huge legal and logistical challenges – and could slow economic growth.

Exit poll data has suggested the economy was a key issue for voters. Trump has promised to “stop inflation” – which rose to historic levels under President Joe Biden before falling again. But a president’s power to directly influence prices is limited.

He has also promised sweeping tax cuts, extending his overhaul from 2017. He has proposed making tipped income tax-free, abolishing taxes on Social Security payments and shaving corporate taxes.

He has proposed new tariffs of at least 10% on most foreign goods to reduce the trade deficit. Imports from China may carry an additional 60% tariff, he has said. Some economists have warned that such measures could push up prices for consumers.

During his first presidency, Trump rolled back hundreds of environmental protections and made America the first nation to withdraw from the Paris climate accord.

This time, he has again promised to cut regulations, especially as a way to help the American auto industry. He has consistently attacked electric vehicles, promising to overturn Biden’s goals and encourage the shift to cleaner cars.

He has promised to increase the production of American fossil fuels – promising to “drill, drill, drill” on day one in favor of renewable energy sources such as wind power.

He wants to open up areas like the Arctic wilderness to oil drilling, which he claims will lower energy costs — though analysts are skeptical.

Trump has criticized the tens of billions of dollars the US has spent supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia – and has vowed to end the conflict “within 24 hours” through a negotiated deal.

He has not said what he thinks either side should give up. Democrats say the move will embolden President Vladimir Putin.

Trump wants the US to disassociate itself from foreign conflicts in general. Regarding the war in Gaza – Trump has positioned himself as a staunch supporter of Israel, but has called on the US ally to end its operation. He has also promised to end the related violence in Lebanon, without giving further details.

Against the wishes of some of his supporters, Trump said during the presidential debate with Kamala Harris that he would not sign a national abortion ban into law.

In 2022, the nationwide constitutional right to abortion was overturned by the Supreme Court, which had a majority of conservative justices after Trump’s first term in office.

Reproductive rights became a central campaign issue for Harris, and pseveral states approved measures to protect or expand abortion rights on Election Day.

Trump himself has regularly said that states should be free to determine their own laws on abortion, but has struggled to find his own consistent message.

Trump has said he will “free” some of those convicted of crimes during the riots in Washington DC on January 6, 2021, when his supporters stormed the Capitol building in an attempt to thwart Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory.

Several deaths were blamed on the violence that Trump was accused of inciting.

He has worked to play down the significance of the riots and recast the hundreds of supporters who were sentenced as political prisoners.

He goes on to say that many of them are “wrongfully imprisoned”, although he has acknowledged that “a few of them, they probably got out of hand”.

Trump has vowed to fire “within two seconds” after taking office the veteran prosecutor leading two criminal investigations against him.

Special counsel Jack Smith has indicted Trump for alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election and for his alleged mishandling of classified documents.

Trump denies any wrongdoing and managed to prevent both cases from going to trial before the election. He says Mr Smith has subjected him to a “political witch hunt”.

Trump will return to the White House as the first president ever with a criminal conviction after being found guilty in New York of falsifying business records.

North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher opines on the race for the White House in his twice-weekly US Election Unspun newsletter. Readers in the UK can register here. Those outside the UK can register here.