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Trump 2.0 — What might a second Trump Administration look like?

Any administration is a fusion of policy and the people charged with implementing it. With the possibility of former President Trump being re-elected, there is significant interest in understanding what his administration's policy priorities and actions might look like. Based on media reports, the Trump 2024 team appears to have done more planning and is far more prepared to hit the ground running compared to previous campaigns. 

We have examined four primary inputs — the former president’s own words and actions, the Republican party platform, Agenda 47 and Project 2025* — to establish a framework describing the range of possible Trump Administration policy priorities and actions. We’ve also considered the range of possible people who could be tapped to serve in cabinet-level positions. 

By assigning these variables to the axes of a grid, you can create a matrix that illustrates the range of possible Trump 2.0 administrations, as shown below.   

While it is highly unlikely that any future Trump administration will fit neatly within one of these four boxes, we know with near certainty that it will fall somewhere along the continuum. Although it is impossible to predict the future, we can be prepared for all potential outcomes. 

(*Note: President Trump has disavowed Project 2025, saying he has “no idea” who is behind it and knows “nothing” about it. However, Vice Presidential nominee JD Vance, many top former officials and Trump political advisors have contributed to the project. 

Given the number of Trump-adjacent figures and influential conservative organizations involved with Project 2025, we are including consideration of its policy prescriptions in the range of the possible in a second Trump Administration.)