Amid local and international policies, as well as possible and complex ambitions, former U.S. President Donald Trump outlines several goals to achieve if he returns to the White House. The "New York Times" addressed the key goals based on Trump's statements and his new administration's team.
**Revenge on Rivals**
This time, Trump intends to target his election opponent, contrary to what happened with Hillary Clinton in the past, aiming to take revenge for what he perceives as politically motivated prosecutions. He pledged to appoint a special prosecutor to "pursue" Biden and his family. Trump plans to use the powers of the presidency to exact revenge on his perceived enemies, with his allies developing a legal justification to abolish the Department of Justice's independence from the president. Trump indicated he would pressure the Department of Justice to investigate his adversaries, and if re-elected, he would appoint a special prosecutor "to go after Biden and his family," citing his own prosecution as precedent. He hinted that if he becomes president again, he may target journalists with legal actions.
**Increasing Presidential Power**
Another goal for Trump is to increase presidential authority, although this is challenging under the U.S. Constitution and Congress oversight. Trump and his partners aim to shift the balance of power by increasing presidential control over every part of the federal government, which currently operates independently of the White House. Trump stated he would place independent agencies under presidential control, challenging the many regulatory agencies Congress established to operate independently. He also aims to dismantle what he describes as the deep state, which he sees as the professional workforce within national security and foreign policy agencies.
In foreign policy, Trump plans to insist that Europe deal with its own problems, having long viewed Washington’s role in NATO as a drain on American resources.
**NATO and the Russia-Ukraine War**
Trump has long viewed NATO—not as a force multiplier with allies—but as a burden on U.S. resources by opportunists. During his tenure, he threatened to withdraw from NATO and, on his campaign website, stated his intent to fundamentally re-evaluate NATO's purpose, raising concerns that he could undermine or end the alliance.
After more than two and a half years of conflict, Trump claims he could end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours. He did not specify how but suggested he would negotiate a deal by allowing Russia to take Ukrainian territory. Trump has also been more explicit about his plans to utilize U.S. military force domestically, issuing a plan to combat Mexican drug cartels using military force, which would be a violation of international law if the U.S. armed forces were to operate on Mexican territory without its consent.
