Donald Trump will become the 47th President of the United States after beating Kamala Harris in a landslide victory. The Republican candidate – who owns golf courses in Ayrshire and Aberdeenshire – will return to the White House in January.
He is projected to win the electoral college by some distance – while also winning the popular vote for the first time.
It marks a historic comeback following his loss in the 2020 election against Joe Biden. Trump was unpredictable during his first term in office, and introduced many extreme policies on tax, immigration and foreign policy.
Here is the key policies he could implement as he becomes US President for the second time.
Ukraine
Trump has pledged to negotiate an end to the war in his early days of taking office – which could mean the US withdraws support for Ukraine in its war with Russia. During the campaign he cast doubt on the USA’s commitment to the war – more than two years on from the Russian invasion.
Under the Biden administration the US has provided tens of billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine. Trump has also repeatedly praised Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Tariffs
Trump has threatened to impose new tariffs on goods from other countries. He has promised to impose a flat tariff of up to 20 percent on all imports, as well as 60 percent tariffs on goods from China. This could have a particularly bad impact on the UK, with experts saying it could spark inflation and halve the country’s growth.
Tax cuts
Trump introduced big tax cuts in 2018 when he was previously president – and could do so again. His Tax Cuts and Jobs Act lowered corporation tax from 35 per cent to 21 per cent and reduced personal tax rates among all income brackets.
Instead of letting these end in 2025, he is now pushing to make these permanent. The cuts benefitted high-income families much more than poorer families.
Immigration
Trump promised to overhaul US immigration policy during the election campaign. He has said he wants to deport millions of people, and could do this by using workplace raids and the US military. He has also pledged to put more money into expanding the border wall at the US-Mexico border.
Climate change
Trump has pledged to increase the US production of fossil fuels by allowing more drilling for oil and encouraging new gas pipelines. He has also said he would pull the USA out of the Paris Climate Accords, which aims to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
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