Trump’s Second Act: Power Plays, Elite Gains, and the Cost to the Forgotten

As the 47th President, inaugurated on January 20, 2025, Trump’s intentions appear to blend his established populist rhetoric with a focus on consolidating power and benefiting his base, including the wealthy and elite allies. Based on his campaign promises and early actions:

• Economic Policy: Trump has pledged tax cuts (e.g., extending the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, lowering corporate tax rates to 15%, exempting tips, Social Security, and overtime wages from income tax), broad tariffs (25% on Canada and Mexico, 10% additional on China), and deregulation (e.g., rolling back financial and climate regulations).

  These suggest an intention to stimulate economic growth, protect domestic industries, and favor business interests, particularly those aligned with his network.

  
  

• Immigration and Security: His push for the “largest mass deportation program in history” using the National Guard and police, alongside travel bans and detention camps, indicates an intent to enforce strict border control, appealing to working-class concerns about jobs and safety while projecting strength.

• Government Efficiency: Appointing Elon Musk as Co-Director of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and targeting civil service cuts suggest an intention to reduce federal spending and bureaucracy, potentially to redirect funds or reward loyalists, though the access to sensitive data raises questions about personal enrichment.

• Personal Legacy: His pardon of 1,500 January 6 participants and rapid signing of 70 executive orders in his first month point to an intent to solidify political support, mitigate legal risks, and assert dominance early in his term.

Cabinet Intentions

Trump’s cabinet, described as the wealthiest in U.S. history with a combined net worth exceeding $340 billion, includes billionaires like Elon Musk, Howard Lutnick, and Stephen Feinberg. Their intentions seem to align with Trump’s while reflecting their personal interests:

• Economic Favoritism: Nominees like Lutnick (Commerce Secretary) support tariffs, which could benefit domestic industries but may also protect their own business interests (e.g., Lutnick’s Wall Street ties). Musk’s role in DOGE suggests an intent to influence government spending to favor his companies (Tesla, SpaceX).

• Deregulation Advocacy: Many appointees, with backgrounds in finance and industry, appear intent on dismantling post-2008 financial regulations and climate policies, likely to boost profits for their sectors while aligning with Trump’s anti-regulatory stance.

• Loyalty Over Expertise: The emphasis on personal loyalty (e.g., screening federal hires for Trump alignment) indicates an intent to create a compliant administration, potentially prioritizing political survival over public service.

Trump Organization Intentions

The Trump Organization, a private entity, likely intends to leverage Trump’s presidency for financial and reputational recovery after legal and financial setbacks (e.g., post-2020 investigations). With Trump’s children involved, the intentions include:

• Business Revival: Using political influence to secure deals, reduce legal pressures, and attract investment, especially in real estate and branding.

• Influence Peddling: Capitalizing on cabinet connections to gain favorable policies (e.g., tax breaks, deregulation) that benefit Trump-owned properties and ventures.

• Image Rehabilitation: Positioning Trump as a successful leader to bolster the organization’s marketability, despite past controversies.

  
  

Critical Examination

The narrative of “draining the swamp” contrasts sharply with appointing billionaires and cutting services for the poor, suggesting a possible intent to consolidate elite power under a populist guise. The lack of clarity on policy details (e.g., mass deportation logistics) and rapid executive actions may indicate reactive governance or a strategy to overwhelm opposition, raising questions about accountability.

Pros, Cons, and Effects

Wealthy

• Pros:

  • Tax cuts (e.g., corporate rate to 15%, estate tax elimination) and deregulation (e.g., financial rules) will increase profits and reduce liabilities, potentially boosting net worth by billions.

  • Tariffs could protect domestic industries, benefiting wealthy investors in manufacturing.

• Cons:

  • Retaliatory tariffs from trading partners (e.g., Canada, Mexico) may raise input costs, hurting export-dependent businesses.

  • Public debt growth (projected to exceed 120% of GDP) could lead to higher interest rates, affecting investment returns.

• Effects:

  • Short-term: Significant wealth gains (e.g., top 1% saw 17% income share growth in his first term), reinforcing elite dominance.

  • Long-term: Potential economic instability from debt or trade wars could erode gains if global markets retaliate.

Middle Class

• Pros:

  • Exemptions on tips, overtime, and Social Security wages could provide modest income relief for some workers (e.g., service industry, retirees).

  • Deregulation might lower energy costs, saving families $3,100 annually per past claims.

• Cons:

  • Tariffs could increase consumer goods prices by $600–$1,800 annually, offsetting tax benefits.

  • Cuts to education and infrastructure spending may reduce job opportunities and quality of life.

• Effects:

  • Short-term: Mixed impact—some gain from tax breaks, but many face higher costs, with income growth lagging (e.g., 97% growth for top 20% vs. 48% for middle class historically).

  • Long-term: Stagnation risk as public investment declines, widening the gap with the wealthy unless productivity rises significantly.

Poor

• Pros:

  • Strong labor market (pre-COVID trends) and Opportunity Zones (e.g., $52 billion invested) could create jobs in distressed areas.

  • Potential health care cost transparency (e.g., IVF policies) might improve access if implemented.

• Cons:

  • Cuts to Medicaid, food assistance, and education grants (e.g., school lunches) threaten basic needs, with 4.6 million more uninsured in his first term.

  • Mass deportation and reduced immigrant labor could disrupt low-wage job sectors, increasing unemployment.

• Effects:

  • Short-term: Net worth gains (47% for bottom 50% in first term) may be offset by service cuts, deepening poverty for the most vulnerable.

  • Long-term: Increased inequality and health disparities unless counteracted by robust job growth or policy reversals.

Elite Wealthy Overlap (Intersection of Wealthy and Political Elite)

• Pros:

  • Cabinet wealth ($340 billion) and Musk’s DOGE role offer unprecedented influence over policy, potentially securing personal and corporate interests (e.g., tax breaks, deregulation).

  • Trump Organization benefits from insider access, enhancing real estate and branding prospects.

• Cons:

  • Public scrutiny and legal challenges (e.g., Senate opposition to nominees) could expose conflicts of interest, risking reputational damage.

  • Economic instability from debt or trade wars might threaten elite portfolios if global confidence in U.S. governance wanes.

• Effects:

  • Short-term: Significant power consolidation, with elites shaping policy to their advantage (e.g., Musk’s access to Treasury data).

  • Long-term: Potential backlash from a disillusioned public or international sanctions could undermine their dominance, especially if cronyism becomes overt.

Affections and Broader Implications

• Wealthy: Affectionate toward policies boosting their wealth, but wary of trade war fallout. They may push for more

  deregulation, deepening their influence.

  
  

• Middle Class: Mixed affection—grateful for tax relief but frustrated by rising costs and service cuts. This could fuel political polarization or a shift to alternative parties.

  
  

• Poor: Largely negative affection due to service reductions, potentially leading to protests or reliance on private charities, exacerbating social tensions.

  
  

• Elite Wealthy Overlap: Highly affectionate, leveraging power for personal gain, but at risk of losing public trust, which could trigger regulatory crackdowns in future administrations.

  
  

The rapid executive actions and billionaire appointments raise questions about democratic governance, potentially eroding middle-class and poor confidence in institutions.

Trump’s intentions, alongside his cabinet and organization, lean toward economic growth for the wealthy and elite, with populist gestures for the middle class and poor that may not materialize.

Pros include economic stimulation and job creation, but cons like inequality, debt, and service cuts dominate for non-elites. Effects suggest a short-term boost for the rich and elite, with long-term risks of instability and public discontent.

This trajectory paints a troubling picture: a nation where the forgotten are left further behind, while the elite tighten their grip on power under the guise of populism.

The world is watching this unfold, and for many global observers, it’s not just a policy failure—it’s an embarrassment.

The United States, often seen as a beacon of democratic ideals, risks becoming a cautionary tale of cronyism and inequality, undermining its moral authority on the international stage.

This is why we must keep a watchful eye on this administration. Accountability starts with us—citizens, journalists, and activists—who refuse to let these disparities go unnoticed.

The moment you spot discrepancies, whether in policy implementation, financial dealings, or backroom promises, expose them.

Amplify the truth through every channel available, from social media to independent reporting.

More importantly, empower whistleblowers who risk everything to reveal the hidden machinations of power. Support organizations that protect and advocate for those who speak out, ensuring they have the resources and safety to share what they know.

The pressure must remain relentless, because silence only emboldens those who prioritize personal gain over public good. Together, we can hold this administration to the standards it claims to uphold, ensuring that the “forgotten Americans” are not just a campaign slogan, but a priority in action.