The Trump presidency is taking shape. Immigration is at the forefront

There are 69 days left until President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in, and he is beginning to select the team that will run his White House — giving insight into what campaign promises will be his priorities.

Immigration and the great deportation seem to be at the top of the list. This will be followed by the dismantling of the Ministry of Education and the weakening of the Environmental Protection Agency. All of this is evident from a series of videos and statements posted on his own Truth Social and other social media platforms.

Oh, and unity. He wants to unite the country. So let’s take a closer look at what exactly unity might look like.

A ray of hope?

If the last few days have brought any glimmer of hope for the democracy that I still maintain is in danger, it is the appointment of Susie Wiles as Trump’s chief of staff.

Political journalist Michael Kruse wrote a comprehensive profile of Wiles in April that is worth a read. A longtime Republican activist whose resume predates Reagan (she served as his dispatcher in the White House), Wiles enjoys a strong reputation on both sides of the aisle. She is not politically passionate about any of the issues — immigration, LGBTQ+ rights, deregulation — that have energized the MAGA base and that are driving other Trump supporters.

Although many find it difficult to understand why a non-MAGA Republican like her would join Trump, the evidence is clear, as they say. Because here she is – Trump has appointed her as his chief of staff.

This makes her one of the most powerful people in the country, in a role that no woman has ever held before. Perhaps their argument is as simple as seizing power when offered. Only Wiles knows.

But while she was instrumental in Trump’s victory, there is a possibility that her influence on his agenda could have a dampening effect, given that she has historically lacked the far-right ideology that drives the rest of Trump’s inner circle.

At least that remains my hope until proven otherwise.

The great deportation

One point where it is clear that there will be no weakening of Trump’s campaign promises is immigration. Trump has made two key appointments on this issue: Stephen Miller, formerly of Santa Monica, is reportedly his nominee for deputy chief of staff; and former acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Thomas Homan was chosen as Trump’s “border czar.”

Miller has been an ally of Trump since before his first term and has made his views clear on immigration and what makes an American a real and valuable American. He has advocated not only for the mass deportation of undocumented people, but also for stripping the citizenship of naturalized citizens. Unlike Wiles, Miller’s extreme positions appear to be a badge of honor and an agenda he has long waited to implement.

Homan is the tool for this implementation, a sledgehammer intended to devastate the fragile communities and economies where undocumented people exist, with California at the top of that list. Homan presided over family separations during the last Trump term.

Although Trump – and Homan – have stated that those with criminal records would be targeted first, he also said that “no one is off the table” and that he will carry out the “largest deportation operation this country has ever seen.” This also includes raids on workplaces.

That could include trying to withhold federal funding from cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco that provide havens for undocumented residents and expanding the pain to include all Americans to break the political will to resist.

The shadow force

Trump has also promised swift executive orders banning transgender people from participating in women’s sports. While it’s unclear exactly how this would work, it wouldn’t be surprising — especially since Elon Musk appears to have gone from mega-donor to confidant.

As you may know, Musk has a transgender child from whom he is estranged. He has publicly stated that he believes this child is dead, having been killed by the “Wake Mind Virus.” For the record, Vivian Jenna Wilson is alive and well, and a few days ago she called her father a “delusional and sleazy little control freak” for his views aimed at undermining her existence.

But Musk has made it no secret that in addition to dismantling federal departments to cut trillions from the budget (not to mention the services like Medicaid and Social Security that administer these workers), he is waging a war on transgender rights . So expect his new best friend Trump to help with that.

It’s up to education, stupid

In recent days, Trump has also promised immediate action on education, dismantling the Department of Education (and “bringing back” prayer in schools), which hasn’t really played a role since the separation of church and state, but is a big part of Christian nationalism is). . The DOE, of course, monitors civil rights in schools – this is not just an issue of race or gender. Special education offerings could also be affected.

And (surprisingly), the DOE also oversees Title IX, which prohibits gender discrimination in school sports. Guess how this is interpreted?

Trump wants to shift education issues to the states and at the same time allow “school choice,” a shorthand term for allowing private schools, including religious ones, to use public money – and thereby undermine the public education system by depriving it of resources.

Remember Betsy DeVos, his education secretary the first time around? DeVos recently said she would be willing to come back to help gut the department. Vivek Ramaswamy is another name being floated for the role, and he makes DeVos seem like a moderate on the issue.

Climate problems

Finally, Trump announced the appointment of former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to head the Environmental Protection Agency, soon to be renamed the DBD Division. This is drill, baby, drill. When Trump announced Zeldin, he promised rapid deregulation across the board, which could include opening federally protected lands to private companies, from drilling to construction.

What else you should read:

The required reading: Trump’s border czar promises “a hell of a lot more” deportations than in his first term
What’s next: California counts methodically as home control is at stake
The LA Times Special: Newsom heads to DC to advocate for California’s wish list before Trump takes power

Stay golden,
Anita Chabria

PS: What do you want from me? No really, what is this newsletter supposed to be about? With the election over, we’re thinking about the future of this political newsletter and I’d like to hear your thoughts. Do we continue to focus on the White House? Should we take a closer look at how a Trump presidency will impact California and how California will respond? Do we look beyond the national chaos and focus on California and our politics here in the Golden State?

Write me an email ([email protected]) and let me know what you think.

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