President-elect Donald Trump has won the popular and Electoral College vote, setting him up to be the 47th president of the United States and the second President ever to win a second non-consecutive term. Seven battleground or swing states were uncertain before the election and the Trump campaign has officially won all of them, giving him 312 electoral votes.
Thirty-three Senate seats were up for election. Enough of these races have been called to confirm that the Republican party will have a majority in the Senate. Returns are trending for the Republican party to win a majority of the 435 seats in the House of Representatives.
This means that when Trump takes the oath in January, he will likely do so with a Republican majority in both the U.S. House and Senate. These outcomes beg an important question: Has a political party ever had simultaneous majority control of the executive and legislative branches? The answer is yes.
In 2021, the Pew Research Center dug into this question and analyzed past election outcomes. President Biden, President-Elect Trump, Former President Obama, and Former President Clinton all entered office with their party as the majority in the legislature. This majority rule lasted only a short time in most cases, with midterm elections resulting in a change in control of one or both of the Congressional chambers.
The threat of midterm changes puts pressure on new administrations to act swiftly to deliver on campaign promises. It is also common for winning campaigns to claim an “electoral mandate,” or in other words, a directive by the people to advance the candidate’s agenda.
Whether or not the 2024 election results constitute a mandate from the American people may be up for interpretation and debate, but there is no doubt a Republican majority in Congress will make it easier for the Trump administration to implement policy changes.
Policy Priorities of the Trump Administration
Trump’s platform outlines several of the changes that he will likely act on once he is inaugurated. Key highlights include:
- Immigration: Trump has promised to prioritize increasing border security and decreasing illegal immigration through deportation. For more on the administration’s stance, JD Vance spoke to the concern surrounding increasing deportations in the Vice Presidential Debate.
- Economy and Trade: Tariffs will be the instrument of choice to increase domestic manufacturing and stimulate the economy. Trump has also stated his plans to leverage tariffs as a tool to encourage Mexico to cooperate on immigration issues.
- Energy: Nuclear is the anticipated path forward to keep up with super-computing energy demands.
- Foreign Policies: Trump has detailed foreign policy priorities, being vocal about his support for Israel in the conflicts with Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran. His platform also describes specific actions that will be taken to reduce China’s influence in the U.S. and the international community.
Each of these topics could be individually discussed at length. Access The Policy Circle’s Brief Library, where you can read more in-depth overviews on the Executive Branch, Economic Growth, Immigration, Trade and Tariffs, Energy, Foreign Policy, and more.
Leadership & Appointments
Just two days after the election, President-elect Trump announced his White House Chief of Staff as Susie Wiles, the first woman ever to hold this influential position. Elise Stefanik is also set to be the next UN Ambassador. Identifying the next administration’s leaders will be a key focus during the transition.
Many of the presidential appointments (approximately 1,200) require Senate confirmation. These include administrative and judicial positions, such as:
- Secretaries and executive leadership of the 15 Cabinet agencies;
- Justices of the Supreme Court, U.S. Attorneys and U.S. Marshals;
- Directors in regulatory and select non-regulatory agencies;
- Ambassadors to foreign nations.
President-elect Trump will most likely find it easier to see his appointments approved quickly, as a result of the Senate Republican majority.
What’s Next
The final step in the path to the presidency is the Electoral College vote that will convene in December to formally elect President Donald J. Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance.
Inauguration Day is January 20, 2025.
