A second Trump term could quickly expand the protectionist policies he began during his first presidency by implementing 10% tariffs on all imported goods.
Countries that impose tariffs on U.S. imports would face higher retaliatory tariffs. Meanwhile, trade ties with Beijing would be significantly reduced by the phasing out of Chinese electrical, steel and pharmaceutical products.
Chinese companies would also face “aggressive new restrictions” on their access to US critical infrastructure. Mr Trump’s supporters say it would eliminate the US trade deficit. Critics say it could cause global economic instability and harm American households.
Mr. Trump’s hardline approach to crime includes appointing prosecutors to investigate elected, liberal prosecutors who he says are not doing enough to fight crime in blue states.
His tough approach to crime extends to human traffickers and drug dealers, for whom he has threatened the death penalty, while suggesting that store looters could be “shot” on sight.
Mr. Trump also pledged to ban the sprawling homeless encampments that have become a feature of some of the largest cities and move some to “vast open plots of cheap land.”
Foreign dignitaries and analysts on Washington’s diplomatic circuit are bracing for a more emboldened Mr. Trump if he takes power in November.
NATO options
It was his promise to “fundamentally reevaluate” NATO that raised fears among America’s closest allies that he could withdraw from the transatlantic alliance.
A northern European diplomat stationed in the US capital said he had spoken of an “apocalyptic” scenario in his diplomatic cables. “When (the Trump administration) entered the Oval Office in 2017, they had no idea what to do with it. But this will not happen again,” the diplomat said.
Less drastic options continue to sow panic among allies. Robert O’Brien, a former national security adviser who remains in regular contact with Mr. Trump, said he could impose tariffs on NATO members that fail to meet their 2% commitment on defense spending.
But as many as eight European diplomats say privately that they doubt Mr. Trump himself will honor certain alliance defense commitments, such as Article Five.
It is Ukraine that has shaken its allies the most, with Mr. Trump at the forefront of Republican skepticism about the financial burden of the war. He suggested during his election campaign that he might demand that Europe reimburse Washington for munitions used so far in the conflict.
Mr Trump said he could end Russia’s war in Ukraine within 24 hours by negotiating a deal with Vladimir Putin. He declined to give further details, but foreign policy analysts say any deal could result in considerable territorial gains for Moscow.
Harry Kazianis, a national security expert who has previously advised Republican presidential campaigns, rejected the idea of a 24-hour deal. He said the only deal Mr Trump could hope to push through would be a “frozen conflict” like the Korean War, with “neither side really admitting that the lines are frozen where they are”.
He says Mr. Trump’s threats to cut off funding to Ukraine are unlikely to come to fruition, given political pressure from his fellow Republicans. “He would understand the damage he would do to his presidency,” Mr. Kazianis said.
Mr Trump was a strong supporter of Israel during his presidency, moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and brokering deals between Israel and its regional neighbors.
He reiterated his support for the country in its war against Hamas, but he also criticized Benjamin Netanyahu.
Mr. Kazianis, senior director for national security affairs at the Center for the National Interest, said Mr. Trump would impose fewer limits than the Biden administration on Israeli demands, proposing increased deliveries of F-35s and other aircraft of fight.