How a 'cavalcade of supporters' could make Trump’s second term radically different from his first

16 January

Less than a week from now — on Monday, January 6, 2025 — Donald Trump will once again become president of the United States. And he will return to the White House with small Republican majorities in both branches of Congress as well as a 6-3 GOP-appointee supermajority on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Senate confirmation hearings have already been held for some of Trump's presumptive nominees, including former Fox News host Pete Hegseth (Trump's pick for defense secretary) and former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi (the president-elect's choice for U.S. attorney general).

In an article published on January 16, The Hill's Brett Samuels lays out some reasons why Trump's second term could have a greater impact than his first.

"This Trump knows more about how Washington works," Samuels explains. "Trump 1.0 wanted to change Washington, but Trump 2.0 is set up better to succeed. And the president-elect is equipped with a highly capable chief of staff in Susie Wiles, who has infused more discipline into his operation…. Trump's team retains its outsider appeal, and the frenzy that was a defining element of Trump's first term is unlikely to disappear. But it's also a team with more insiders who can reach into the halls of American power."

Samuels continues, "One of Trump's top allies now is tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, the richest person in the world. Other tech and business titans, including Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg, are signaling they want to work with Trump, underscoring how the next four years won't be like the president-elect's first four in office."

Sean Spicer, the first of four White House press secretaries during Trump's first term, stresses that the president-elect is in a much different "environment" than he was eight years ago.

Spicer told The Hill, "When it comes to the three big things — the people, the process and the priorities — these guys are in a totally different league than we were in 2016…. It's not just lessons learned. It has to do with the environment."

Samuels notes that in 2017, Trump "frequently clashed with" then-House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) — whereas in 2025, he has an "established relationship with" Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana).

"Trump has also met, in recent weeks ,with Republicans in the Senate and House to ensure he has the full backing of the GOP upon taking office," Samuels observes. "And he'll have a cavalcade of outside supporters pushing his agenda, in the form of think tanks, conservative media influencers and powerful allies such as Musk, who has already hinted he could use his enormous wealth and megaphone to pressure Republicans who do not back Trump's agenda."

Samuels adds, "Taken together, these factors amount to a second Trump term that will feature many of the same players but look drastically different in its ability to implement his agenda, especially in its early days."

Read The Hill's full article at this link.

From Your Site Articles