Years of meticulous planning are behind the efforts to stand up a professionalized administration for a possible second term of Donald Trump. The America First Policy Institute (AFPI), a conservative think tank filled with Trump loyalists, has been working diligently outside the official Trump campaign to ensure a seamless transition, should Trump win in November. Their goal: to undo President Joe Biden’s legacy swiftly and efficiently, avoiding the chaos that characterized Trump’s first term.
AFPI’s Role in Trump’s Transition Planning
AFPI has taken on the crucial task of transition planning, a role that is typically within the purview of the campaign itself. However, with the Trump campaign’s transition efforts lagging behind schedule, AFPI’s work has become indispensable. The think tank’s CEO, Brooke Rollins, has maintained a close relationship with Trump and has discussed these transition plans with him, ensuring the former president is aware of their efforts.
Kellyanne Conway, former Trump adviser and chair of AFPI’s Center for the American Child, emphasized the think tank’s dedication: “Linda McMahon, Brooke Rollins, and the team have planned with precision and executed with put-your-head-down type humility.”
Deregulation and Strategic Focus
A key focus of AFPI’s preparations is deregulating the federal government and limiting its reach. The think tank has conducted over 1,000 interviews with former administration officials, analyzed every Biden administration executive order, and drafted more than 100 proposed executive actions. Their comprehensive approach includes detailed plans for federal departments, with an emphasis on policies that can be implemented swiftly from day one of a potential Trump second term.
Lobbyist Influence and Strategic Planning
Lobbyists have taken note of AFPI’s influence, directing clients to engage with the think tank to shape its policy agenda. Despite being a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, which prevents it from supporting a specific candidate, AFPI’s deep connections with Trump and his allies have made it a critical player in transition planning. The think tank’s efforts have been described as working from the bottom up, ensuring that the right personnel and policies are in place early on to avoid the pitfalls of Trump’s first term.
AFPI’s Strategic Goals
The think tank’s broad agenda includes deregulation, greater rights for religious groups, an aggressive crackdown on crime, and increased oil and gas production. AFPI also supports the completion of the border wall, making Trump’s tax cuts permanent, and declaring Antifa a domestic terrorist group. Their research goes deep into management, personnel, policy, financial, and administrative strategies, all with the aim of ensuring a smoother start to a potential Trump administration.
Trump Campaign’s Transition Plans
Despite the significant role of AFPI, the Trump campaign has also announced its own transition leadership team. In mid-August, Trump named Linda McMahon and Howard Lutnick as co-leads of the transition effort, with his sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., and running mate Sen. JD Vance as honorary co-chairs. Recently, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard were also added as honorary co-chairs, though their influence on personnel or policy remains unclear.
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