There are 69 days left before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in and he begins choosing the team that will lead his White House — providing insight into what campaign promises will be his priorities.

At the top of the list seems to be immigration and the Great Deportation. That will be followed by the dismantling of the Department of Education and the weakening of the Environmental Protection Agency. That all comes from a series of videos and statements released on his own Truth Social and other social media platforms.

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

A bright spot?

If the past few days have brought any glimmer of hope for democracy, which I believe is still in jeopardy, it is the appointment of Susie Wiles as Trump’s chief of staff.

Political writer Michael Kruse wrote an extensive profile of Wiles in April that is worth reading. Wiles is a longtime Republican operative whose resume goes back before Reagan (she served as his White House planner) and has a good reputation on both sides of the aisle. She is not politically fanatical about the issues — immigration, LGBTQ+ rights, deregulation — that have animated the MAGA base and that other Trump acolytes are pushing for.

While many have struggled to understand why a non-MAGA Republican like her has sided with Trump, the proof is in the pudding, as they say. Because she’s here: Trump named her his chief of staff.

That makes her one of the most powerful people in the country, in a role never before held by a woman. Perhaps her reasoning is as simple as taking power when it is offered. Only Wiles knows.

But despite playing a major role in Trump’s victory, there is a chance her influence could have a dampening effect on his agenda because she has historically lacked the far-right ideology that drives the rest of Trump’s inner circle.

Regardless, that will remain my hope until proven otherwise.

The great deportation

One place where it is clear that Trump’s campaign promises will not be tempered is around immigration. Trump has made two major appointments on the issue: Stephen Miller, formerly of Santa Monica, is reportedly his choice for deputy chief of staff; and former acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Thomas Homan has been chosen as Trump’s “border czar.”

An ally of Trump since before his first term, Miller has been clear about his views on immigration and what makes a true and valuable American. He is not only in favor of the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, but also of revoking the citizenship of naturalized citizens. Unlike Wiles, Miller’s extreme positions appear to be a badge of honor, and an agenda he has been waiting a long time to implement.

Homan is the instrument of that implementation, a sledgehammer designed to destroy the vulnerable communities and economies where undocumented immigrants live, with California at the top of that list. Homan chaired the family separations committee during the last Trump term.

While Trump – and Homan – have said those with criminal records would be targeted first, he has also said that “no one is off the table” and that he will lead the “largest deportation operation this country has ever seen.” That includes workplace raids.

It could also include an attempt to withhold federal funds from cities, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, that provide sanctuary to undocumented residents, spreading the pain to all Americans as a way 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 that would work, it wouldn’t be surprising — especially since Elon Musk appears to have gone from megadonor to confidant.

You may know that Musk has an estranged transgender child. He has publicly said that he considers this child dead because he was killed by the “woke mind virus.” For the record: Vivian Jenna Wilson is alive and well, and a few days ago she called her father a “delusional and grubby little control freak” for his views that try to undermine her existence.

But Musk has made no secret of the fact that, in addition to dismantling federal departments to cut trillions from the budget (let alone the services like Medicaid or Social Security that these workers administer), he is waging a war on the rights of transgenders. So expect his new best friend Trump to help with that.

It’s the training, stupid

Trump has also promised immediate action on education in recent days, dismantling the Department of Education (and “bringing back” prayer in schools, which has actually been non-existent since the separation of church and state, but a major is part of Christian nationalism). . The DOE, of course, oversees civil rights in schools – that’s not just a matter of race or gender. Special education services may also be affected.

And (surprise), the DOE also oversees Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in school sports. Guess how that will be interpreted?

Trump wants to dump education issues on the states while allowing “school choice,” which is shorthand for allowing private schools, including religious schools, to take public money — eroding the public education system by draining its funding.

Remember Betsy DeVos, his education secretary the first time? DeVos recently said she would be willing to return to help dismantle the department. Vivek Ramaswamy is another name floating around for the role, and he makes DeVos look moderate when it comes to this issue.

Climate problems

Last but not least, Trump announced the appointment of former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to head the Environmental Protection Agency, which will soon be renamed the DBD Division. That’s Drill, Baby, Drill. At Zeldin’s announcement, Trump promised rapid deregulation across the board, including opening federally protected land to private companies, from drilling to construction.

What else you should read:

The must read: Trump’s border czar promises ‘many more’ deportations than first term
What’s next: California is methodically counting as home control hangs in the balance
The LA Times special: Newsom heads to DC to lobby for California’s wish list before Trump takes over

Stay golden,
Anita Chabria

PS What do you want from me? No really, what is this newsletter for? Now that the elections are over, we are considering the future of this political newsletter and I would like to hear your thoughts. Do we stay focused on the White House? Should we be looking more at how a Trump presidency will affect California and how California will respond? Do we leave the national mess behind and focus on California and our politics here in the Golden State?

Send me a message ([email protected]) and let me know what you think.

Has this newsletter been forwarded to you? Sign up here to receive it in your inbox.