Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States in Tuesday night’s election, beating expectations in many battleground states.
Obviously, Texas was not considered a battleground state in this election, and Trump’s victory in the state was decided fairly quickly.
SEE ALSO: How Donald Trump won Texas and beat 2024 election predictions
A majority of Texans support the incoming Trump administration, and now that the election is in the rearview mirror, it’s worth asking what the next four years will actually look like.
KPRC 2’s Michael Horton spoke with Rice University political science professor Mark Jones to find out what the next president’s administration will mean for Texans.
Michael Horton: How do you think the outcome of this election will most impact Texans?
Mark Jones: So the difference between Donald Trump in the White House and Kamala Harris in the White House is pretty dramatic in terms of their policies, both domestic policy and foreign policy, but also very much in terms of their styles. There are also different points.
In terms of policy effects, this is highly consequential for Texas voters, with more conservative policies being maintained or promoted rather than the more progressive policies they would have seen from Harris. It’s going to happen. Things like government spending, student loan forgiveness, and limits on oil and natural gas.
As you know, from a policy perspective, a Harris administration would have pursued far more progressive policies, not only on economic issues but also on social issues, whereas a Trump administration may adopt conservative policies. There are many points where it is likely to be higher. Policies related to social and economic issues.
As a result, the Departments of Education and Justice under the Harris administration will be deeply involved in promoting transgender rights and broader diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, for example. Under the Trump administration, the Department of Education and Attorney General will likely push back against national efforts to advance DEI and transgender rights.
Michael Horton: With last night’s Senate victory leaning to the right, do you think that will make this presidency different than his first term?
Mark Jones: A lot depends on how Republicans approach the filibuster. Ironically, because just days ago Democrats were claiming that one of the first things they would consider if Kamala Harris were to win and take control of the Senate would be to abolish the filibuster. But I think Democrats are now having second thoughts.
I think there are still enough Republicans who understand the value of introducing and protecting the filibuster in terms of putting limits on the executive branch, and who think it’s unlikely they’ll get rid of it. But that doesn’t mean the minority might find new and creative ways to tone it down a bit, a trend Chuck Schumer started when he was Senate majority leader a while ago.
Finally, looking back at the first Trump administration, if there is one thing Trump did that was important for public policy, it was the appointment of three conservative justices to the U.S. Supreme Court. Moreover, not only are there three conservative judges, but there are also three relatively young conservative judges. There was a powerful influence between Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh.
It is very likely that President Trump will have the opportunity to appoint one or two more judges over the next four years. You know, there will probably be an incentive for some of the older conservative judges to retire while Trump still has a majority in the Senate. That would ensure that Republicans would retain one or more conservative judges, but instead of retaining them, they would be in their 40s or 50s instead of in their 70s.
Michael Horton: Have you heard anything about a Texas politician potentially running for executive office in the Trump administration? I saw Dan Patrick’s name being thrown around, along with Ken Paxton. It may happen.
MARK JONES: Obviously, Ken Paxton, Dan Patrick, Greg Abbott are high-profile, highly influential Texas politicians. I’m skeptical that they would actually prefer ministerial appointments to incumbents. When it comes to Abbott and Patrick in particular, Abbott is the most powerful Republican governor in the country, and Lieutenant Governor Patrick, between his presence and control of the Texas Senate, has tremendous influence over Texas politics and policy. have.
The only way we’ll see someone like Dan Patrick or Greg Abbott take the White House post is if they’ve already decided not to seek re-election in 2026, and that’s going to be the case to some degree. I think in a way it’s the swan song for their political career. As for Paxton, his name will come up, but if it gets to the point where it’s seriously considered, there’s probably going to be a lot of behind-the-scenes conversations with President Trump about why that’s not a good idea. .
But, there are other people too. I think we’ll probably focus more on the U.S. House of Representatives than we will on state government. I think someone like Michael McCall in particular would be a natural for, say, the Department of Homeland Security.
More from Mark Jones: Key races and voting issues in local elections: What’s at stake in Alvin ISD, Spring ISD and Sugar Land?
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