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US Election 2016: What will happen if Donald Trump becomes President?

Donald Trump
Donald Trump

With polls tightening in America, it’s not far-fetched to say that Donald Trump could actually pull it out of the bag and become the next President of the United States.

The billionaire businessman and former star of the US Apprentice has been an extremely divisive candidate – even with the Republican Party he represents.

However, his popularity has not taken a nosedive and a ‘Shy Trump’ vote may push him over the line to stop Hillary Clinton becoming the first female President.

Controversial: Donald Trump would prove a divisive President (Rex)
Controversial: Donald Trump would prove a divisive President (Rex)

So what would the first part of a Trump Presidency look like – and what would happen in the first few weeks and months of his ascendancy to the most powerful man on the planet?

After the expected shockwave of Trump actually pulling off a win, he will become what is known as the ‘President Elect’ – effectively a President-in-waiting.

The quirks of the American voting system means that voters do not vote directly for the President – but for the persons who will make that choice, otherwise known as the Electoral College.

However, it is rare for the Electoral College election to result in a different candidate to the popular vote and so Trump can look forward to Inauguration Day on 20 January 2017 – when he would be sworn in as the leader of the free world.

And what will he do first? Already he has caused outrage with various policy positions – so how would America change once he settles down in the Oval Office?

One of the biggest causes of controversy during Trump’s campaign has been his stance on immigration.

Trump has repeatedly stated he wants to reduce the flow of immigrants into North America – particularly from Mexico – and said from “day one” he would start work on getting a wall built across the southern border.

And the £22 billion bill would land straight on the floor of the Mexican government, who Trump insists would be forced to pay.

Protests: Trump can expect opposition to policies like a wall on the Mexican border (Rex)
Protests: Trump can expect opposition to policies like a wall on the Mexican border (Rex)

However, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto has already stated that he “made clear” to Trump that Mexico would not be footing the bill.

The American Action Forum estimates a forceful immigration policy could cost the American economy up to £490 billion, and it would be opposed by Democrats.

Trump also said he wanted a temporary ban on all Muslims entering the country, although he seemed to soften the stance to countries “with a proven history of terrorism” – although this could still prove diplomatically tricky for America.

On the economy, Trump wants to create more jobs that he feels have been lost to countries in China in various trade deals.

However, he has not offered any specific policies on how he would do this – and lower-skilled positions are often filled by the immigrants he wants to stop from entering the country.

Policies: Many of Trump's views have already been opposed (Rex)
Policies: Many of Trump’s views have already been opposed (Rex)

As a Republican President, Trump has also stated that he would scrap the Affordable Care Act – otherwise known as ‘Obamacare’ – which was set up to give poorer people better access to healthcare.

However, Trump believes the policy is costing too much and wants to cut taxes – potentially leaving him with a shortfall in defence spending.

And while he may indeed cut taxes immediately for millions of Americans, there is no official word on how that shortfall in American finances would be made up in the future.

Money would also be reduced to abortion clinics, as Trump is Pro Life, provoking an expected storm from women and Pro Choice advocates.

Critics also fear a surge in women travelling to South America for abortions where standards and cleanliness are said to be lower than in the US.

Opposition: Trump's views on abortion and Obamacare have provoked fury (Rex)
Opposition: Trump’s views on abortion and Obamacare have provoked fury (Rex)

On foreign policy, Trump has made no bones about wanting to “bomb the s***” out of ISIS – however he has claimed to not want to jump straight into war, especially with it costing so much money.

Gay people may fear a Trump Presidency after he said he would look into overturning the law on same-sex marriages, saying: “As of this moment, I would say no and no to gay marriage and civil benefits.”

However, with such strong feelings about this issue and huge opposition from the LGBT community and the public as a whole, it is unlikely that he would be able to implement the turnaround.

Whatever happens if Trump does win, he can expect as bumpy a road during his Presidency as those who have to live with it.

Top pic: Rex