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During his last year in office, Trump tried to institute an executive order that would reclassify civil servants as akin to political appointees. Jabin Botsford/AP

Will Trump’s Most Radical Ideas Be on a Fast Track?

Trump’s deregulatory agenda hit some snags the first time. Now, former administration officials say he’ll move swiftly to reshape the federal government.

During his last year in office, Trump tried to institute an executive order that would reclassify civil servants as akin to political appointees. Jabin Botsford/AP

Donald Trump and Republicans have promised to roll back the Biden administration’s aggressive environmental regulations, repeal landmark pieces of legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act and fire longtime civil servants.

Lobbyists, experts and former Trump administration officials told NOTUS that they expect these changes to be top priorities come January. Trump, they said, will easily thwart Democrats’ efforts to safeguard against a radical reshaping of the executive branch.

“The new Trump administration will have the chance to finish off some of the things they tried to do the first time,” said Daren Bakst, the director of the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Center for Energy and Environment. “People are aware of the problems that existed last time. I think that they will be better able to hit the ground running and start achieving their objectives.”