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29 January 2025
Trump team takes shape
So far, President Trump has secured six Senate approvals for his cabinet. Marco Rubio was confirmed as Secretary of State, followed by Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense, John Ratcliffe as CIA Director, Kristi Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security, Scott Bessent as Secretary of the Treasury and Sean Duffy as Secretary of Transportation.
Echoing the initial spate of executive orders from President Trump, immigration was an immediate priority for Secretary Hegseth and Secretary Noem. In one of his first actions, Hegseth deployed 1,600 active-duty Marines to the US-Mexico border to support troops already there. Noem, who now oversees US Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (in addition to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and US Secret Service), immediately homed in on immigration as the top priority. In a statement, she said, “One of my top priorities is achieving President Trump’s mandate from the American people to secure our southern border and fix our broken immigration system.”
While much of the Trump team’s bandwidth has focused on closing borders, Secretary Rubio has been focused on strengthening America’s position abroad. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong was very positive after her first formal talks with her US counterpart on the sidelines of a Quad foreign ministers' meeting, but Rubio has already ruffled feathers in China following his comments on Taiwan.
Stay tuned…new look coming soon
The US administration is changing and so is the 47th. Stay tuned for a new title and new look, coming soon. This newsletter will continue to deliver weekly insights on the latest US news and politics straight to your inbox. It will be your playbook to help navigate the next four years.
NEWS WRAP
Tariffs and tensions in Trump's first weeks
Tariffs trump resistance | In his first major confrontation with another country, President Trump threatened steep tariffs on Colombian goods when the country refused to accept two planes of repatriated migrants. The Colombian Government quickly backed down with Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo saying they had “overcome the impasse with the US.” READ HERE
DeepSeek disruption | Some of former president Biden’s final acts in office centred on restricting Chinese AI development, but Chinese-owned AI company DeepSeek has rapidly become one of the most prominent players. President Trump called the 3% drop in the NASDAQ a “wake-up call” and emphasised the need for the US “to win.” READ HERE
Court blocks sudden aid freeze | Hours after the White House declared a pause in up to US$3 trillion in government aid while the administration conducts an ideological review, a federal judge temporarily halted the move, citing the need to confirm spending aligned with new executive orders. READ HERE
Special Counsel prosecutors fired | On Monday, acting Attorney General James McHenry fired more than a dozen Justice Department prosecutors who worked under Special Counsel Jack Smith on the criminal investigations into President Trump. A statement to Fox News said the acting AG “does not trust these officials to assist in faithfully implementing the President’s agenda.” READ HERE
Caroline Kennedy issues RFK warning | Former US Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy wrote to senators ahead of her cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s first confirmation hearing on Wednesday. She exhorted them not to confirm him, saying he was a “predator” and listed various ways in which he lies, cheats and is “addicted to attention and power.” READ HERE
"It’s no surprise that he keeps birds of prey as pets because he himself is a predator."
Former US Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy on RFK | 28 January 2025
BY THE NUMBERS
39 executive orders and counting
President Trump has embraced his return to the presidency with gusto, delivering on a number of his campaign promises through executive orders in his first week and a half in office. In his first term, he had only signed six executive orders in his first nine days, just one ahead of President Obama. In his second term, he signed 26 orders on his first day alone and has now signed a total of 39, 14 more than President Biden, who had signed four times more than his two predecessors.
Executive orders are a fast and powerful tool the president has. As Research Associate Samuel Garrett wrote, “The instantaneous and dramatic nature of executive orders are, therefore, an attractive option for Trump. He can show he is taking steps to fulfil his election promises while buying himself time to figure out thornier issues.” In his first swathe of executive actions, President Trump undid 78 Biden-era orders. Unlike in his first term, President Trump knows their unique role and is taking full advantage of the power of the presidency.
Geopolitical trends to watch in 2025
On Monday, 20 January 2025, President-elect Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States. He has said he’ll end the war in Ukraine before he takes office and war continues to escalate in the Middle East. Australia itself will host a federal election in 2025 which may shift international relationships.
What sort of impact would Trump’s economic, trade, and technology policies have on Australian businesses? How do the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East impact the Indo-Pacific? What are the key international watch points for Australia in 2025?
To discuss these issues and provide a briefing on geopolitical trends and what they mean for government and business, United States Studies Centre (USSC) CEO Dr Michael Green and Director of Economic Security Hayley Channer will host a public briefing followed by audience Q&A.
Dr Michael Green and Hayley Channer are also leaders of the University of Sydney | Sydney Executive Plus+ Geopolitics and business sprint. Registrations now open for the 20 March – 03 April 2025 cohort. Download a sprint outline here.
WHEN
6:00-7:00pm AEDT
Thursday, 30 January 2025
WHERE
The Michael Spence Building (F23) at the Corner of Eastern Avenue and City Road, The University of Sydney
COST
Free, but registration is essential
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United States Studies Centre
Institute Building H03
University of Sydney NSW 2006
