Gå ubegrenset med Magzter GOLD
Få ubegrenset tilgang til over 9000 magasiner, aviser og premiumhistorier for bare
Prøve GULL - Gratis
Who holds the power now? The new think-tanks whispering in Trump's ear
The Straits Times
|December 23, 2024
Economic nationalists and populists are sidelining conservative stalwarts and reshaping Republican policy.
WASHINGTON - The traditional conservative think-tanks that have shaped the contours of Republican administrations are being elbowed out in plain sight by a new breed of policy shops that are more closely aligned with Donald Trump's "America First" agenda.
The old guard were neoconservatives and free market devotees, espousing principles such as small government and fiscal prudence, and staffed by scholarly analysts who maintained a formal distance from the Republican Party.
Replacing them are economic nationalists and populists who regard the orthodox right-wing principles as deadweight and are combative defendants of Trump in the media.
Unquestionably at the top tier of think-tanks which have Trump's ears is the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), a congregation of Cabinet secretaries and other figures from his first term. They channel his agenda: restricting immigration, imposing tariffs and pushing for America's military superiority.
The AFPI is a newbie among policy shops, a three-year-old toddler compared with the other right-of-centre landmarks. The American Enterprise Institute (AEI) is 81 years old, the Heritage Foundation is 51, and Hoover all of 105.
Some of Trump's new appointees come from AFPI. Its chairperson Linda McMahon, the co-chair of Trump's transition team, is his pick for education secretary. Its president Brooke Rollins is his nominee for agriculture secretary. Ms Pam Bondi, chosen by Trump to be his attorney-general, has also worked closely with AFPI.
The other think-tank in Trump's orbit is American Compass, founded in 2020 as part of the "conservative labour movement" that advocates reshoring of supply chains, trade protectionism and labour policies with the purpose of boosting wages for American workers.
It won notice for a detailed road map for rescinding China's most-favoured-nation trade status and implementing a new tariff structure to reduce US dependence on Chinese imports.
Denne historien er fra December 23, 2024-utgaven av The Straits Times.
Abonner på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av kuraterte premiumhistorier og over 9000 magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
FLERE HISTORIER FRA The Straits Times
The Straits Times
More support for Al start-ups to scale faster under new partnership
It is part of plan to forge tie-ups that take ideas from S'pore to the world: DPM Gan
4 mins
October 30, 2025
The Straits Times
UPS cuts 48,000 jobs on fewer Amazon deliveries
NEW YORK - United Parcel Service (UPS) is cutting some 48,000 jobs as part of a major reorganisation connected to a planned reduction in delivery services for Amazon packages, company officials said on Oct 28.
1 min
October 30, 2025
The Straits Times
Child protection • Consider renaming agency to reinforce its enforcement role
A nation searches its soul over the brutal abuse and killing of four-year-old Megan Khung.
1 min
October 30, 2025
The Straits Times
S'pore investing in field of embodied Al
Of the two cohorts supported so far, six startups are based in Singapore, reflecting how local innovators are helping to shape the region's low-carbon transition, said DPM Gan.
2 mins
October 30, 2025
The Straits Times
KL's ban on raw rare earths exports remains despite US deal: Minister
KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia will maintain a ban on the export of raw rare earths to protect its domestic resources, despite signing a critical minerals deal with the US this week, the investment, trade and industry minister said on Oct 29.
1 min
October 30, 2025
The Straits Times
At least 132 killed in Brazil police raids in Rio ahead of COP30
Eighty-one arrested in operation described by state govt as largest to target major gang
2 mins
October 30, 2025
The Straits Times
Enlivening S’pore’s north, helping shops digitalise among ideas being studied by RTS Link task force
Rejuvenating neighbourhoods in Singapore’s north and supporting businesses through promotions and digitalisation are some plans being explored by a task force helping Singaporeans and local businesses seize opportunities from the upcoming Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link.
3 mins
October 30, 2025
The Straits Times
Nasa tests ‘quiet’ supersonic jet in quest for faster passenger air travel
- Nasa’s X-59 Quesst supersonic-but-quiet jet soared over the Southern California desert on Oct 28 in the first test flight of an experimental aircraft designed to break the sound barrier with little noise, paving the way for faster commercial air travel.
2 mins
October 30, 2025
The Straits Times
Repetitive dullness snuffs out A House Of Dynamite
A HOUSE OF DYNAMITE (M18) 115 minutes, available on Netflix ★★☆☆☆ The story: A missile, possibly armed with a nuclear payload, launches from Asia and is headed towards the United States. Impact is expected in minutes. In the White House situation room, Captain Walker (Rebecca Ferguson) tries to work out the origins of the launch and the reasons for it. At the same time, at a military command centre in Nebraska, General Brady (Tracy Letts) weighs his options. Walker and Brady report their findings to the US President (Idris Elba) and Secretary of Defence Baker (Jared Harris). As minutes tick by, officials are forced to consider the unthinkable: a retaliatory nuclear strike.
1 mins
October 30, 2025
The Straits Times
What Asean and buoyant Manchester United have in common
Years of underachievement, now a moment in the sun. For both, the hard part comes next.
4 mins
October 30, 2025
Listen
Translate
Change font size