President-elect Donald Trump’s final months before taking office have been filled with key moves, even before officially stepping into the role. While President Joe Biden has remained largely out of the public eye, Trump has used his Mar-a-Lago estate as a sort of “shadow White House,” where he has been meeting with foreign leaders, U.S. politicians, and business magnates to advance his agenda.
One of Trump’s major moves was pressuring Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. After Trump suggested imposing tariffs on Canada, Trudeau quickly visited Mar-a-Lago. The meeting didn’t go well, with Canadian media mocking it. Trump even made jokes about Trudeau being the “governor” of Canada. This, along with Trump’s idea of making Canada the 51st U.S. state, led to Trudeau’s approval rating plummeting, and he announced plans to resign soon after.
In the tech world, Trump had a notable win against digital censorship. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, and Facebook announced that it would stop working with fact-checkers, instead using a user-driven correction system. This followed Facebook’s suspension of Trump’s account after the January 6, 2021 incident at the Capitol. Also, several big tech companies, like Google and Amazon, donated significant amounts to Trump’s inauguration fund, showing strong support for his return to power.
Some Democrats have also aligned themselves with Trump’s key policies. For instance, Senator John Fetterman from Pennsylvania and Representative Jared Moskowitz from Florida have worked with Trump on issues like immigration reform. Fetterman co-sponsored a bill to detain illegal immigrants accused of serious crimes, while Moskowitz has supported Trump’s initiative to streamline government bureaucracy.
Trump also secured massive investments during his transition, including deals worth billions from foreign companies like SoftBank and DAMAC Properties. He used these investments as part of his strategy to encourage business in the U.S. by cutting red tape for investors.
On the international front, Trump has unveiled plans to acquire foreign territories, including Greenland and the Panama Canal, citing their importance for U.S. economic and military interests. He has suggested using economic pressure or even military force to achieve these goals.
Trump’s transition period has certainly set the stage for his upcoming presidency, as he works to shape his agenda and build support across the country and the world.
