Friday Briefing

Republicans run the numbers on Trump's tax plans

On the campaign trail, Donald Trump proposed a variety of loosely defined tax cuts, which, after his election this week, will now face a fiscal reckoning in Washington.

During his first term, he signed a major tax package into law. Large parts of that tax cut expire at the end of 2025, setting up an expensive debate that could overshadow Trump’s other goals. Lawmakers and advisers are undecided about how much money they can commit to lowering the nation’s taxes again, when the cost of merely preserving the status quo is steep.

After his victory, Trump has shifted his focus to filling positions in his new administration with loyalists ready to deliver on his campaign promises. His expansive agenda would reshape government, foreign policy, national security, economics and domestic affairs as broadly as any modern president has before him.

Key appointment: Trump named Susie Wiles, the Florida strategist who has run his political operation for nearly four years, as his incoming White House chief of staff. She will be the first woman to hold the title.

Public health: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who Trump has suggested would have a “big role” in his second administration, wasted no time laying out potential measures he would oversee if given the chance.

Democrats: President Biden urged Americans to accept Trump’s election and vowed that there would be an orderly transfer of power. Members of his party are now struggling to explain Vice President Kamala Harris’s defeat, pointing to misinformation, the war in Gaza, a toxic Democratic brand and the party’s approach to transgender issues.