President-elect Donald Trump made his first major public appearance since winning the 2024 election at a conservative conference in Phoenix.
According to the New York Post, Trump declared his intention to launch "the largest deportation operation in American history" immediately upon taking office on January 20, 2025, while also suggesting a potential reversal of TikTok's ban.
Trump outlined his plans at the Turning Point Action's AmericaFest conference, emphasizing immediate executive actions to address border security and illegal immigration. He appointed Tom Homan as his border czar designee to oversee the massive deportation initiative, which he claims will surpass the scale of operations conducted during President Dwight D. Eisenhower's administration.
The president-elect's stance on TikTok has notably shifted since his previous administration. After meeting with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew at Mar-a-Lago, Trump expressed interest in preserving the platform's presence in the United States. This marks a significant departure from his earlier position when he attempted to ban the app through executive order during his first term.
The social media platform has until January 19, 2025, to either divest from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance or be removed from U.S. app stores. Trump's newfound support for TikTok appears to have been influenced by the platform's role in his campaign success with younger voters and possibly by GOP donor Jeff Yass's investments in the company.
Trump stated at the conference:
I think we're going to have to start thinking about TikTok. We did go on TikTok. We had a great response with billions of views…and it was so beautiful to see. I said, we got to keep this sucker around a little while.
Trump introduced plans for an extensive public awareness campaign targeting the fentanyl crisis, comparing it to the scale of a presidential campaign. The initiative aims to address the synthetic opioid epidemic that claimed nearly 74,000 lives in 2022, according to CDC data.
The president-elect's strategy includes pressuring international leaders through tariffs to combat the flow of precursor chemicals. His administration plans to focus on highlighting the devastating physical effects of drug use to deter consumption.
Trump delivered his message about the proposed anti-drug campaign:
We're going to do very big advertising campaigns, just like a campaign for running for president. We spend a lot of money. We're going to advertise how bad drugs are for you…They ruin your looks, they ruin your face, they ruin your skin and ruin your teeth. If you want to have horrible teeth, take a lot of fentanyl. You want to have skin that looks so terrible, take fentanyl.
Trump's first major rally since winning the 2024 election attracted prominent conservative figures, including Senator Ted Cruz, former Representative Matt Gaetz, and border czar designee Tom Homan. The event showcased the administration's priorities and potential policy directions.
Trump also addressed concerns about the Panama Canal, expressing frustration with what he perceives as unfair treatment of U.S. interests. He emphasized America's historical investment in the canal's operation and suggested immediate action to address these grievances.
The gathering served as a platform for Trump to reinforce his campaign promises while introducing new policy considerations that could shape his upcoming term.
President-elect Donald Trump's appearance at the AmericaFest conference in Phoenix revealed his immediate priorities upon returning to office in January 2025. The former president outlined an ambitious agenda centered on immigration enforcement, drug policy reform, and a potential shift in technology regulation, particularly regarding TikTok. These initiatives, combined with international policy adjustments involving Panama and border security measures, suggest significant changes in both domestic and foreign policy during the early days of his second administration.
