Donald Trump's 2024 Promise Ridiculed by Foreign Leader

Who wants less than half an hour to prove Donald Trump wrong?

A major world leader has recently poured cold water on one of Donald Trump's key presidential pledges. Read on for the full story, and find out why Trump's comments have earned him an overseas invitation.

All dollar amounts in US dollars.

Trump's pledge to end the Ukraine War in 24 hours

Agenda47, the suite of policies Donald Trump plans to introduce if he's reelected to the White House, includes a pledge to stop the conflict in Ukraine within 24 hours. The 45th has said several times that he would "end that war in one day," bragging that the deal "would be easy." In an interview on Fox News earlier this year, host Maria Bartiromo asked Trump how he planned to make good on his promise. In response, he said: "What I’m saying is that I know Zelensky very well, and I know Putin very well, even better. And I had a good relationship, very good, with both of them.

"I would tell Zelensky: 'No more. You got to make a deal.' I would tell Putin: 'If you don't make a deal, we're going to give them a lot. We're going to give them more than they ever got, if we have to."

Trump's pledge to end the Ukraine War in 24 hours

But not everybody was convinced. During an interview with ABC earlier this year, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said: "Well, it looks as if Donald Trump had already these 24 hours once in his time. We were at war, not a full-scale war, but we were at war, and as I assume, he had that time at his disposal, but he must have had some other priorities.

"If we are talking about ending the war at the cost of Ukraine, in other words to make us give up our territories, well, I think, in this way, Biden could have brought it to an end even in five minutes, but we would not agree."

Trump's pledge to end the Ukraine War in 24 hours

And now, Zelensky has gone further. In an interview with NBC's Meet the Press yesterday, the president said: “Former President Trump said that [in] about 24 hours, that he can manage it and finish the war. For me, what can I say? So he’s very welcome as well. President Biden was here [in February], and he — I think he understood some details which you can understand only being here. So, I invite President Trump.

“If he can come here, I will need 24 minutes — yes, 24 minutes. Not more. Yes. Not more — 24 minutes to explain [to] President Trump that he can't manage this war. He can't bring peace because of Putin."

Trump's pledge to end the Ukraine War in 24 hours

Zelensky added that he didn't know whether Ukraine could count on America's support if Donald Trump is re-elected, saying: "Really, I don't know. Really, I don't know." 

Trump previously drew fury for refusing to say whether he wanted Ukraine or Russia to win the war, telling CNN's Kaitlan Collins that "I don't think in terms of winning and losing... I want everybody to stop dying. They're dying. Russians and Ukrainians." The former POTUS has long been accused of siding with Putin on the political stage, so read on to discover another recent presidential pledge that's sparked criticism he's trying to "cozy" up to the Russian leader...

Will Trump take America out of NATO?

According to two sources quoted in Rolling Stone, Donald Trump will consider pulling the US out of NATO if he's elected in 2024. 

The 45th apparently wanted to leave NATO during his first term in the White House but was repeatedly dissuaded by senior administration officials. Now, Trump has announced he's considering downgrading America's involvement in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to a "standby" position, while ridding his second administration of "NATO lovers."

Trump is pictured here with former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the 2019 NATO summit in Watford, UK.

Will Trump take America out of NATO?

America has been a member of NATO since the organization was founded in 1949. And Trump is reportedly open to remaining in the alliance – providing it accepts his latest demands. 

These include the re-evaluation of the idea that an attack on one member nation represents an attack on all NATO members, as well as an order for non-US members to increase their defense spending. Current NATO targets state members should allocate 2% of their GDP to their defense budgets, but just seven of NATO's 30 members met this target last year. 

Reports have suggested Trump has misunderstood the nature of this target, however, with former US National Security Advisor John Bolton saying he "could never tell" whether the 45th fully understood the defense spending requirements. 

Will Trump take America out of NATO?

Unsurprisingly, Trump's threats to withdraw from NATO have not gone down well with everyone. Dr. Aaron Stein from the Foreign Policy Research Institute has described the idea as "a tremendously stupid endeavor, especially at a time when war in Europe rages, and much of Europe is looking to the United States to deter further conflict. Trading away allies based on ignorance, and Trump is ignorant about this issue, is just silly for broader U.S. national security.”

Ammar Moussa, campaign spokesperson for the Biden administration, agrees: "Donald Trump's threats to weaken NATO and side with Vladimir Putin undermine America's strength on the global stage and threaten our national security. As president, Donald Trump spent four years cozying up to dictators and making our country less safe."

Consider leaving NATO

Meanwhile, others have rallied around the former (and aspiring) POTUS. According to a former Trump administration official, Trump's inner circle discussed a policy brief called Pivoting the US Away from Europe to a Dormant NATO earlier this year. The paper, which apparently contained some ideas the former president "liked," came from a pro-Trump think tank called Center for Renewing America.

Dialing back America's involvement in NATO is just one in a string of controversial pledges. From paying parents to homeschool their kids to expanding the death penalty, read on to discover more policies Donald Trump hopes to introduce...

Expand travel bans

At a rally in Iowa last month, Donald Trump doubled down on his plans to limit immigration to the US, promising to "expand each and every one" of the travel bans enacted during his first term. These included blanket bans on refugees from Syria, Somalia, "and from all the most dangerous places in the world."

In response to the ongoing Hamas-Israel conflict, Trump said that refugees from Gaza wouldn't be allowed into the US if he were president. "We aren’t bringing in anyone from Gaza or Syria or Somalia or Yemen, or Libya, or anywhere else that threatens our security," he told the crowd in Iowa. 

"No longer will we allow dangerous lunatics, haters, bigots, and maniacs to get residency in our country. If you empathize with Radical Islamic terrorists and extremists, you’re DISQUALIFIED. If you want to abolish the state of Israel, you're DISQUALIFIED. If you support Hamas or the ideology behind Hamas, you're DISQUALIFIED. And if you're a Communist, Marxist, or Fascist, you are DISQUALIFIED." (It's not the first time Trump has pledged to ban Communists, Marxists or Fascists – more on that later.)

Start "the largest domestic deportation operation in American history"

And Trump doesn't just want to keep people out; he also wants to "aggressively" deport citizens who are already in the US. "Upon my inauguration, I will terminate every open borders policy of the Biden administration and begin the largest domestic deportation operation in American history, including all the illegal aliens from countries that hate us," he said.

Following the speech, Jaime Harrison, chair of the Democratic National Committee, accused Trump of "doubling down on the same Islamophobic rhetoric that has done nothing but sow chaos and breed violence."

Introduce a stop-and-frisk program

At the core of Trump's anti-crime agenda is the implementation of a stop-and-frisk program. (Stop-and-frisk is the practice of stopping and searching people for illegal items such as weapons.)

In a nod to his long-term ally, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, Trump has said: "You know, we had stop-and-frisk in New York, Rudy Giuliani did it incredibly... They did strong but fair stop-and-frisk. And it worked."

It's true that New York City crime rates plummeted during Giuliani's tenure, a fact often attributed to his aggressive anti-crime policies. But Trump has even more extreme ideas that he wants to implement "on a federal basis..."

Indemnify police officers

Most shocking, perhaps, is his plan to protect police officers from lawsuits, a proposal he outlined during an interview with Just the News.

“You're not allowed to do anything because [officers[ don't want to lose their family, their pension, their house, their wife," said Trump. "And they say, 'All right, look, we can't do anything.' They're told not to do anything."

He went on: "I'm going to indemnify any and all police officers from having a problem. Now people will say, well, that's bad, because some will be bad actors. But it's very few. [So] we're going to indemnify the police. We're going to indemnify the city. And we're going to indemnify the state." 

Shoot shoplifters

These proposals are all part of Trump's plan to "immediately stop all of the pillaging and theft." During a recent speech to Republicans in Anaheim, California, Trump revealed shoplifters should "fully expect to be shot as [they] are leaving that store." His pledge drew cheers from the crowd, prompting the former POTUS to repeat the word "shot" for emphasis.

It isn't the first time he's suggested imposing the death penalty on petty criminals (more on that later). Republicans in the Golden State have long bemoaned rising crime rates, leading some people to claim Trump's harsh remarks are an attempt to win back suburban voters in the Greater Los Angeles area.

"The word that they shoot you will get out within minutes and our nation, in one day, will be an entirely different place," he went on. "There must be retribution for theft and destruction and the ruination of our country."

Boost ethanol production

Donald Trump recently unveiled plans "to both increase Ethanol production in our own country and export ethanol all over the world," according to a press release on his website. This is part of his strategy to "rapidly restore American Energy Independence, and Energy dominance, with Iowa ethanol at the center of the action." Iowa is the largest ethanol producer in America, with more than 40 plants based in the state.

Trump's press release doesn't specify how he will increase production, but the motivation behind the pledge seems clear. He argues his Republican rival Ron DeSantis has repeatedly voted in support of legislation that would end the Renewable Fuel Standard, a law that requires renewable fuel – particularly corn starch ethanol – to be mixed into America's fuel supply. The Renewable Fuel Standard is reportedly "widely supported by the ethanol industry," suggesting Trump is keen to start brewing support in the state ahead of the Iowa caucuses on January 15.

Cancel electric vehicles

While the other Republican presidential candidates attended the second primary debate in late September, Trump instead went to Michigan to rally supporters during the ongoing United Auto Workers (UAW) strikes.

Speaking at the non-unionized auto part supplier Drake Enterprises, he told the crowd that auto workers will lose their jobs if the US continues to move to electric vehicles, adding that if elected he would ditch these plans. “Just get your union guys, your leaders, to endorse me and I will take care of the rest,” he promised. “Under a Trump presidency, gasoline engines will be allowed.”

Under the Biden administration, the federal government has set a goal to make half of all new vehicles sold in the US zero emission by 2030. But in a worrying sign for people concerned about climate change, Trump described his alternative to future industry trends, saying: "We will drill, baby, drill and it will have zero environmental difference.”

End boat speed restrictions

Earlier in September, speaking at a campaign event at a boat manufacturer in South Carolina, Trump vowed to eliminate “Biden’s ridiculous speed limit regulations” for boats. He was referring to a rule change proposed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to help protect the North Atlantic right whale, an endangered species vulnerable to getting caught in fishing nets and colliding with large boats.

Currently, the rule only impacts vessels 65 feet or longer, requiring them to slow down to 10 knots or 11.5 miles per hour within areas where right whales are known to exist. The agency is proposing expanding the restriction to any vessels 35 feet or longer, though Republicans in Congress have blocked the change.

In a recent speech, Trump accused the Biden administration of “trying to bludgeon the boating and maritime industry.” The former president has claimed only one whale has been killed by a speeding boat off the coast of South Carolina in 50 years. He added: “You have a better chance of being struck by lightning than hitting a whale with your boat.”

However, Trump promised that once he cancels all the speed limits, he also has a plan that will allow him to protect the whales…   

Protect the whales

"Windmills," Trump explained, rather than boats are causing whales to "die in numbers never seen before."

Without offering any evidence, Trump told the crowd, “you wouldn’t see it once a year and now they’re coming up on a weekly basis."

He went on to claim that offshore wind turbines "are driving them crazy. They're driving the whales, I think, a little batty. And they're washing up on shore at levels never seen before and they want to stop your boats." 

According to the NOAA, there's no scientific evidence that noise from offshore wind could result in the death of whales. In a separate statement, it also revealed that at least 12 whale deaths have been attributed to vessel strikes since 2017. However, Trump has never shied away from discussing his dislike of wind energy, and he's likely to revisit the topic during his 2024 campaign.

Investigate "fake news media"

Trump has also claimed he would investigate media outlets for "treason" if reelected as POTUS. He singled out Comcast, the parent company of news outlets NBC News and MSNBC, for particular attention.

"They are almost all dishonest and corrupt, but Comcast, with its one-side and vicious coverage by NBC NEWS, and in particular MSNBC, often and correctly referred to as MSDNC (Democrat National Committee!), should be investigated for its Country Threatening Treason," Trump said in the inflammatory rant posted on his social media platform Truth Social.

He continued his incendiary attack on the media, claiming: "I say up front, openly, and proudly, that when I WIN the Presidency of the United States, they and others of the LameStream Media will be thoroughly scrutinized for their knowingly dishonest and corrupt coverage of people, things, and events."

"New border security"

Also last month, Donald Trump shared a meme suggesting America's immigration problems could be solved by feeding migrants to hungry alligators. The post shows an image of six alligators standing in front of a fence with the caption "NEW BORDER SECURITY" – "WILL WORK FOR FOOD." At the time of writing, it's been liked more than 13,000 times and 're-truthed' (reposted) 429,000 times.

It's not the first time Trump has suggested that alligators could be used to control immigration. Back in 2019, a New York Times article revealed the then-president had privately aired the idea of building a moat populated with alligators or snakes around the Mexican border wall. He was reportedly serious enough that aides looked into how much the venture would cost. 

While the meme has widely been taken as a joke, it's clear that border security is a cornerstone of Trump's 2024 campaign...

Get tough on illegal immigration

The aspiring second-term POTUS intends to "fully secure" the southern border with troops, end mass unskilled immigration, and introduce a total ban on using taxpayer dollars "to free illegal aliens," along with criminal penalties for non-compliance.

Trump has called the influx of illegal migrants "a massive invasion," which he blames on President Biden's "lawlessness." Biden has faced fierce criticism on the issue, and the number of border apprehensions in the US reportedly reached 8,000 a day last month, causing the current POTUS to resume the construction of a border wall between southern Texas and Mexico.

Ban communists and "markers" from the country

In another presidential pledge that foreshadowed his recent remarks in Iowa, Donald Trump also announced that he would use "Section 212 (f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act" to "order my government to deny entry to all communists and all Marxists."

He unveiled the potential policy during a campaign rally in Iowa, but made headlines instead when he stumbled over his words, saying "markers" instead of "Marxists." 

The Trump Reciprocal Trade Act

In a speech in Columbus, Georgia earlier this year, Donald Trump unveiled the Trump Reciprocal Trade Act: a law that would give him the authority to impose reciprocal tariffs on foreign countries. The "landmark legislation" aims to "return jobs and wealth to the United States, launch an economic boom that will lift our middle class, and eliminate our dependence on China and other countries," according to a press release on Trump's campaign website.

Claiming that "Joe Biden stands by and does nothing while our foreign rivals tax American industry," Trump has said that "Under the Trump Reciprocal Trade Act, other countries will have two choices – they'll get rid of their tariffs on us, or they will pay us hundreds of billions of dollars, and the United States will make an absolute FORTUNE. If India, China, or any other country hits us with a 100 or 200 percent tariff on American-made goods, we will hit them with the same exact tariff... If they charge US, we charge THEM – an eye for an eye, a tariff for a tariff, same exact amount."

Production of essential medicines in America

In a video announcement on July 24, Trump revealed that Agenda47, his raft of 2024 campaign policy proposals, would include a pledge to "[return] production of essential medicines back to America and [end] Biden's pharmaceutical shortages."

Back in 2020, Trump signed an executive order to kickstart the process of phasing in tariffs and restrictions on Chinese imports of medicine, with the aim of making sure healthcare supplies such as cancer drugs were manufactured in the United States. Biden reversed the order when he took office in 2021.

Expand the power of the Oval Office

According to The New York Times, Donald Trump has devised a plan to consolidate power if he retakes the presidency by bringing federal agencies under presidential control. Currently, agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission are run independently. Trump's proposal would see them transition to direct arms of the White House, a plan liberal magazine The New Republic has branded "fascist."

Russell Vought, who served as Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) during Trump's presidency, has said: "What we're trying to do is to identify the pockets of independence and seize them."

And it's not just independence the campaign wants to seize. The measures would go so far as to allow the impounding of government funds – a practice banned under Richard Nixon, but which Trump claims presidents have a constitutional right to do. The power to impound funds would mean Trump could refuse to spend money on programs he doesn't like, a move that would likely involve lengthy legal battles.

Create a new missile defense shield

Trump has repeatedly said he could prevent World War III if re-elected to the White House. But clearly taking no chances, he has a cunning back-up plan if his efforts to block global nuclear conflict fail: a new missile defense shield similar to Israel's Iron Dome with the capability of protecting America from hypersonic missile attacks.

The would-be returning POTUS has said he'll work with Congress and the country's "great military leaders" to get the project up and running.

Build futuristic 'Freedom Cities'

Trump's pledge of a "quantum leap in the American standard of living" plan is an integral part of Agenda47. The prospective 47th president has said he'd free up a tiny percentage of federal land and hold a national competition to build 10 gleaming state-of-the-art "Freedom Cities" boasting "towering monuments to our true American heroes" and other marvels. 

Fast-track flying cars

Trump envisages the citizens of these cutting-edge cities zipping around the skies in flying cars. To make this happen, he wants to "ensure America, not China, leads this revolution in air mobility."

As to how this would be achieved, the Trump campaign is thin on detail, but possibilities include direct investment, tax breaks, and relaxation of aviation regulations. 

Get rid of ugly buildings

Trump's Vegas tower has been voted one of America's ugliest buildings, but that hasn't stopped him calling for the governors of all 50 states to join him in "a great beautification campaign." Schools and boulevards across the country will be renamed in honor of "great American patriots" and ugly buildings will be demolished and replaced with splendid edifices in the "magnificent classical style of western civilization." 

Bring in 'Baby Bonuses' and paid leave for new mothers and fathers

Trump intends to boost America's flagging fertility rate and populate his Freedom Cities and American utopia by providing new parents with 'Baby Bonuses,' therefore sparking a baby boom.

What's more, Trump's budget for 2024 contains plans to introduce six weeks' paid leave for new mothers and fathers, organized by states and financed by unemployment insurance.

Wage war on the drug cartels

Drug cartels better watch out. If Trump is elected US president in 2024, they are toast, or so the aspiring two-time POTUS says.

Having effectively declared war on narco kingpins, smugglers, dealers, and other chemical criminals, Trump has promised to designate the cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and has pledged to use the full might of the US military including the Navy, Special Forces, and cyber experts to absolutely crush them. 

Death to drug dealers

Trump's even gone so far as to say he'd make dealing drugs punishable by death. Speaking to Bret Baier on Fox News, Trump spoke about Alice Johnson – a woman who served 21 years of a life sentence before he pardoned her in 2018 – and touted his clemency as a presidential victory. However, Baier was quick to point out that Trump's proposed plan to draft a bill that would approve the death penalty for "everyone who sells drugs, gets caught selling drugs" would have led to Johnson losing her life.

"But she'd be killed under your plan," he said.

"No, no, no. Under my pl... under that? Uhh... it would depend on the severity," Trump replied.

The former POTUS went on to argue that Johnson wouldn't be killed under the plan because it would only be introduced in 2024...

Deploy the National Guard to crime-ravaged cities

The tough-on-crime agenda extends to plans to deploy the National Guard "to restore law and order when local law enforcement refuses to act," beef up stop-and-frisk, and splurge on new police officers.

Other promises include taking on "radical Marxist prosecutors" from cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco by opening civil rights investigations into their activities, which the Trump campaign alleges involve abolishing cash bail and refusing to charge criminals. 

Bolster discipline of America's wayward youth

America's "troubled youth are out of control" and "out on the streets ... going wild" according to Trump.

His answer to all this mayhem? An overhaul of the federal standards on disciplining minors, which if Trump is elected in 2024 will be conducted by the Education and Justice Departments. Whether corporal punishment will make a comeback is anyone's guess, yet it remains legal for teachers to hit children in as many as 19 US states. 

Round up the homeless into tent cities

Trump is looking to pull out all the stops to clear America's streets of the homeless, the drug-addicted, and "the violent and dangerously deranged." 

Those without a roof over their head will be corralled into tent cities on "large parcels of inexpensive land" to receive treatment and assistance from doctors, psychiatrists, social workers, and rehab professionals. Anyone refusing to go will be arrested and locked up.

Use Ukraine money to help homeless vets?

Trump has said that for a fraction of what America is spending on Ukraine, every single one of the country's homeless veterans could be taken care of. The 2024 campaign, which actually promises to end homelessness in the US, also advocates bringing back secure mental institutions to house and rehabilitate the mentally ill "or dangerously deranged" living on America's streets.

Ramp up fossil fuel production

With Trump on a mission to "unleash [America's] energy dominance" and bring down gas, natural gas, and diesel prices, it's a case of "global warming, what global warming?" and "drill, baby, drill." His plans to make the US the number-one energy producer globally are all about re-embracing fossil fuels, eliminating the "socialist" Green Deal, and deregulating like crazy. 

Phase out essential goods from China

As the Trump Reciprocal Trade Act shows, China is firmly in Trump's crosshairs – and judging from the policy proposals he's been firing out, the People's Republic will be in for a very rocky ride if the former POTUS is re-elected in 2024. An all-out trade war could very well be on the cards, making the dispute under the previous Trump administration seem very minor indeed.

One of his most drastic measures would see Trump phase out all Chinese imports of essential goods within four years, a move he hopes will end America's longstanding reliance on the Asian power.

Revoke China's Most-Favored Nation trade status

Trump is looking to revoke China's Most-Favored Nation trade status, which the country has enjoyed since 2001, and allows it to pay relatively low tariffs on exports to the US. Removing the status would sharply increase levies on a staggering half a trillion dollars' worth of goods imported annually from China and promises to infuriate President Xi Jinping in the process.

Slap universal baseline tariffs on most foreign products

Trump wants to "tax China to build up America," and one of the key ways he'd seek to do this is through tariffs. On top of revoking the Asian country's Most-Favored Nation status, the 2024 hopeful intends to impose universal baseline tariffs on most foreign products, a protectionist move that's bound to worry America's other trading partners too, including the EU. 

Ban federal contracts for companies that outsource to China

Trump really is planning to go the whole nine yards in his bid to reignite the trade war with China. Another of his proposals is to ban federal contracts for companies that outsource to the People's Republic. Ultimately, Trump is hoping to bring manufacturing back to the US, with his "Freedom Cities" envisaged as innovation hubs brimming with factories churning out quality American-made goods.

Stop US companies from investing in China

The potential 2024 POTUS also wants to curb US investment in China, and prevent Chinese entities from putting their money into America's businesses, with "new rules to stop US companies from pouring investment into China, and to stop China from buying up America, allowing all of those investments that clearly serve American interests."

Outlaw Chinese ownership of critical infrastructure

In any case, if Trump wins the presidency and gets his way, Chinese entities will be banned from owning any component of America's critical infrastructure, from energy firms to telecom companies. By the same token, individuals and organizations from the People's Republic will be prevented from buying farmland in the US.

Kick out Chinese spies

To cap it all, Trump has promised to "kick Chinese intelligence operations out of the country and force China to give up any US holdings that put national security at risk." 

The presidential hopeful claims President Biden has been "weak on China because he is controlled and owned by China," and that thousands of Chinese spies have infiltrated American business, finance, academia, and likely even the US government.

Be the most pro-gun US president in history

Despite his intention to implement stop-and-frisk policies, you can forget about any greater form of gun control seeing the light of day if Trump wins the presidency next year. In April, the 2024 hopeful pledged at a meeting with his beloved National Rifle Association (NRA) that he'd be "the most pro-gun, pro-Second Amendment president" in US history. 

Facilitate the arming of teachers

During his speech to the NRA, Trump reassured members their Second Amendment rights would be fiercely protected, and added that his administration would create a new tax credit to reimburse any teacher for the full cost of a concealed-carry firearm and training from highly qualified experts. Trump has long endorsed arming teachers as a way of preventing school shootings.

Cut funding for schools pushing 'woke' agendas

Staying with education, Trump is doing all he can to make sure his arch-rival for the GOP nomination, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, doesn't beat him in the culture wars. Issues surrounding 'wokeism' work wonders in firing up the MAGA base, and Trump has promised to cut funding from schools that push 'woke' agendas and fire teachers who promote 'woke' ideas.

Close the Department of Education

In fact, Trump's hatred of the woke "education coming out of Washington DC" runs so deep that he wants to close the Department of Education, leaving state governments to determine what children are taught in schools. 

He originally aired the idea of closing the Department back in 2016, though he isn't the first Republican to have suggested it, or indeed the last. GOP rivals including Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, Mike Pence, and Doug Burgum reportedly all endorse the idea, even though state governments already have the power to set curriculums.

Fire 'radical, zealot and Marxist' teachers and reward 'patriots'

Apparently, banning new communists and Marxists from entering the country won't be enough. Under Trump's new administration, "radicals, zealots and Marxists," as well as "pink-haired communists" will also be laid off from America's schools. Meanwhile, teachers who reject 'woke' ideology and refrain from teaching critical race theory and other contentious subjects will be rewarded thanks to a new body that would certify educators who espouse 'patriotic values.' 

Trump has described the college accreditation system as his secret weapon against "the radical left and Marxist maniacs infecting our once great educational institutions." The presidential contender says he'll embark on a purge of the nation's college accreditors, firing anyone deemed "radical left" and replacing them with new accreditors who will impose real standards "once and for all."

Attack trans rights

An assault on transgender rights is a major part of Trump's anti-woke agenda, no doubt with a view to keeping up with DeSantis, who's on a crusade to curtail the rights of trans people.

Central to Trump's attack is a proposed bar on federal agencies from promoting "the concept of sex and gender transition at any age." He's also vowed to punish doctors who provide minors with gender-affirming care, which he equates to "child abuse." Physicians who fall foul of the new rules and continue to treat minors with surgery or hormones stand to be cut off from Medicare and Medicaid, severely impeding their ability to practice in the medical profession.

In addition, Trump has announced that he'd "keep men out of women's sports," meaning measures would be taken to prevent transgender women from participating with and competing against cis women in amateur and competitive sports. Meanwhile, House Republicans have introduced a bill that aims to do just that, though the legislation is likely to be vetoed by President Biden.

Pardon convicted Capitol rioters

The former president also controversially pledged to pardon some of those who’ve been prosecuted for their involvement in the Capitol riots on January 6, 2021, when he did a live TV town hall back in May.

Asked whether he'd pardon insurrectionists found guilty of federal offenses, Trump replied: "I am inclined to pardon many of them. I can't say for every single one, because a couple of them, probably they got out of control."

Speaking to a CNN audience at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire, he added he would "most likely" pardon "a large portion" of the rioters who ransacked and terrorized the Capitol two years ago. 

Investigate "crooked" Joe

Following his arraignment on charges relating to classified documents, Trump said he would appoint a Special Prosecutor to "go after" the Biden family. "Nothing happens to crooked Joe," he said. 

He's since pledged to create a task force that would investigate alleged political persecution by President Biden, and "rapidly review the cases of every political prisoner who has been unjustly persecuted by the Biden administration."

With a year to go before the 2024 election, there’s plenty of time for Trump to make even more controversial and outlandish promises. Watch this space for all the latest developments. 

Now meet the allies still standing by Donald Trump