A Presidency Ruled by Surrogates: Trump’s 2nd Term

Donald Trump has won the presidency once again, taking both the electoral college and the popular vote in a landslide that many did not see coming.

For many, the result feels surreal because we all live in our own media bubbles now. Each side convinced their version of reality was real and the other side was not real. Get used to it, this is the new normal in our decentralized era.

Many people are calling the Trump presidency a re-run of 2016. But the second Trump presidency won’t look like the first. It will be radically different.

For one, Trump’s an old man now. You can see it in his interviews, in the way he speaks, in the pauses between his words. He’s 80. His tone is softer, his steps slower. He’s taken on this almost grandfatherly presence, more symbolic than anything else.

You can see how animated and strong he used to be in this 2016 interview.

Trump’s always had this relentless vitality, a kind of raw energy fueled by his own narcissism. He never needed the clean diets or workout routines the rest of us rely on, he just loved being in the action, making deals. But 80 is where everyone slows down. He’s hit that wall, maybe not as hard as Biden, but age catches up eventually.

Now, we’re likely to see a more reserved Trump, like during this campaign. In 2016, he was everywhere tweeting at all hours, personally hiring and firing cabinet members, running the Oval Office like a CEO diving into a new acquisition. This time, that intensity won’t be there. This presidency won’t look anything like the first.

But age isn’t the most fascinating part of this new Trump administration. It’s the structure of the administration.

The Regency Council Presidency

This time around, Trump relied heavily on powerful surrogates to win. Figures like Musk, RFK Jr, Peter Thiel, J.D. Vance, Stephen Miller and Trump’s own family.

Each has their own agenda, and that’s where this presidency gets interesting. It’s not really about Trump anymore, it’s about the “curia” around him, a council in the medieval sense. These figures will shape the country in their own ways, wielding authority much like the trusted advisors of aging monarchs throughout history. Trump will have the title, and the power, but it’s his “curia” who will drive the real agenda. That’s why this is fascinating.

In a way, it’s as if America itself is entering a kind of regency era, with these powerful deputies holding the levers. For a nation accustomed to strong, active presidents, this could be disorienting, yet it resembles an ancient model of rule that has always thrived when the sovereign ages and the advisors step forward. In history, councils like these have often reshaped empires.

By the end of Augustus' reign, he was in his 70s and physically weakened, which limited his ability to directly manage Rome's vast empire. Augustus increasingly relied on a core group of advisors, including Agrippa, Maecenas, and later Tiberius, who were entrusted with military, political, and administrative duties. This inner circle executed his policies, cemented the regime’s stability, and handled day-to-day governance. Their influence and loyalty helped to maintain the appearance of Augustus’s control, despite his limitations.

Louis XIII was often overshadowed by his chief minister, Cardinal Richelieu, who effectively governed France in the king’s name during the latter part of Louis’s life. As Louis’s health and engagement in state affairs declined, Richelieu wielded considerable power, leading domestic and foreign policies while coordinating closely with other powerful ministers.

The star of the show will not necessarily be Trump this time. But these other people who have serious agendas and will be given a long leash.

Elon Musk

The biggest name among Trump’s surrogates is Elon Musk, famously the world’s richest man. Musk poured over $100 million into the Trump campaign, becoming its public face and a fierce opponent of the Democratic Party. It was a big gamble, but Musk won and his power now is unprecedented.

He essentially put his businesses on the line in this election. His businesses requires government contracts and government authorization to function.

Musk has no shortage of priorities. He vowed to champion deregulation and will gain influence over US policy on artificial intelligence, space exploration and electric vehicles — all sectors that he has a personal stake in through his leadership of xAI, SpaceX and Tesla.

But he is chiefly concerned with the federal deficit which he sees as a huge risk to the USA.

He has some pretty intense goals to cut the deficit.

Musk’s top priority is federal spending. He’s aiming to cut at least $2 trillion from the current $6.75 trillion budget, a bold move he believes can be achieved by stripping away wasteful and unnecessary programs. To tackle this, Musk has agreed to lead a new Government Efficiency Commission, tasked with identifying and eliminating inefficiencies across federal agencies.

For the average person, Musk’s cuts could mean fewer government services, potential job losses in federally funded sectors, and tighter budgets for programs

This is the first time someone has had this role before. It’s an experiment. We’ll see what happens.

RFK Jr. and the Health Mandate

The aftermath of Covid put RFK Jr. on the map. He built a massive following on vaccines, pulling in people fed up with the way public health was handled.

Eventually, he backed Trump, campaigned hard for him. In return, Trump is letting him drive his mission to make America healthier.

RFK Jr. has another ambitious platform with seemingly an endless mandate. He is set on cutting out chemicals, additives, pesticides, seed oils. He sees them as fueling chronic disease, and he wants them gone. He’s also after the pharmaceutical industry, pushing for alternatives to the drugs most Americans rely on. Then there’s the fluoride in drinking water; he believes it’s more harmful than helpful and wants it out. He’ll even revisit vaccine policies, demanding stricter standards and more transparency from health agencies.

This is a completely new position and there is no precedent for it. No one knows what it will look like.

J.D. Vance and His Populism

In the new Trump administration, J.D. Vance will take charge of domestic policy, focusing on pro-family legislation, economic protectionism, and isolationism, a position that aligns him as the voice of populist conservatism and sets the stage for a potential 2028 run.

Vance backs pro-family policies, pushing affordable IVF and defending religious liberty for institutions opposed to it. On foreign policy, he’s against further aid to Ukraine, favoring a settlement that cedes some territory, inspired by Viktor Orbán’s conservative governance. Economically, Vance supports tariffs to revive American manufacturing and restricts immigration to protect jobs, with tariffs balancing out tax cuts to curb the deficit.

Stephen Miller

Stephen Miller’s immigration reform is poised to be a defining feature of Trump’s new administration, setting a strict tone on border control and immigration policy. Miller’s approach includes expanding the border wall, increasing deportations, and enforcing stricter visa policies, aiming to reduce illegal immigration and limit pathways to citizenship.

What Happens After Trump?

The most intriguing aspect of rule by regency council is what If Trump dies in office?

His administration could fall into intense factional struggles, each surrogate pushing to take control of his legacy. Musk, RFK Jr., Vance, and Miller would no longer have Trump’s unifying authority, and each would bring their agenda to the forefront.

Without Trump, infighting could erupt, Musk and Vance rallying for an isolationist, tech-driven America, while Miller pushes a hardline immigration and security stance. The winning faction could reshape Trump’s legacy, but not without clashes that turn his administration into a battleground of competing ideologies.

Then there’s Jared Kushner. With deep family ties and influence from Trump’s first term, he could pull in moderates and business allies looking for stability. Kushner’s focus on economic modernization and diplomacy would appeal to those wanting continuity, but it could set him up for conflict with Miller’s nationalist approach and Musk’s tech ambitions.