Second Term Trump, 'Make America Great' Think Tank Positioned

CRA, AFPI, and Other Think Tanks Provide Support Fire for Trump's Policy Offensive

Analysis suggests that U.S. President Donald Trump's policy offensives are gaining momentum with the support of emerging think tanks.

On the 18th, Yonhap News Agency reported this citing the American political media outlet Politico. The media pointed out one of the notable differences between the first and second terms of the Trump administration as the sophisticated logic underpinning the policies.

The populist conservative stance summarized by the slogan "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) continues into the second term. However, there is a significant difference in the way the logic is concretized and disseminated to the public to gain execution momentum once the policy is proposed.

Maga Think Tank Legion Led by Trump in Second Term. AP Yonhap News

In the first term of the Trump administration, this role was sometimes taken by a few populist agitators with differing voices, leading to agendas being stranded in confusion. In the second term, multiple think tanks and interest groups supporting President Trump are performing this role based on more sophisticated work.

Representative examples include the Center for Renewing America (CRA) and the America First Policy Institute (AFPI). They even reverse-engineer President Trump's impromptu remarks into comprehensive reports resembling white papers.

Last week, CRA produced reports advocating the legitimacy of policies such as ending birthright citizenship, curbing non-governmental organizations, and reforming the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). However, these policies promoted by President Trump face criticism for being unconstitutional, illegal, and contrary to traditional norms. Consequently, figures leading the MAGA think tanks sometimes hesitate to take public office, arguing that supporting President Trump in the private sector is freer and more agile.

Mark Esper (right), former U.S. Secretary of Defense, and President Donald Trump. Photo by EPA Yonhap News

Currently, MAGA think tanks are mainly composed of officials from Trump's first-term administration and Trump allies who declined public office. However, the Heritage Foundation still remains a stronghold for conservative talent in American politics and has sent members to public office in the Trump administration.

The media interpreted that the rapidly rising CRA aims to form a group with influence comparable to the Heritage Foundation while being more faithful to MAGA beliefs and more agile.

Meanwhile, there is also analysis that the second Trump administration is retaliating against the previous administration. It is investigating prosecutors and FBI agents who indicted President Donald Trump and has stopped providing security to individuals who have strongly criticized President Trump.