Trump’s potential flood of policy changes after inauguration could spell big changes in Colorado

As Donald Trump prepares to take the oath of office for a second time, some Coloradans are rejoicing and others are bracing themselves at the prospect of the president-elect’s incoming administration taking the reins on Monday.

On the campaign trail and since his election in November, Trump and his allies have vowed to unleash sweeping changes on his first day in the White House, with multiple Trump allies predicting a “shock and awe” approach that could include the newly inaugurated president signing 100 or more executive orders affecting nearly everything the federal government touches, from immigration and trade policy to national security and domestic energy production.

It’s unclear how quickly the Republicans’ first-day activities will be felt on the ground in Colorado, though Trump’s’ avid supporters and steadfast opponents alike say the handoff of power from Democrat Joe Biden will be unmistakable.

Although Trump lost Colorado to Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, the state’s Republicans have had plenty to celebrate as Trump’s swearing-in approaches, on the heels of the party’s nominees regaining some ground the GOP has lost in the past decade in last year’s election, including clawing back a battleground congressional seat and ousting Democrats in a handful of legislative districts.On Saturday, state GOP Chairman Dave Williams summed up his party’s mood by reposting a popular post from Donald Trump Jr. on the social media platform X that asked, “Has anyone ever been this excited about a Monday before?”

Denver Democrat Diana DeGette, the longest-serving member of Colorado’s congressional delegation, told Colorado Politics that she isn’t privy to Trump’s plans but added that she expects “chaos” as soon as the new administration releases its anticipated flood of executive orders and policy directives.

DeGette cautioned that some of Trump’s proposals could stall out of the gate, since many will be met with lawsuits, like they were in his first term. Others will require congressional appropriations, which could give Democrats some leverage in the House, where Republicans hold a tiny majority that’ll dwindle further when two GOP members resign to take positions in Trump’s cabinet. In the meantime, DeGette said she’ll look out for her constituents and work to uphold the rule of law.

Republican U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans of Fort Lupton, who defeated a Democratic incumbent in the state’s swingy 8th Congressional District, said in an interview that he’s encouraged by recent polling that showed Americans by a wide majority want the two parties to work together to implement parts of Trump’s agenda.

“I think that speaks to how bad the last four years has been, and how optimistic everybody is that we’ll actually be able to make some tangible results in those areas moving forward,” Evans said, adding that he believes Trump’s policies will “get America back to being safe, secure, affordable and prosperous again.”

Allies, critics alike expect immediate action on illegal immigrationColoradans could see fireworks immediately on the immigration front, as members of the incoming Trump administration has signaled swift moves on one of his campaign’s central issues.

In addition to closing the southern border to illegal crossings and seeking an end to birthright citizenship — which could be beyond the scope of a president’s authority, since the right is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution — Trump has said he plans to launch a massive deportation program particularly aimed at individuals who have committed crimes and belong to certain transnational gangs. At an October campaign rally in Aurora, Trump dubbed the program “Operation Aurora,” capping his repeated references to reports of Venezuelan gang members operating out of apartment complexes in the city.

“First and foremost, there will be deportations, starting with the criminals and the people who’ve been convicted of crimes,” said Jeff Crank, the Colorado Springs Republican elected to represent the 5th Congressional District in November. Crank noted that Congress has been working to pass legislation since convening earlier this month that will allow the federal government to deport immigrants unlawfully staying in the U.S. who have committed lower-level crimes, including theft.Crank said he is excited about Trump’s inauguration and the chance to “make real change in America” with Republican control of the presidency and both chambers of Congress.

“I think the president is going to come in, and he’s going to do a lot of executive orders,” Crank said. “I think the push is to do this very quickly.”

Evans, an Army veteran and former police officer, said he anticipates the new administration will reverse many of Biden’s policies and change the rules at the border to help curb illegal entry.

“I think you’re going to see those very dynamic steps to make sure that the border is secured,” Evans said. “And that goes down to basic operating directives to customs and border security, like their rules of engagement.”

Evans said he’s heard stories about border patrol agents who have been prevented from patrolling certain areas under Biden and hopes that will change with Trump in charge.

“So, being able to reverse those and actually tell these folks who are potentially putting their lives on the line to secure the territorial integrity of the United States, that you can go out now, you can actually do your job, you can deter all of these illegal crossings — I think that is going to be one of the first steps,” Evans said.

Immigration rights activists in Colorado and nationally have spent months preparing for looming changes to immigration policy once Trump takes office.

Boulder District Attorney Michael Dougherty, a Democrat, said this week that he plans to sound the alarm about the “potentially devastating impacts for kids and families living in Colorado,” as federal immigration policy shifts.

“As district attorney, I strongly believe that victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or hate crimes should be able to come forward to ensure justice is done and not have to hide in the shadows,” Dougherty said in a written statement. “Our mission is to protect all people from threats, hate crimes and violent acts by holding offenders accountable — and I remain deeply committed to it.

Added Dougherty: “With the current political rhetoric, many immigrants and LGBTQ+ individuals feel vulnerable and have valid concerns about the rollback of their rights and their safety. The ideals of equality, justice, and respect for all people are woven into the fabric of our Colorado values. We must not allow fear and hatred to take root in our communities.”

All eyes on energy policy
Other changes that could take effect soon after Trump’s inauguration include new tariffs imposed on imported foreign goods, reversing Biden’s climate policies and lifting the outgoing administration’s restrictions on fossil fuel drilling.Calling himself “generally a proponent of free and fair trade,” Evans said he welcomes the possibility that Trump could use tariffs to apply pressure to trading partners that have been “taking advantage” of the U.S., including neighbors Canada and Mexico.

“When you can have that free and fair trade that’s beneficial to all consumers, that’s beneficial to the economy, but when you have trading partners that have been taking advantage of the United States for the last four years because of the weakness that the Biden administration has projected, there needs to be a level-setting to get us back to where Americans and American enterprise actually does have that free and fair component to it,” Evans said.

On the campaign trail, Trump embraced a catch phrase popularized by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin: “Drill, baby, drill!”On the campaign trail, Trump embraced a catch phrase popularized by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin: “Drill, baby, drill!”

That’s likely to translate into an energy policy tilted toward oil and gas, as demonstrated by Trump’s pick for energy secretary, Chris Wright, the CEO of a Colorado company that provides hydraulic fracturing and other oil field services.

Although U.S. oil and gas production is at an all-time high, Evans said he supports early word that Trump could end the Biden administration’s limits on drilling on public lands in an effort to reach what Trump and his allies have characterized as energy dominance.

“We need even more energy,” Evans said, to meet increased demands for electricity, including to power electric appliances, crypto mining and data centers used by the artificial intelligence industry.

“Whether the trend is subsidized through the government putting their thumb on the playing field, or whether the trend is driven through actual free-market forces, you’re just seeing more and more demands for electricity, and electricity, of course, requires base-load energy generation” said Evans, who was named earlier this month to the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee. “And so when we talk about, do consumers want to buy things that require more electricity? Are they looking to transition, maybe, away from a gas stove to an electric stove? All of that stuff requires more energy. And so whenever we say that America is producing more energy, that’s great, but it’s still not enough, because our modern way of life needs more energy, not less.”

Evans, who served one term in the state legislature before his election to Congress last fall, warned that whatever Trump does might not be enough for Colorado oil and gas producers, since the state also regulates drilling.In Colorado, we have not only a lot of federal regulations to contend with, but there’s a lot of red tape and — and, I would argue, over-regulation — at the state level, as well,” Evans said. “So, it’s going to be a little bit more complex in Colorado because of how the state has also manufactured roadblocks to energy production. But by and large, we’re going to do everything that we can to be able to again unleash American energy dominance.”