The fallout From the press to gun laws and protest

With Donald Trump returning to the White House for a second term, the impact will be felt in many aspects of American life and also across the world.

From abortion to immigration, the environment, gun laws and LGBTQ+ rights: all are at stake with Trump and his allies back in power. Here is a list of the main threats Trump represents:

Freedom of the press is at risk

In his first term, and as a candidate, Trump has consistently attacked the mainstream press and used conservative media for his political purposes. He threatened to weaken libel laws and called the press "fake news" and the "enemy of the people". There is nothing to suggest the re-elected Trump will tone down his aggression.

In recent weeks, Trump demanded that CBS News be stripped of its broadcast licence as punishment for airing an edited answer during an interview with his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, and he has suggested that other broadcasters ought to suffer the same fate.

Gun control law could be revoked

Joe Biden oversaw the passage of the first major federal gun control law in almost three decades. Now campaigners fear those policies could be easily reversed.

In a second term, campaigners expect Trump to immediately close the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, created in 2023 and overseen by Harris, and nominate a gun-industry-friendly leader as the director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. He could also disrupt implementation of the law Biden signed and wind back some of his administration's efforts to broaden background checks.

Abortion ban could go nationwide

When the US supreme court overturned Roe v Wade in 2022, it paved the way for more than a dozen states to ban almost all abortions. While these laws permit abortion in emergencies, the fear of criminal consequences mean doctors are forced to wait and watch as patients grow sicker.