Then and now: What has changed as Trump returns to the White House

NEW YORK (AP) — When Donald Trump arrived in Washington in 2017 just before his first inauguration, he was a stranger to most in town. As the only president in history without prior experience in public office or the military, it was unclear how he would govern.

Not this time.

After four years in the Oval Office, the once and future president returns to power with know-how and a very different team. The political landscape has been transformed, with both chambers of Congress now filled with Republicans beholden to him. He has stocked the Supreme Court and federal courts at all levels. World leaders who were once critics have left the world stage or are more willing to work with him.

Here are some of the ways things have changed:

Trump once bragged about not having experience. Now he has plenty

Trump's first-term agenda was, particularly in its early days, often stymied by the courts and infighting. Many of his Cabinet picks quietly or openly worked to stop his ideas.

But Trump spent four years learning how legislation in passed, how to deal with world leaders and how to maximize the power of the office.

“We’re going to do an even better job because now we have a tremendous amount of experience,” he told reporters at a recent news conference at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida resort, as he reflected on how things had changed.

Trump has often cited his inexperience to explain why he had hired people whom he later regretted for bringing on board.

“I didn’t know the people. I had to rely on people to give me names,” he said during a Turning Point event in 2023. But now, he said, ”I know the great ones. I know the smart ones. I know the dumb ones, I know the weak ones, I know the stupid ones.”

Trump and his allies have also had four years out of office to lay the groundwork for his return. Long before his formal transition kicked into gear, allied groups such as the Heritage Foundation and the America First Policy Institute were working to draft hundreds of policy papers, executive orders and legislation ready to push on Day 1.

Republican opponents in Congress have been pushed out or retired

In 2017, the House speaker was Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., who had pulled his endorsement during the 2016 campaign and later called Trump an “ authoritarian narcissist." The Senate majority leader was Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who labeled Trump “stupid," “ill-tempered” and a “despicable human being."

Ryan did not run for reelection in 2018. McConnell has stepped down as party leader but remains in the Senate. Vocal critics such as Utah Sen. Mitt Romney and Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney are gone. Trump's aggressive plays in Republican primaries have created a new generation of members who listen to him. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and the new Senate Majority Leader, John Thune of South Dakota, know their power depends, in large part, on Trump's backing.

“He’s single-handedly changed the party," said Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind. Banks was sworn in as a member of the House as Trump arrived in Washington in 2017, when Banks said, Trump often have to deal with Republican pushback.

Now, “everyone knows that Donald Trump is calling the shots," Banks said. “He’s the quarterback ... and we’re going to follow his lead and back him up and pass the agenda that the American people voted for when they elected him this time.”

Banks cited the reaction when Trump addressed Senate Republicans in the Capitol while in town for former President Jimmy Carter’

The ‘den of vipers’ is being tamed

Trump went through half a dozen campaign managers over his first two White House runs and four chiefs of staff during his first term. His White House was known for backbiting and squabbling among competing factions.

Trump's 2024 operation was different. Guided by veteran Florida Republican operative Susie Wiles, the campaign was widely praised by both parties as his most disciplined, professional and competent by far.

Wiles is joining Trump in Washington as his chief of staff. While there are still personality clashes, Wiles has made clear she won't tolerate those who try to hijack the operation.

"I don’t welcome people who want to work solo or be a star,” Wiles told the news outlet Axios in a recent interview. “My team and I will not tolerate backbiting, second-guessing inappropriately, or drama. These are counterproductive to the 'mission.”

The old guard of global allies opposing Trump is gone

German Chancellor Angela Merkel stepped down in 2021. Canada’s Justin Trudeau is on his way out. And there have been turbulent leadership changes in Britain, France and South Korea.

Welcoming Trump back is a group of populist leaders who share his sensibilities, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Argentina's Javier Milei and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

“Supporting families, fighting illegal migration and standing up for the sovereignty of our nations. This is the common ground for cooperation between the conservative forces of Europe and the U.S.,” Orbán said after meeting with Trump at Mar-a-Lago last year.

Trump will also again be dealing with a list of authoritarian leaders he has embraced, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, China's Xi Jinping and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.