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It's been a long 18 months, but finally the day has arrived. Friday at noon, Donald Trump is set to become the 45th President of the United States of America, following a testy election.
Since the election, many have wondered what a Trump presidency, or what the first 100 days will mean for the tech world. We're asking that question as many policies and potential political moves remain under wraps.
One thing we do know is that the tech world is willing to sit down and work with Trump. Last month, Silicon Valley's elite met with the president-elect and discussed everything from cutting taxes to bringing jobs to the U.S.
Media was not allowed to stay and cover the meeting, but a few of the major tech CEOs have spoken vaguely about the outcomes.
This week, Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins said the meeting with Trump was "interactive" with "lots of laughs," Business Insider reports. Speaking at a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Robbins said it was a very "constructive meeting" and the people in the room with diverse political opinions were able to put those behind them to get work done.
"I came out, from a business perspective, very optimistic about what it might mean for global business. Because the U.S. and the global economy are so intertwined that you can't impact them independent of each other," Robbins said. "So I think the changes that are being contemplated will not only be good for the U.S. but will also be good for the global economy."
Oh to be a fly on the wall in that room.
Still, questions linger. A lot of questions. What we do know is Trump says he wants to hold people and companies accountable.
Making industry great again?
Trump has spent much of his transition period tweeting, something he is wont to do in the early hours of the morning. But when he tweets, companies run for cover.
The incoming president has called out a slew of companies for wasting government money or trying to take jobs out of the country. Those tweet storms have an immediate market impact as it could spell trouble for companies once Trump takes office.
The recipe is this: First Trump calls out a company on Twitter, the company's shares fall and then there is an announcement of a deal struck with the company. Then all is well?
General Motors is sending Mexican made model of Chevy Cruze to U.S. car dealers-tax free across border. Make in U.S.A.or pay big border tax!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2017
Thank you to General Motors and Walmart for starting the big jobs push back into the U.S.!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 17, 2017
Trump's tweets have a market impact because, in part, these companies are getting lambasted in the public eye, turned into villains of industry. Now, there is a "trigger" that will notify users when Trump tweets about a stock they own.
But the tech industry has stayed out of the tweet storms. Maybe the tech summit helped with that? Even if a tech company is targeted by Trump, the tech CEOs aren't necessarily quaking in their professional yet relaxed polos and their nondescript jeans (see below).
Thanks Shantanu for joining me to share our exciting new partnership between @Adobe & @Azure at #MSIgnite https://t.co/1mIUcRLB3I pic.twitter.com/VstDLJKA2Y
— Satya Nadella (@satyanadella) September 26, 2016
Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella has said he is confident of his company's role as a jobs creator. Speaking to CNN at the DLD tech conference in Munich this week, Nadella said, "We're a U.S.-based company that operates worldwide and our predominant employment is in the United States ... We've already created a tremendous amount of high-paying jobs in the U.S."
Maybe Trump's relationship with tech isn't so harmonious after all. In case you missed his exchange with Amazon and its CEO Jeff Bezos from 2015, see below.
If @amazon ever had to pay fair taxes, its stock would crash and it would crumble like a paper bag. The @washingtonpost scam is saving it!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 7, 2015
Finally trashed by @realDonaldTrump. Will still reserve him a seat on the Blue Origin rocket. #sendDonaldtospace https://t.co/9OypFoxZk3
— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) December 7, 2015
Let's briefly touch on cybersecurity
We're going to be talking about this a lot. Companies across sectors are caught between a rock and a hard place, often making for soft targets and embarrassing revelations. Sony anyone?
Trump understands this is an issue. So he appointed Rudy Giuliani to form a team of cyber advisors to help him understand and address the issue.
Well, in the past years of mass hacks, Giuliani's and other top staffers' passwords have emerged from the leaked data bases, Channel 4 News reports.
Oh, and Giuliani's website, Giuliani Security, is extremely hackable. Unfortunately, now, the site can't be reached.
Giuliani Security has a completely exposed admin login. pic.twitter.com/QIPF9Ewmzm
— Michael Fienen (@fienen) January 12, 2017
The first 100 days
The first days in office are important for any president. They set the tone for how the administration will run for the next four years. But for Trump, these first days are particularly important. No one knows exactly what he wants to do or how he is going to get it done.
On deck for impacting the tech world is the H-1B visa program, cybersecurity and any potential regulations holding companies more accountable to their security practices. He may also try to tackle Washington's aging technological infrastructure, but that's a problem that is easy to ignore. If things keep running, why worry?
The incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer has promised Trump will shake things up immediately.
"He is committed to not just Day One, but Day Two, Day Three, of enacting an agenda of real change," said Spicer, speaking to reporters The Washington Post reports. "And I think that you’re going to see that in the days and weeks to come."
Some have called his early plans "aggressive." Now Trump's anticipated actions will meet the slow-churn of American bureaucracy. What will happen? Who knows. Stay tuned.