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Donald Trump's hardest and easiest campaign promises

December 10, 2016 at 10:00PM

Iron workers set up a crane to move steel for the construction of buildings on the site of Essar Steel Minnesota’s taconite mine project in Nashwauk, Minn. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

President-elect Donald Trump made many sweeping promises on his way to victory on Election Day. After he is sworn in on Jan. 20, here are four of the most difficult and four of the easiest promises to keep:

Prevent shift of U.S. jobs out of the country

Companies move to other countries to pursue higher profits, and Trump cannot force them to stay. The question is whether he can make it profitable to stay here; labor is cheaper in other countries. He has promised tax cuts and regulatory relief, but those are minor expenses. He has threatened new taxes on imports, but he can't target particular companies.

Revive U.S. steel making and coal mining

The productivity of the U.S. coal industry has increased tenfold since the end of World War II. Work that once required 10 miners now requires one. Steel making has had a similar transformation. Most of those jobs are never coming back. And Trump can't reverse the fact that demand for coal has fallen thanks to a revolution in natural gas production.

Invest in infrastructure to create jobs

Trump will find bipartisan support in Congress for creating jobs and stimulating the economy by building and repairing highways, bridges and water systems. But Republicans may balk at spending that adds to the deficit. Democrats will resist tax breaks to companies in return for investments and efforts to waive environmental rules or wage protections.

Build a wall on the border with Mexico

Trump vowed to build a "great, great wall on our southern border" and have Mexico pay for it. Fulfilling this pledge would be difficult though not impossible if he stretches the definition of "wall." Fences already exist along hundreds of miles of the border. Congress might support more border security and fencing, but a wall would meet resistance from both parties.

Withdraw from the Pacific trade pact

Trump pledged that on his first day in office he would give notice that the U.S. intends to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which the Obama administration negotiated with other Pacific Rim nations. Trump has the authority to do it, but Japan and Australia hope he'll reconsider. If not, they may pursue regional trade deals that exclude the U.S.

Allow Keystone XL pipeline to proceed

Pipelines between the U.S. and Canada must obtain presidential approval. In 2015, President Obama refused to allow the Keystone XL pipeline, which would carry oil from Canada to Nebraska. Trump has urged TransCanada to submit a new application once he takes office. He also suggested that TransCanada should share profits with taxpayers.

Nominate a Supreme Court justice

Trump said that in his first 100 days, he will begin the process of selecting a replacement for Justice Antonin Scalia from his list of 21 judges "who will uphold and defend the U.S. Constitution." This promise will be easy to keep. Just winnowing the names of court candidates could qualify as beginning the process of replacing Scalia, who died in February.

Reduce business and personal taxes

Trump has promised to reduce federal taxation of businesses and households. Congressional Republicans have expressed support for a broadly similar approach. The details have derailed past efforts to overhaul the tax code, but Republican control of both Congress and the White House increases the chances that Trump will succeed.

FILE- In this Jan. 14, 2016 file photo, construction continues on the new Tappan Zee Bridge as it is seen from Tarrytown, N.Y. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has launched efforts to rebuild Kennedy and LaGuardia airports, remodel and expand Penn Station, and replace the Tappan Zee Bridge. Federal support could be critical to getting the work done, and Cuomo, a Democrat, says he hopes Republican president-elect Donald Trump understands the need to help. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File) (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Sunset at the U.S.-Mexico border in Naco, Ariz., where a Border Patrol agent in his car keeps an eye on activity. (Don Bartletti/Los Angeles Times) ORG XMIT: 1191081 (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday as to whether immigrants fighting deportation have a legal right to a bond hearing and possible release if they are held more than six months while awaiting resolution of their case. (Olivier Douliery/Abaca Press/TNS) ORG XMIT: 1193882 (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

FILE - In this Feb. 1, 2012 file photo, miles of pipe for the stalled Canada-to-Texas Keystone XL pipeline are stacked in a field near Ripley, Okla. An Associated Press review of every cross-border pipeline application since 2004 shows that the Keystone review has been anything but ordinary. The company hoping to build Keystone has been waiting for a decision for nearly 7 years ó or more than five times the average. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File) (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Akira Amari (5th from L), Japanese state minister in charge of TPP negotiations, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman (6th from L) and delegates from 10 countries attend a joint press conference at a hotel in Atlanta, U.S.A. on Oct. 5, 2015, after reaching an agreement on the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact (TPP). The deal will create a huge economic zone that will account for 40 percent of the global economy in terms of gross domestic product. ( The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP Images ) ORG XMIT: YOMIU (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Business documents and tax forms in the close up photo (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

FILE- In this Aug. 5, 2010, file photo, a container is loaded onto a cargo ship at the Tianjin port in China. American consumers and businesses would pay, literally, if President-elect Donald Trump follows through on his campaign pledge to slap big taxes on imports from China and Mexico. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File) (The Minnesota Star Tribune)