That vision of a shiny, golden future for American tech and progress could encounter a speed bump, however, when it comes to exactly how it might be achieved. For all his rhetoric about using government proactively, Trump largely pursued standard Republican deregulatory policy during his first term as president. That could put him at odds with a newer school of progress-oriented thinkers who argue that warts and all, government has a major role to play (one that includes spending money) in driving technological progress.