WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump moved to pull the United States out of the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact Monday, fulfilling a campaign promise as he began his first full week in office.

“Great thing for the American worker that we just did,” Trump said as he signed a notice in the Oval Office.

The president also signed memorandums freezing most federal government hiring, though he noted an exception for the military, and reinstating a ban on providing federal money to international groups that perform abortions or provide information on the option. The regulation, known as the “Mexico City Policy,” has been a political volleyball, instituted by Republican administrations and rescinded by Democratic ones since 1984.

Following a tumultuous first weekend in office — consumed by Trump’s criticism of the media’s inauguration coverage followed by pushback against his comments — the president was seeking to refocus on the sweeping, yet often vague, promises he made as a candidate. He campaigned as a fierce opponent of multilateral trade agreements, particularly the 12-nation Pacific Rim deal agreed to by President Barack Obama.

Earlier Monday, Trump huddled with business leaders and warned that he would impose a “substantial border tax” on companies that move their manufacturing out of the United States. He also promised tax advantages to companies that produce products domestically.

“All you have to do is stay,” he said during a meeting in the White House’s Roosevelt Room.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Marillyn Hewson of Lockheed Martin were among the executives who attended the meeting. The gathering kicked off a jam-packed day for the new president, including an evening reception with lawmakers from both parties and a sit-down with union leaders.

Trump ran for office pledging to overhaul U.S. trade policy, arguing that massive free-trade agreements have disadvantaged American workers. Since winning the White House, he’s aggressively called out companies that have moved factories overseas, vowing to slap taxes on products they then try to sell in the U.S.

“Some people say that’s not free trade, but we don’t have free trade now,” Trump said Monday.

The president also reiterated his campaign pledge to lower taxes for companies, as well as the middle class, “anywhere from 15-25%.” He also called for cutting 75% of federal regulations — and insisted that doing so would not compromise worker safety.

Monday’s developments came after a first weekend in the White House that included lambasting news organizations for correctly reporting on the size of the crowds at his inauguration and mass protests against his presidency on the following day.

Trump delivered a more unifying message Sunday and sought to reassure Americans he was up to the daunting task ahead.

Speaking in the White House East Room during a swearing-in ceremony for top aides, the president warned his staff of the challenges.

“But with the faith in each other and the faith in God, we will get the job done,” he said. “We will prove worthy of this moment in history. And I think it may very well be a great moment in history.”

Trump said his staff was in the White House not to “help ourselves” but to “devote ourselves to the national good.”

“This is not about party, this is not about ideology. This is about country, our country. It’s about serving the American people,” he said.

Earlier Sunday, Trump offered a scattershot response to the sweeping post-inauguration protests, first sarcastically denigrating the public opposition and then defending the right to demonstrate a short time later.

“Watched protests yesterday but was under the impression that we just had an election! Why didn’t these people vote? Celebs hurt cause badly,” Trump tweeted. Ninety-five minutes later, he struck a more conciliatory tone.

“Peaceful protests are a hallmark of our democracy. Even if I don’t always agree, I recognize the rights of people to express their views,” the president tweeted, still using his personal account.

Trump also spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who accepted an invitation to visit the White House in early February. The prime minister said he is hoping to forge a “common vision” with the newly inaugurated U.S. president that could include expanded Israeli settlement construction and a tougher policy toward Iran.

Trump also announced that he’s set up meetings with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.

“We’re going to start some negotiations having to do with NAFTA,” he said of his meeting with Pena Nieto. Mexico is part of the free trade agreement with the U.S. and Canada. Trump said he also will discuss immigration and security at the border. He has promised to build a wall along the length of the southern U.S. border and insisted that Mexico will pay for it.

Later in the week, he’ll address congressional Republicans at their retreat in Philadelphia and meet with British Prime Minister Theresa May.</s>WASHINGTON U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to sign several executive orders on Wednesday restricting immigration from Syria and six other Middle Eastern or African countries, according to several congressional aides and immigration experts briefed on the matter.In addition to Syria, Trump's orders are expected to temporarily restrict access to the United States for most refugees. Another order will block visas from being issued to those from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, said the aides and experts, who asked not to be identified.The restrictions on refugees are likely to include a multi-month ban on admissions from all countries until the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security can make the vetting process more rigorous. Stephen Legomsky, a former chief counsel at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Obama administration, said the president has the authority to limit refugee admissions and the issuance of visas to specific countries if it is determined to be in the public’s interest. “From a legal standpoint, it would be exactly within his legal rights,” said Legomsky, who now is a professor at Washington University School of Law in St. Louis. “But from a policy standpoint it would be terrible idea because there is such an urgent humanitarian need right now for refugees.” The Republican president was expected to sign the orders at the headquarters of the Department of Homeland Security, whose responsibilities include immigration and border security.

On the campaign trail, Trump initially proposed a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States, which he said would protect Americans from jihadist attacks. Many Trump supporters decried former President Barack Obama's decision to increase the number of Syrian refugees admitted to the United States over fears that those fleeing the country's civil war would carry out attacks. Both Trump and his nominee for attorney general, U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions, have since said they would focus the restrictions on countries whose emigres could pose a threat rather than placing a ban on people who follow a specific religion.Detractors could launch legal challenges to the moves if all the countries subject to the ban are Muslim-majority nations, said immigration expert Hiroshi Motomura at UCLA School of Law. Legal arguments could claim the executive orders discriminate against a particular religion, which would be unconstitutional, he said.

"His comments during the campaign and a number of people on his team focused very much on religion as the target," Motomura said. To block entry from the designated countries, Trump is likely to instruct the State Department to stop issuing visas to people from those nations, according to sources familiar with the visa process. He could also instruct Customs and Border Protection to stop any current visa holders from those countries from entering the United States. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Tuesday that the State and Homeland Security departments would work on the vetting process once Trump's nominee to head the State Department, Rex Tillerson, is installed.

Other measures may include directing all agencies to finish work on a biometric identification system for non-citizens entering and exiting the United States and a crackdown on immigrants fraudulently receiving government benefits, according to the congressional aides and immigration experts. To restrict illegal immigration, Trump has promised to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border and to deport illegal migrants living inside the United States. None of the orders to be signed Wednesday are expected to focus on those issues. Trump is also expected to swear in his new secretary of homeland security, retired Marine General John Kelly, on Wednesday. (Reporting by Julia Edwards Ainsley, additional reporting by Mica Rosenberg; editing by Cynthia Osterman and Leslie Adler)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.</s>Opening his first full week in office, President Donald Trump warned business leaders Monday that he would impose a "substantial border tax" on companies that move their manufacturing out of the United States, while promising unspecified advantages to companies that manufacture domestically.

"All you have to do is stay," he said during a morning meeting in the White House's Roosevelt Room.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Marillyn Hewson of Lockheed Martin were among the executives who attended the meeting. The gathering kicked off a jam-packed day for the new president, including an evening reception with lawmakers from both parties and a sit-down with union leaders.

The president also planned to sign multiple executive orders in the Oval Office. Trump had pledged to quickly use his executive authority to withdraw the U.S. from the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact agreed to under the Obama administration. He's also expected to sign an order implementing a federal government hiring freeze.

Trump ran for office pledging to overhaul U.S. trade policy, arguing that massive free-trade agreements have disadvantaged American workers. Since winning the White House, he's aggressively called out companies that have moved factories overseas, vowing to slap taxes on products they then try to sell in the U.S.

"Some people say that's not free trade, but we don't have free trade now," Trump said Monday. He also reiterated his campaign pledge to significantly curb regulations, though he insisted that doing so would not compromise worker safety.

Trump's outreach effort comes after a tumultuous first weekend in the White House that included lambasting news organizations for correctly reporting on the size of the crowds at his inauguration and mass protests against his presidency on the following day.

Trump delivered a more unifying message Sunday and sought to reassure Americans he was up to the daunting task ahead.

Speaking in the White House East Room during a swearing-in ceremony for top aides, the president warned his staff of the challenges ahead but declared he believed they were ready.

"But with the faith in each other and the faith in God, we will get the job done," he said. "We will prove worthy of this moment in history. And I think it may very well be a great moment in history."

Trump said his staff was in the White House not to "help ourselves" but to "devote ourselves to the national good."

"This is not about party, this is not about ideology. This is about country, our country. It's about serving the American people," he said.

Earlier Sunday, Trump offered a scattershot response to the sweeping post-inauguration protests, first sarcastically denigrating the public opposition and then defending the right to demonstrate a short time later.

"Watched protests yesterday but was under the impression that we just had an election! Why didn't these people vote? Celebs hurt cause badly," Trump tweeted early Sunday morning. Ninety-five minutes later, he struck a more conciliatory tone.

"Peaceful protests are a hallmark of our democracy. Even if I don't always agree, I recognize the rights of people to express their views," the president tweeted, still using his personal account.

Trump also spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who accepted an invitation to visit the White House in early February. The prime minister said he is hoping to forge a "common vision" with the newly inaugurated U.S. president that could include expanded settlement construction and a tougher policy toward Iran.

Trump also announced that he's set up meetings with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.

"We're going to start some negotiations having to do with NAFTA," he said of his meeting with Pena Nieto. Mexico is part of the free trade agreement with the U.S. and Canada. Trump said he also will discuss immigration and security at the border. He has promised to build a wall along the length of the southern border and insisted that Mexico will pay for it.

Later in the week, he'll address congressional Republicans at their retreat in Philadelphia and meet with British Prime Minister Theresa May.</s>Activists have condemned as an “assault on women's health”, a decision by Donald Trump to block US funding for health clinics around the world that provide abortion services.

One of the three executive orders Mr Trump signed on his first Monday morning as president, was to reinstate the so-called Mexico City Policy, a rule originally introduced by Ronald Reagan.

The rule, which was revoked by Barack Obama, forces NGOs to agree to “neither perform nor actively promote abortion as a method of family planning in other nations” as a prerequisite for federal funds. It does not matter if non-US funds are being used for the abortions.

We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view. From 15p €0.18 $0.18 USD 0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras.

Activists say the rule threatens to undermine the viability of countless groups that provide healthcare, including contraception and abortion services, to millions of women in the developing world. Campaigners had said ahead of Mr Trump’s inauguration, they feared he would reintroduce the policy as a gift to Vice President Mike Pence, known for his staunch opposition to abortion rights.

The rule, first introduced in 1984, was named for the location of the UN conference on population where it was announced.

Groups that support abortion rights have long opposed the policy and urged politicians not to back. Republican and Democratic presidents have taken turns to impose and rescind the rule.

Bill Clinton revoked it in January 1993 upon taking office, and George W Bush reinstated it when he assuaged the presidency eight years later. Barack Obama most recently rescinded it again in 2009.

Mr Clinton and Mr Bush signed their orders on 22 January, the anniversary of the 1973 landmark Roe v Wade decision.

Mr Trump's press secretary, Sean Spicer, told reporters: "The president has made clear he is a pro-life president. He wants to stand up for all Americans - including the unborn."</s>U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed executive actions to accelerate the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipeline projects and to decree that American steel should be used for pipelines built in the United States.

Trump also signed an action to expedite environmental review and approval of high-priority infrastructure projects that he hopes to get moving as part of his drive to rebuild U.S. airports, roads and bridges.

Trump told reporters that "we are going to renegotiate some of the terms" of the Keystone XL project. "And if they like we will see if we can get that pipeline built - a lot of jobs, 28,000 jobs, great construction jobs."

He said the Dakota pipeline would be "subject to terms and conditions negotiated by us."

Trump said his order on pipelines "will put a lot of steelworkers back to work."

"We are very insistent that if we are going to build pipelines in the United States, the pipes should be built in the United States," he said.

Former President Barack Obama stopped the proposed Keystone XL pipeline in late 2015, declaring it would have undercut U.S. efforts to clinch a global climate change deal that was a centerpiece of his environmental legacy. The pipeline would run from Canada to U.S. refineries in the Gulf Coast. The U.S. government needed to approve the pipeline because it crossed the border.

Separately, late last year, the Army Corps of Engineers declined to allow construction of the Dakota Access pipeline under Lake Oahe, saying alternative routes needed to be considered. The Standing Rock Sioux tribe and its supporters say the project threatens drinking water and Native American sites, though Energy Transfer Partners, the company that wants to build the pipeline, disputes that and says the pipeline will be safe.

The pipeline is to carry North Dakota oil through South Dakota and Iowa to a shipping point in Illinois.

The person with knowledge of Trump's decisions insisted on anonymity because that person was not authorized to confirm the moves ahead of a formal announcement.

Trump has moved swiftly this week to make good on some of his core campaign pledges he says are aimed at creating jobs and growing the economy. On Monday, he signed a memorandum withdrawing the U.S. from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact, a proposed accord with 11 Pacific Rim countries and another of Obama's prized accomplishments.

"Great thing for the American worker what we just did," Trump said as he signed the order in the Oval Office.

Yet even as Trump moves to implement his agenda, he is still making false claims.

During a reception with lawmakers at the White House Monday evening, Trump claimed the reason he'd lost the popular vote to Democratic rival Hillary Clinton was that 3 million to 5 million immigrants living in the U.S. illegally had voted. That's according to a Democratic aide familiar with the exchange who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private meeting.

There is no evidence to support Trump's claim. He made a similar statement on Twitter in late November that he had won the Electoral College in a "landslide" and "won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally." Clinton won the popular vote by nearly 2.9 million votes but lost the electoral contest.

Trump's assertion appears to be part of a continuing pattern for him and his new administration in which falsehoods overshadow his outreach efforts.

On Tuesday, Trump summoned the heads of the big three American automakers, General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and Fiat Chrysler, for a breakfast meeting at the White House. He pledged to scrap regulations and reduce taxes on corporations that keep jobs in the U.S., though he did not specify his plans for either.

His administration, he said, will "go down as one of the most friendly countries" for business.

Trump's actions signal a reset after a tumultuous weekend dominated by his and his spokesman's false statements about inauguration crowds and their vigorous complaints about media coverage of the celebrations. While Trump's advisers have long accepted his tendency to become fixated on seemingly insignificant issues, some privately concede that his focus on inauguration crowds was unhelpful on the opening weekend of his presidency.

In addition to his executive action on TPP, Trump signed memorandums freezing most federal government hiring — though he noted an exception for the military — and reinstating a ban on providing federal money to international groups that perform abortions or provide information on the option. The regulation, known as the "Mexico City Policy," has been a political volleyball, instituted by Republican administrations and rescinded by Democratic ones since 1984.

The actions were among the long list of steps candidate Trump pledged to take on his opening day as president. But other "Day One" promises were going unfulfilled, including plans to propose a constitutional amendment imposing term limits on members of Congress and terminating Obama's executive actions deferring deportations for some people living in the U.S. illegally.</s>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump moved to advance construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines Tuesday, a pair of projects that were blocked by the Obama administration due in part to environmental concerns. Both orders are subject to renegotiations of the agreements.

Trump also signed a notice requiring the materials for the pipelines to be constructed in the United States, though it was unclear how he planned to enforce the measure.

“From now we are going to start making pipelines in the United States,” Trump said from the Oval Office.

Looking ahead, Trump announced that he planned to nominate a justice for the Supreme Court next week, moving swiftly to try to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. The president was summoning top senators to the White House later Tuesday to discuss his upcoming nomination.

Trump has sought to focus his first full week in office on jobs and the economy. Republicans, as well as some unions, have cited the pipeline projects as prime opportunities for job growth.

Former President Barack Obama stopped the proposed Keystone XL pipeline in late 2015, declaring it would have undercut U.S. efforts to clinch a global climate change deal that was a centerpiece of his environmental legacy. The pipeline would run from Canada to Nebraska where it would connect to existing lines running to U.S. refineries on the Gulf Coast. The U.S. government needs to approve the pipeline because it would cross the nation’s northern border.

Separately, late last year, the Army Corps of Engineers declined to allow construction of the Dakota Access pipeline under Lake Oahe, saying alternative routes needed to be considered. The Standing Rock Sioux tribe and its supporters say the project threatens drinking water and Native American sites, though Energy Transfer Partners, the company that wants to build the pipeline, disputes that and says the pipeline will be safe.

The pipeline is to carry North Dakota oil through South Dakota and Iowa to a shipping point in Illinois.

Even as Trump moves to implement his agenda, he is still making false claims.

During a reception with lawmakers at the White House Monday evening, Trump claimed the reason he’d lost the popular vote to Democratic rival Hillary Clinton was that 3 million to 5 million immigrants living in the U.S. illegally had voted. That’s according to a Democratic aide familiar with the exchange who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private meeting.

There is no evidence to support Trump’s claim. He made a similar statement on Twitter in late November that he had won the Electoral College in a “landslide” and “won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally.” Clinton won the popular vote by nearly 2.9 million votes but lost the electoral contest.

Trump’s assertion appears to be part of a continuing pattern for him and his new administration in which falsehoods overshadow his outreach efforts.

On Tuesday, Trump summoned the heads of the big three American automakers, General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and Fiat Chrysler, for a breakfast meeting at the White House. He pledged to scrap regulations and reduce taxes on corporations that keep jobs in the U.S., though he did not specify his plans for either.

His administration, he said, will “go down as one of the most friendly countries” for business.

Trump’s actions signal a reset after a tumultuous weekend dominated by his and his spokesman’s false statements about inauguration crowds and their vigorous complaints about media coverage of the celebrations. While Trump’s advisers have long accepted his tendency to become fixated on seemingly insignificant issues, some privately concede that his focus on inauguration crowds was unhelpful on the opening weekend of his presidency.

In addition to his executive action on TPP, Trump signed memorandums freezing most federal government hiring — though he noted an exception for the military — and reinstating a ban on providing federal money to international groups that perform abortions or provide information on the option. The regulation, known as the “Mexico City Policy,” has been a political volleyball, instituted by Republican administrations and rescinded by Democratic ones since 1984.

The actions were among the long list of steps candidate Trump pledged to take on his opening day as president. But other “Day One” promises were going unfulfilled, including plans to propose a constitutional amendment imposing term limits on members of Congress and terminating Obama’s executive actions deferring deportations for some people living in the U.S. illegally.

Associated Press writers Darlene Superville, Ken Thomas, Erica Werner, Jonathan Lemire and Jill Colvin contributed to this report.</s>Story highlights Donald Trump campaigned on a promise to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations

Washington (CNN) President Donald Trump on Monday will start to unravel the behemoth trade deal he inherited from his predecessor, as he signed an executive action to withdraw from the negotiating process of the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

That executive action sends signals to Democrats and leaders in foreign capitals around the world that Trump's rhetoric on trade during the campaign is turning into action. Trump vowed during the campaign to withdraw the US from the Pacific trade deal, commonly known as TPP, which he argued was harmful to American workers and manufacturing.

The TPP was negotiated under former President Barack Obama, but never ratified by Congress, so withdrawing from it will not have an immediate, real effect on US economic policies, although it does signal a new and very different US outlook on trade under Trump.

The other executive actions signed Monday included reinstating the Mexico City abortion rules and instituting a hiring freeze for federal agencies.

Read More</s>WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - US President Donald Trump is expected to sign several executive orders on Wednesday (Jan 25) restricting immigration from Syria and six other Middle Eastern or African countries, according to several congressional aides and immigration experts briefed on the matter.

In addition to Syria, Mr Trump’s orders are expected to temporarily restrict access to the United States for most refugees. Another order will block visas from being issued to Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, said the aides and experts, who asked not to be identified.

Mr Trump’s restrictions on refugees are likely to include a multi-month ban on admissions from all countries until the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security can increase the intensity of the vetting process.

The Republican president was expected to sign the orders at the Washington headquarters of the Department of Homeland Security, whose responsibilities include immigration and border security.

On the campaign trail, Mr Trump initially proposed a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States to protect Americans from militant attacks. Many Trump supporters decried Democratic President Barack Obama’s decision to increase the number of Syrian refugees admitted to the United States over fears that those fleeing the country’s civil war would carry out attacks.

Both Mr Trump and his nominee for attorney general, US Senator Jeff Sessions, have since said they would focus the restrictions on countries whose emigres could pose a threat rather than placing a ban on people who follow a specific religion.

To block entry from the designated countries, Mr Trump is likely to instruct the US State Department to stop issuing visas to people from those nations, according to sources familiar with the visa process. He could also instruct US Customs and Border Protection to stop any current visa holders from those countries from entering the United States.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Tuesday that the State and Homeland Security departments would work on the vetting process once Mr Trump’s nominee to head the State Department, Rex Tillerson, is installed.

Other measures may include directing all agencies to finish work on a biometric identification system for non-citizens entering and exiting the United States and a crackdown on immigrants fraudulently receiving government benefits, according to the congressional aides and immigration experts.

To restrict illegal immigration, Mr Trump has promised to build a wall on the US-Mexico border and to deport illegal migrants living inside the United States. None of the orders to be signed Wednesday are expected to focus on those issues.

Mr Trump is also expected to swear in his new secretary of homeland security, retired Marine General John Kelly, on Wednesday.</s>WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump moved to pull the United States out of the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact Monday, dealing a quick blow to Barack Obama’s legacy as the new chief executive began fulfilling campaign promises in his first full week in office.

“Great thing for the American worker that we just did,” Trump said in brief remarks as he signed a notice in the Oval Office.

The president also signed memorandums freezing most federal government hiring, though he noted an exception for the military, and reinstating a ban on providing federal money to international groups that perform abortions or provide information on the option. The regulation, known as the “Mexico City Policy,” has been a political volleyball, instituted by Republican administrations and rescinded by Democratic ones since 1984.

Following a tumultuous first weekend in office — consumed by Trump’s criticism of the media’s inauguration coverage and his spokesman’s angry, inaccurate tirade against journalists — the president was seeking to refocus on the sweeping, yet often vague, promises he made as a candidate. He campaigned as a fierce opponent of multilateral trade agreements, particularly the 12-nation Pacific Rim deal.

The deal was the cornerstone of Obama’s attempt to counter China’s influence in Asia. The Obama administration laboured for years to finalize TPP. But Obama’s own Democratic Party was skeptical of the pact, and the former president never sent it to Congress for ratification.

As Trump pressed forward with executive actions, a legal watchdog group filed a lawsuit alleging he is violating the so-called emoluments clause in the Constitution by allowing his business to accept payments from foreign governments. The liberal-funded watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics says the clause prohibits Trump from receiving money from diplomats for stays at his hotels or from foreign governments for leases of office space in his buildings.

Asked about the suit, Trump said it was “totally without merit.”

The president was spending much of the day reaching out to lawmakers and others with a stake in his economic policies. Congressional leaders from both parties were attending an evening reception at the White House. The president was also scheduled to meet with union leaders and workers.

He began the day huddling with business leaders. He warned that he would impose a “substantial border tax” on companies that move their manufacturing out of the United States. He also promised tax advantages to companies that produce products domestically.

“All you have to do is stay,” he said during a meeting in the White House’s Roosevelt Room.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Marillyn Hewson of Lockheed Martin were among the executives who attended the meeting. The gathering kicked off a jam-packed day for the new president, including an evening reception with lawmakers from both parties and a sit-down with union leaders.

Trump ran for office pledging to overhaul U.S. trade policy, arguing that massive free-trade agreements have disadvantaged American workers. Since winning the White House, he’s aggressively called out companies that have moved factories overseas, vowing to slap taxes on products they then try to sell in the U.S.

“Some people say that’s not free trade, but we don’t have free trade now,” Trump said Monday.

The president also reiterated his campaign pledge to lower taxes for companies, as well as the middle class, “anywhere from 15-25%,” although Trump has not been clear on how he intends to make up for the lost tax revenue. He also called for cutting 75% of federal regulations — and insisted that doing so would not compromise worker safety.

Monday’s developments came after a first weekend in the White House that included Trump lambasting news organizations for correctly reporting on the size of the crowds at his inauguration and mass protests against his presidency on the following day.

Spokesman Sean Spicer was dispatched to the White House briefing room Saturday to reinforce the message, though his remarks included several inaccuracies, including a claim that floor coverings were used on the National Mall for the first time, accentuating empty spaces. Coverings were also used during Obama’s 2013 inauguration.

In his first days in office, Trump has been reaching out to several world leaders, including a call Monday with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. On Sunday, the president spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who accepted an invitation to visit the White House in early February. The prime minister said he is hoping to forge a “common vision” with the newly inaugurated U.S. president that could include expanded Israeli settlement construction and a tougher policy toward Iran.

Trump also announced that he’s set up meetings with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, whose countries are partners with the U.S. in the North American Free Trade Agreement. Trump has vowed to renegotiate the terms of that pact.

“We’re going to start some negotiations having to do with NAFTA,” he said of his meeting with Pena Nieto.

Later in the week, he’ll address congressional Republicans at their retreat in Philadelphia and meet with British Prime Minister Theresa May.</s>President Donald Trump addresses business and trade issues on Monday. Highlights of the day follow:BUSINESS

 Trump meets with a dozen prominent American manufacturers at the White House, promising to cut regulations and corporate taxes but warning them of penalties if they move production outside the country.TRADE

 Trump could sign an executive order on Monday intended to renegotiate the free trade agreement between the United States, Canada and Mexico, NBC News reported.Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau begins a retreat with his Cabinet focusing mainly on the best approach to take with Trump, whose vow to renegotiate NAFTA could damage the nation's economy.Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, saying Trump understands the value of free trade, vows to keep pitching a multinational pact that Trump's administration has vowed to exit.British Prime Minister Theresa May will champion free trade and also voice her support for the Iran nuclear deal when she meets Trump later this week, her spokeswoman said.

Mexico is ready to renegotiate trade rules with the United States but any change in U.S. policy that affected imports would be countered with a "mirror action" in Mexico.FOREIGN LEADERS

 The Kremlin expects to agree soon on a date for the first phone call between President Vladimir Putin and Trump, but there is no word on when they will meet.

Gulf Arab states are quietly applauding the arrival in the White House of a hawkish leader opposed to their adversary Iran, even if they suspect Trump might at times heighten tensions in the Middle East.LAWSUIT

 A group files suit against Trump, accusing him of violating the "emoluments" clause of the U.S. Constitution by allowing his hotels and other businesses to accept payments from foreign governments.

MARKET IMPACT

 For financial markets, the Trump era begins on Monday. If history is any guide, the following month should be a rocky one for Wall Street but positive for the dollar.AFGHANISTAN

 The Taliban calls on Trump to withdraw U.S. forces from the "quagmire" of Afghanistan, saying nothing has been achieved in 15 years of war except bloodshed and destruction. (Compiled by Bill Trott; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn and Meredith Mazzilli)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
U.S. President Donald Trump issues executive orders to withdraw the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and reinstates the Mexico City Policy, a policy banning U.S. aid to foreign organizations that use funds from other sources to perform or discuss abortions, which Barack Obama scrapped in 2009.