The sports industry has nobody to blame but itself for Donald J. Trump’s presidency. Or so says ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith.

If the NFL had allowed the billionaire real estate mogul to buy the NFL's Bills in 2014, he never would have run for president, said the co-host of ESPN’s “First Take.”

Back in the 1986, Trump led USFL owners in a high-stakes anti-trust lawsuit against the NFL. The NFL beat back Trump — but it never forgave or forgot. The ghost of Trump's USFL legal challenge may have come back to haunt him during his billion dollar bid for the Bills.

“They may have very well and directly been responsible for him running for the presidency,” Smith said with a rueful laugh. “Which means they very well may be directly responsible for him being the president-elect of the U.S.”

If Barack Obama was the First Fan, with his pickup basketball games and March Madness bracket for ESPN, Trump is Obama's stark opposite.

Say hello to America’s first sports-mogul-in-chief.

Our bombastic new president is the last guy you want as your enemy.

Given Trump’s public threatening of corporations, from Ford to Mercedes-Benz before even taking office, the NFL could be in for a long four years.

Possible trouble with Trump may be why the NFL has been hiring famous Washington spin doctors such as Joe Lockhart, who helped guide President Bill Clinton through the Monica Lewinsky impeachment scandal.

No wonder the league has been "very, very quiet" about Trump, Smith said (The NFL declined to comment for this story).

As our 45th president, Trump will be like having a headstrong, billionaire sports owner in the White House.

But we’ve never had a president who’s been so financially involved in sports as an owner, promoter and money man throughout his career as Trump.

MORE: Bob Knight says Trump could be America's greatest president

Think Cowboys owner Jerry Jones crossed with late Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, one of Trump's early mentors.

Throw in the blunt outspokenness of the UFC’s Dana White, the barnstorming skills of the WWE’s Vince McMahon and the "Greed is Good" ethos of "Wall Street's" Gordon Gekko, and you’ve got the mogul simply nicknamed “The Donald.”

He owned the USFL’s Jersey Generals with Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker at running back. His bold challenge of the NFL earned him millions in free publicity and put him on the map as a power player to be reckoned with.

But Trump also destroyed the league with his push to move the USFL from the spring to the fall, his critics say. If not for Trump, we might still have spring football today.

Trump is a huge supporter of golf, buying and developing golf courses around the world while other investors were heading for the hills during a global recession.

But he’s still held at arm's length by the white shoe golf establishment, which is wary of his boasting and self-promotion.

In his early days, Trump promoted heavyweight boxing champions Mike Tyson and Michael Spinks. But he’s now more associated with pro wrestling, even appearing as a “heel" at WrestleMania.

Politicos were mystified by Trump’s quixotic presidential campaign. But sports pros recognized early his style came straight from a wrestling villain’s handbook, complete with juvenile insults (“Crooked Hillary”) of opponents.

Trump's choreographed entrance at the Republican National Convention (in silhouette to the tune of “We are the Champions") put pro wrestlers such as The Undertaker to shame.

"We're going to win, we're going to win so big," declared Trump to the Republican crowd in Cleveland that night.

It’s no coincidence Trump counts McMahon among his close friends. Both are brilliant promoters and marketers. Both are utterly shameless.

The Sports-Owner-in-Chief metaphor came full circle in recent weeks as sports leaders such as MLB commissioner Rob Manfred made the pilgrimage to Trump Tower to kiss the ring.

Trump’s familiar face and hairdo have been omnipresent at the nation’s biggest sporting events for years, a fact that gave him instant recognition with millions of U.S. voters who love sports.

The Super Bowl is annually the country’s most-watched TV event. Trump has appeared in multiple Super Bowl commercials — always playing himself, of course.

Trump is pals with Tom Brady and Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots. He name-dropped Kraft and Brady at an inauguration dinner in Washington on Thursday, bragging the Patriots QB called to congratulate him on winning the election.

During the negotiations for the Bills, Trump promised to keep the club in Buffalo. But he lost to a rival $1.4 billion bid from NHL owner Terry Pegula.

As usual, Trump took to Twitter to tell his side of the story.

A few months after launching his presidential campaign in June 2015, Trump told Sports Illustrated that he might have sat out the race if he had won the Bills.

Trump doesn't like to lose. During his 2016 run for the presidency, he frequently bashed the NFL on the campaign trail.

MORE: Trump gives U.K. ambassador role to Jets owner Woody Johnson

He ripped the league's policies on head injuries, saying football has “become soft like our country has become soft.”

He blamed the league's regular season sudden TV ratings drop this year on, who else, himself.

He blasted Colin Kaepernick's protest of the American flag and national anthem as a "terrible thing" — and suggested the 49ers quarterback move to another country.

Trump owned the Generals from 1984 to 1985. He was a good owner too, paying top dollar to quarterbacks such as Brian Sipe and Doug Flutie.

But he couldn’t stop tweaking the mighty NFL. Even if what he really wanted was an AFL-style merger in which the NFL admitted some, if not all, of the USFL clubs.

When the author of "The Art of the Deal" couldn't close the merger, he led an anti-trust lawsuit against the NFL.

Trump won the suit, but it was a pyrrhic victory. The jury awarded the USFL a measly $3 in damages. Trump's push to move the USFL from spring to fall to go head-to-head with the NFL was the last straw. The USFL went belly-up after only three seasons

Mike Tollin, director of ESPN Films' "Small Potatoes: Who Killed the USFL," squarely blames Trump for the league’s demise. During a tense interview with Tollin at Trump Tower, the mogul dismissed the USFL as "small potatoes" that was doomed to failure.

"This was a guy who never bought into the concept of spring football. After all, he made the infamous quote, 'If God wanted spring football, he wouldn't have invented baseball,’" Tollin told SN in an interview. “It was a thinly veiled effort by Donald to force his way into the NFL — a league that wanted no part of him.”

For over a decade, the real estate developer has been buying up high-end golf properties around the world. Trump owns 17 premier properties in the U.S., Scotland, Ireland and Dubai.

He shrewdly purchased the bankrupt estate of former automaker John DeLorean in the rolling horse country of Bedminster, N.J., for $35 million in 2002.

Trump then built a championship venue capable of hosting a major championship from Day One, complete with extra acres for parking, concessions and TV tents.

Now, the Queens, N.Y., native is this close to getting his mitts on golf’s crown jewels for his flagship Trump National Golf Club Bedminster.

The king of self-promotion has campaigned for years to land major tournaments for Bedminster. Did you notice the millions in free publicity he earned for Bedminster this fall by interviewing Cabinet nominees such as Mitt Romney at the club?

Unless golf’s governing bodies get cold feet, those majors are finally coming his way.

Bedminster is slated to host the 2017 U.S. Women Open and 2022 PGA Championship. The club's profile keeps growing.

Members are said to include former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and President Clinton.

During his swinging single days as bachelor quarterback of the Jets, Mark Sanchez reportedly lived at Trump Bedminster.

The reality TV star behind “The Apprentice” plays a recurring role in McMahon's WWE soap opera.

There was the "Battle of the Billionaires," where Trump body-slammed McMahon, then shaved his head at WrestleMania 23 in 2007.

In another WWE storyline, Trump "bought" then sold "Monday Night Raw" back to his pal McMahon.

Naturally, Trump is in the WWE’s Hall of Fame.

At a time when Sen. John McCain dismissed mixed martial arts as “human cockfighting,” Trump helped give the fledgling UFC legitimacy by hosting UFC events at his Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City.

Dana White credits Trump as being one of the early visionaries behind MMA. When everybody was bashing the UFC as a "blood sport," Trump was offering his support.

White repaid the favor by speaking up for his "friend" at the RNC.

"Nobody took us seriously. Nobody — except Donald Trump," White told RNC attendees. "Donald was the first guy that recognized the potential that we saw in the UFC and encouraged us to build our business."

During his Atlantic City casino days, the Trump brand was synonymous with boxing.

He bankrolled Tyson's title fights, including his 91-second demolition of Michael Spinks in 1998.

At the time, it was the richest fight in boxing history. Trump is still close with Tyson and promoter Don King.

Oh, in his spare time, he pushed the so-called "Tour de Trump" in 1989-990: a cycling race that was supposed to be America's answer to the Tour de France.

Even Trump's many business books sound like they could have been written by tough-as-nail coaches such as his good friend Bobby Knight .

There was "Think Like a Champion" in 2010 and "Think Big and Kick Ass in Business and Life” in 2009.

And, of course, his own golf book: "Trump: The Best Golf Advice I Ever Received.”

Sports have helped shape and define Trump’s win-at-all-costs personality, said Michael D'Antonio, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "The Truth about Trump. ”

A teenage Trump's first brush with fame came while playing high school baseball at the New York Military Academy.

After the young Trump hit a game-winning homer, his feat was noted in a small-town newspaper.

That first intoxicating dose of media attention helped create the media monster we know today.

"He's been chasing that high ever since," said D’Antonio.

Like many successful CEO types, Trump equates business success with success in sports.

During one interview for the book in Trump's office, D’Antonio spotted one of Tyson’s old championship belts laying on the floor, reportedly in payment for a personal debt.

“He thinks of making money as a way to keep score. That’s why (sports) appeals to him,” D’Antonio said in an interview with Sporting News. “The idea that it's a competition and — at the end — someone’s declared the the winner and someone’s declared the loser. You get measured."

If Trump views most sports as a zero sum business opportunity, golf is a labor of love, the author said.

Trump has played golf most of his life, and is good at it.

He proposed to his second wife, Marla Maples, on a golf course, D’Antonio said.

He recently posted a picture of himself with Tiger Woods after playing a round together in Florida.

As always with The Donald, he talks a great game, D'Antonio said.

“He told me he’s won 18 club championships. He says, ‘Those are like majors, you know?’ No, I don’t know. That’s like saying the competition in 'Caddyshack' was like the Masters.”

The golf industry owes Trump big for investing money during an economic recession, when golf clubs were closing left and right, D'Antonio said.

Yet Trump, as always, has managed to make enemies in a well-to-do sport that should be tailor-made for him.

As HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” reported, he’s detested in Scotland — despite Scottish ancestry on his mother’s side. There was even a petition to ban him from the country.

Like many sports moguls, Trump is a brilliant manager with a keen eye for talent.

His employees are deeply loyal. His personal assistant and ultimate gatekeeper, Rhona Graff, has been with him for decades.

Like the Rooneys (Steelers) and Maras (Giants) in the NFL, the Trump Organization is a family dynasty that's being passed down to Trump's sons, daughters and extended family.

Trump’s problems come when he has to deal with people who are his equal in money and stature.

He has a tendency to bully, bulldoze and belittle anybody he sees as being in his way.

Just ask Jeb “Low Energy” Bush, scion of one of the country’s great political dynasties, who was flattened by Trump in the Republican primaries..

His fellow USFL owners loathed Trump so much that dying Tampa Bay Bandits owner John Bassett threatened to “punch him in the nose.”

MORE: How Trump almost bought a soccer club

Like many sports types, Trump divides the world into "winners" and “losers.”

It would never occur to Trump to root for an underdog, D’Antonio said. That’s why he support the Yankees, the winningest team in baseball history, and Patriots, the evil empire of the NFL.

If anything, Trump is the walking embodiment of Nike's old Olympic commercial: "You don't win silver, you lose gold.”

There’s a lot of speculation about whether Trump will punish his corporate enemies such as the NFL.

But his real problem may come from the athletes, particularly African-Americans, who didn’t like what he had to say or how he said it on the campaign trail.

Not to mention his feud with U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), the famous civil rights pioneer.

Already, some NBA teams, such as Mark Cuban's Mavericks, that used to stay at Trump-branded hotels, are changing their travel plans. LeBron James and other members of the Cavaliers also refused to stay in a Trump hotel during the team's trip to New York in December.

Trump is likely to face more athlete protests than previous occupants of the White House, said Shannon Sharpe, the Pro Football Hall of Famer now co-starring with Skip Bayless on FS1's "Undisputed" morning debate show.

"He said Mexicans are rapists and murderers -- and became president. So if he can say that, and he's the president of the U.S., what can someone who's not expected to be held to a higher standard, what can he or she say that will become acceptable? This is the new norm now," Sharpe told SN in an interview.

MORE: NASCAR driver gets VIP treatment at inauguration

Still, unlike some Trump haters in sports and Hollywood, Sharpe is willing to give the new president a chance.

Given Trump's famous plan to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, Sharpe is thinking of starting his own construction company.

The Great Wall of Trump is "going to need a lot of bricks and cement," he said.

Maybe the NFL should've let Trump buy the Bills after all.</s>WASHINGTON: Donald Trump is preparing to sign executive actions on his first day in the White House on Friday to take the opening steps to crack down on immigration, build a wall on the US-Mexican border and roll back outgoing President Barack Obama's policies.

Trump, a Republican elected on Nov. 8 to succeed Democrat Obama, arrived in Washington on a military plane with his family a day before he will be sworn in during a ceremony at the US Capitol.

Aides said Trump would not wait to wield one of the most powerful tools of his office, the presidential pen, to sign several executive actions that can be implemented without the input of Congress.

"He is committed to not just Day 1, but Day 2, Day 3 of enacting an agenda of real change, and I think that you're going to see that in the days and weeks to come," Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said on Thursday, telling reporters to expect activity on Friday, during the weekend and early next week.

Trump plans on Saturday to visit the headquarters of the CIA in Langley, Virginia. He has harshly criticised the agency and its outgoing chief, first questioning the CIA's conclusion that Russia was involved in cyber hacking during the US election campaign, before later accepting the verdict. Trump also likened US intelligence agencies to Nazi Germany.

Trump's advisers vetted more than 200 potential executive orders for him to consider signing on health care, climate policy, immigration, energy and numerous other issues, but it was not clear how many orders he would initially approve, according to a member of the Trump transition team who was not authorized to talk to the press.

Signing off on orders puts Trump, who has presided over a sprawling business empire but has never before held public office, in a familiar place similar to the CEO role that made him famous, and will give him some early victories before he has to turn to the lumbering process of getting Congress to pass bills.

The strategy has been used by other presidents, including Obama, in their first few weeks in office.

"He wants to show he will take action and not be stifled by Washington gridlock," said Princeton University presidential historian Julian Zelizer.

Trump is expected to impose a federal hiring freeze and take steps to delay a Labour Department rule due to take effect in April that would require brokers who give retirement advice to put their clients' best interests first.

He also will give official notice he plans to withdraw from the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal and renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico, Spicer said. "I think you will see those happen very shortly," Spicer said.

Obama, ending eight years as president, made frequent use of his executive powers during his second term in office, when the Republican-controlled Congress stymied his efforts to overhaul immigration and environmental laws. Many of those actions are now ripe targets for Trump to reverse.

Trump is expected to sign an executive order in his first few days to direct the building of a wall on the southern border with Mexico, and actions to limit the entry of asylum seekers from Latin America, among several immigration-related steps his advisers have recommended.

That includes rescinding Obama's order that allowed more than 700,000 people brought into the United States illegally as children to stay in the country on a two-year authorization to work and attend college, according to several people close to the presidential transition team.

It is unlikely Trump's order will result in an immediate roundup of these immigrants, sources told Reuters. Rather, he is expected to let the authorizations expire.

The issue could set up a confrontation with Obama, who told reporters on Wednesday he would weigh in if he felt the new administration was unfairly targeting those immigrants.

Advisers to Trump expect him to put restrictions on people entering the United States from certain countries until a system for "extreme vetting" for militants can be set up.

During his presidential campaign, Trump proposed banning non-American Muslims from entering the United States, but his executive order regarding immigration is expected to be based on nationality rather than religion.

Another proposed executive order would require all Cabinet departments to disclose and pause current work being done in connection with Obama's initiatives to kerb carbon emissions to combat climate change.

Trump also is expected to extend prohibitions on future lobbying imposed on members of his transition team.

Washington has turned into a virtual fortress ahead of the inauguration, with police ready to step into separate protesters from Trump supporters at any sign of unrest.

As Obama packed up to leave the White House, Trump and his family laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery and attended a concert at the Lincoln Memorial.

Trump spoke earlier to lawmakers and Cabinet nominees at a luncheon in a ballroom at his hotel, down the street from the White House, announcing during brief remarks that he would pick Woody Johnson, owner of the New York Jets of the National Football League, as US ambassador to Britain.

"We have a lot of smart people. I tell you what, one thing we've learned, we have by far the highest IQ of any Cabinet ever assembled," Trump said.

Trump has selected all 21 members of his Cabinet, along with six other key positions requiring Senate confirmation. The Senate is expected on Friday to vote to confirm retired General James Mattis, Trump's pick to lead the Pentagon, and retired General John Kelly, his homeland security choice.

Senate Republicans had hoped to confirm as many as seven Cabinet members on Friday, but Democrats baulked at the pace. Trump spokesman Spicer accused Senate Democrats of "stalling tactics."

Also in place for Monday will be 536 "beachhead team members" at government agencies, Vice President-elect Mike Pence said, a small portion of the thousands of positions Obama's appointees will vacate.

Trump has asked 50 Obama staffers in critical posts to stay on until replacements can be found, including Deputy Defence Secretary Robert Work and Brett McGurk, envoy to the US-led coalition fighting Daesh.

The list includes Adam Szubin, who has long served in an "acting" capacity in the Treasury Department's top anti-terrorism job because his nomination has been held up by congressional Republicans since Obama named him to the job in April 2015.

The Supreme Court said US Chief Justice John Roberts, who will administer the oath of office on Friday, met with Trump on Thursday to discuss inauguration arrangements.</s>The NFL’s presence overseas just took a strange and interesting turn.

President-elect Donald Trump said on Thursday that New York Jets owners Woody Johnson would be named to the post of U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom. Trump revealed his newest appointment at a luncheon in Washington D.C. the day prior to being sworn in as the 45th U.S. president.

Robert Wood “Woody” Johnson IV purchased the Jets 17 years ago on Wednesday. He is a longtime Republican donor who served Jeb Bush’s campaign before shifting his support to Trump once Bush dropped from the race. Johnson also served as vice chairman of Trump campaign’s victory committee and hosted several fundraisers for him.

The ambassador position is considered a plum job, and Trump said Thursday that Johnson would be “going to St. James” — a reference to the Court of St James.

Johnson reportedly plans to shift ownership of the team to his younger brother, Christopher Wold Johnson, in a move that might elicit cheers from Jets fans — no matter their political leanings — who have been dismayed with the direction of the team the past several seasons. We have no idea how Woody Johnson will fare as ambassador, but it might serve Trump well if Johnson fares better than he has as an NFL team owner.

Johnson is likely to be a big figure as the NFL increases its reach overseas, specifically into England, where four London games are on the schedule for the 2017 season. Could the NFL one day land a franchise in England? If so, Johnson would figure to be involved in the process, if that occurs, over the next four years and perhaps beyond.

It also wouldn’t be the least bit shocking to see the Jets featured in more London games going forward. To date, the Jets have appeared in one game in the NFL’s International Series — 2014 against the Miami Dolphins at Wembley Stadium — but could end up being fixtures there, much like the Jacksonville Jaguars have become, as more games are likely to be added.

Although the appointment might seem odd to some, it’s very common for high-profile donors to earn posts with Western allies such as the U.K. Johnson will be replacing Matthew Barzun, who served as President Barack Obama’s national finance chairman in 2012.

Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!</s>WASHINGTON – Working-class voters are credited with delivering Donald Trump his victory, but it was a high-heel-and-tuxedo crowd featuring Republican donors and a smattering of celebrities led by Caitlyn Jenner who celebrated the 45th president at the Liberty Ball in the Washington Convention Center on Friday night.

The crowd was decidedly older than the ones that boogied at Barack Obama’s first inaugural balls navigated a maze of barriers and chain-link fences into the convention center. It was just a few short blocks from where protesters vandalized businesses and set fires in the street earlier in the day.

They entered a 150,000-square-foot meeting space to dine on tortellini, cheese, fruit, and red, white and blue cupcakes. The tiny paper plates and plasticware brought a blue-collar feel to the black-tie affair.

Dozens of people stood in line to have their photos taken in front of a presidential hedge and Oval Office backgrounds. Two white stages reaching the ceiling were situated at one end of the room in front of a blue carpet.

Every guest was greeted with four $5 drink tickets, all of which were needed for a single glass of champagne.

Presentation of colors by a military brass band began at 7:42 p.m., followed by the national anthem.

Though the event – on and offstage – was thin on Hollywood names, there were some notables in the crowd that attendees tried to get selfies with.

Jenner hung out in the back wearing a long, blue one-shoulder dress, surrounded by selfie seekers; Rex Ryan, the recently fired Buffalo Bills head coach, enjoyed cocktails in the VIP area with Mark Sanchez and Nick Mangold, players from his days with the New York Jets; nearby Department of Energy nominee Rick Perry enjoyed meaty appetizers.

It remained mostly a cocktail party with background music as people waited for the real star.

And when he arrived, he didn’t stay long.

Trump and the first lady were announced after 9 p.m. during the welcome speeches. The crowd cheered and held up their cellphones to video chat with friends and family.

“We began this journey and they said we – we and me – we didn’t have a chance,” Trump told the crowd. “But we knew we were going to win, and we won. And today we had a great day. People that weren’t so nice to me were saying that we did a really good job today. They hated to do it but they did it, and I respect that.”

Then Trump put down his mic and the first couple began awkwardly stepped side-to-side to Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.”

When they left, so did a lot of the party.

The president and the first lady shared their first dance well after 9 p.m. at the Liberty Ball. Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, as well as the couples’ children joined them on the stage.

Minutes later, they all repeated the ritual at the Freedom Ball, concluding with Trump leading the crowd in a chant of “U.S.A!”

There, Trump also asked the crowd whether he should “keep the Twitter going?”

Trump said his all-hours tweeting to his more than 20 million followers is “a way of bypassing dishonest media.”

That first dance is the most-watched moment of most inaugural balls, with extra emphasis on the first lady’s choice of frock (it usually ends up in the National Museum of American History). Melania Trump wore a strapless, column white Hervé Pierre dress, with a white ruffle cascading down the front.

Eager to demonstrate his readiness to take actions, Trump went directly to the Oval Office Friday night, before the inaugural balls, and signed his first executive order as president — on “Obamacare.”

The order notes that Trump intends to seek the “prompt repeal” of the law. But in the meantime, it allows the Health and Human Services Department or other federal agencies to delay implementing any piece of the law that might impose a “fiscal burden” on states, health care providers, families or individuals.

It may take weeks or months to discern the full impact of Trump’s directive on “Obamacare.” Departments like Health and Human Services and Treasury will have to issue policies that embody the new president’s wishes.

Trump made clear he is not unilaterally suspending the Affordable Care Act. It remains on the books, and his directive instructs agencies to act within “the maximum extent permitted by law.”

Changing the underlying law would require Congress to act, but the Trump administration can rewrite regulations carrying out the legislation. New regulations cannot be issued overnight, but would have to follow a legally established process that requires public notice and an opportunity for interested parties to comment on the administration’s changes.

– With files from The Associated Press</s>Donald Trump confirmed on Thursday that the President-elect is naming New York Jets owner Woody Johnson to become the next U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom.

Trump referred to Johnson as “ambassador” during a speech at a luncheon in Washington, according to a report from Reuters.

Robert Wood “Woody” Johnson IV, 69, has long been active in fundraising for Republican candidates, and was the National Finance Chairman for Jeb Bush’s presidential campaign before ultimately endorsing Trump last May. Johnson, who purchased the Jets in 2000, is expected to turn over control of the team to his younger brother, Christopher Wold Johnson.</s>Actor Alec Baldwin reprised his popular impersonation of President-elect Donald Trump at a demonstration Thursday protesting against Trump’s inauguration scheduled for Friday. The actor was joined at the protest by other celebrities including Robert De Niro, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Moore and Cher. Baldwin began his address with the impersonation, speaking to the crowd outside the Trump…</s>Donald Trump is preparing to sign executive actions on his first day in the White House on Friday to take the opening steps to crack down on immigration, build a wall on the US-Mexican border and roll back outgoing President Barack Obama's policies.

Trump arrived in Washington on a military plane with his family a day before he will be sworn in during a ceremony at the US Capitol.

Aides said Trump would not wait to wield one of the most powerful tools of his office, the presidential pen, to sign several executive actions that can be implemented without the input of Congress.

'He is committed to not just Day 1, but Day 2, Day 3 of enacting an agenda of real change, and I think that you're going to see that in the days and weeks to come,' Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said on Thursday, telling reporters to expect activity on Friday, during the weekend and early next week.

Trump plans to visit the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia on Saturday.

He has harshly criticized the agency and its outgoing chief, first questioning the CIA's conclusion that Russia was involved in cyber hacking during the US election campaign, before later accepting the verdict.

Trump also likened US intelligence agencies to Nazi Germany.

Trump's advisers vetted more than 200 potential executive orders for him to consider signing on health care, climate policy, immigration, energy and numerous other issues.

It was not clear, however, how many orders he would initially approve, according to a member of the Trump transition team who was not authorized to talk to the press.

Signing off on orders puts Trump, who has presided over a sprawling business empire but has never before held public office, in a familiar place similar to the CEO role that made him famous, and will give him some early victories before he has to turn to the lumbering process of getting Congress to pass bills.

The strategy has been used by other presidents, including Obama, in their first few weeks in office.

'He wants to show he will take action and not be stifled by Washington gridlock,' said Princeton University presidential historian Julian Zelizer.

Trump is expected to impose a federal hiring freeze and take steps to delay a Labor Department rule due to take effect in April that would require brokers who give retirement advice to put their clients' best interests first.

He also will give official notice he plans to withdraw from the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal and renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico, Spicer said.

'I think you will see those happen very shortly,' Spicer added.

Obama, ending eight years as president, made frequent use of his executive powers during his second term in office, when the Republican-controlled Congress stymied his efforts to overhaul immigration and environmental laws.

Many of those actions are now ripe targets for Trump to reverse.

Trump is expected to sign an executive order in his first few days to direct the building of a wall on the southern border with Mexico, and actions to limit the entry of asylum seekers from Latin America, among several immigration-related steps his advisers have recommended.

That includes rescinding Obama's order that allowed more than 700,000 people brought into the United States illegally as children to stay in the country on a two-year authorization to work and attend college, according to several people close to the presidential transition team.

It is unlikely Trump's order will result in an immediate roundup of these immigrants, sources told Reuters. Rather, he is expected to let the authorizations expire.

The issue could set up a confrontation with Obama, who told reporters on Wednesday he would weigh in if he felt the new administration was unfairly targeting those immigrants.

Advisers to Trump expect him to put restrictions on people entering the United States from certain countries until a system for 'extreme vetting' for Islamist extremists can be set up.

During his presidential campaign, Trump proposed banning non-American Muslims from entering the United States, but his executive order regarding immigration is expected to be based on nationality rather than religion.

Another proposed executive order would require all Cabinet departments to disclose and pause current work being done in connection with Obama's initiatives to curb carbon emissions to combat climate change.

Trump also is expected to extend prohibitions on future lobbying imposed on members of his transition team.

Washington was turned into a virtual fortress ahead of the inauguration, with police ready to step in to separate protesters from Trump supporters at any sign of unrest.

As Obama packed up to leave the White House, Trump and his family laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery and attended a concert at the Lincoln Memorial.

Trump spoke earlier to lawmakers and Cabinet nominees at a luncheon in a ballroom at his hotel, down the street from the White House, announcing during brief remarks that he would pick New York Jets owner Woody Johnson as US ambassador to Britain.

'We have a lot of smart people. I tell you what, one thing we've learned, we have by far the highest IQ of any Cabinet ever assembled,' Trump said.

Trump has selected all 21 members of his Cabinet, along with six other key positions requiring Senate confirmation.

The Senate is expected on Friday to vote to confirm retired General James Mattis, Trump's pick to lead the Pentagon, and retired General John Kelly, his homeland security choice.

Senate Republicans had hoped to confirm as many as seven Cabinet members on Friday, but Democrats balked at the pace. Trump spokesman Spicer accused Senate Democrats of 'stalling tactics'.

Also in place for Monday will be 536 'beachhead team members' at government agencies, Vice President-elect Mike Pence said, a small portion of the thousands of positions Obama's appointees will vacate.

Trump has asked 50 Obama staffers in critical posts to stay on until replacements can be found, including Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work and Brett McGurk, envoy to the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State.

The list includes Adam Szubin, who has long served in an 'acting' capacity in the Treasury Department's top anti-terrorism job because his nomination has been held up by congressional Republicans since Obama named him to the job in April 2015.

The Supreme Court said US Chief Justice John Roberts, who will administer the oath of office on Friday, met with Trump on Thursday to discuss inauguration arrangements.</s>President Donald Trump may have been born and raised in New York, but he's certainly no stranger to New Jersey. In fact, Trump is the first president since Woodrow Wilson with such a robust connection to the state.

Start the conversation, or Read more at News12.com.</s>New York Jets owner Woody Johnson isn’t the only sports heavyweight in Washington D.C. this week for President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.

Johnson, 69, has been nominated to serve as the next U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom, Trump announced Thursday at a luncheon held to honor his closest supporters. The Jets owner is also expected to be in attendance on Friday when Trump is sworn in as the 45th president of the United States. Johnson was among the first sports figures to support Trump, endorsing his campaign last May after previously serving as Jeb Bush’s finance chair.

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who has expressed admiration for Trump on multiple occasions, was also in D.C. this week, joining other dignitaries at the Chairman’s Global Dinner on Tuesday, the Boston Globe reported. Representatives from the New England Patriots did not immediately respond to a request for comment from FOXBusiness.com.

Other representatives from the football world included NFL Hall of Fame inductee Jim Brown, who drew criticism last month for meeting with the president-elect at Trump Tower.

Brown held a press conference on Thursday on behalf of the National Diversity Coalition For Trump and the Amer-I-Can Program, an outreach initiative seeking to work with Trump to address socioeconomic issues in inner cities. Former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, former New York Jets running back Curtis Martin and legendary college basketball coach Bobby Knight also attended the event.

Caitlyn Jenner, the former Olympic gold medalist, will attend Trump’s inauguration on Friday. Her representatives confirmed that she will appear at the behest of the American Unity Fund, a conservative organization dedicated to LGBTQ rights, People reported. The American Unity Fund did not immediately respond to a request for comment.</s>Donald Trump is preparing to sign executive actions on his first day in the White House on Friday to take the opening steps to crack down on immigration, build a wall on the U.S.-Mexican border and roll back outgoing President Barack Obama’s policies. Trump, a Republican elected on Nov. 8 to succeed Democrat Obama, arrived in Washington on a military plane with his family a day before he will be sworn in during a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol.

Aides said Trump would not wait to wield one of the most powerful tools of his office, the presidential pen, to sign several executive actions that can be implemented without the input of Congress.

“He is committed to not just Day 1, but Day 2, Day 3 of enacting an agenda of real change, and I think that you’re going to see that in the days and weeks to come,” Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said on Thursday, telling reporters to expect activity on Friday, during the weekend and early next week.

Trump plans on Saturday to visit the headquarters of the CIA in Langley, Virginia. He has harshly criticized the agency and its outgoing chief, first questioning the CIA’s conclusion that Russia was involved in cyber hacking during the U.S. election campaign, before later accepting the verdict. Trump also likened U.S. intelligence agencies to Nazi Germany.

Trump’s advisers vetted more than 200 potential executive orders for him to consider signing on healthcare, climate policy, immigration, energy and numerous other issues, but it was not clear how many orders he would initially approve, according to a member of the Trump transition team who was not authorized to talk to the press.

Signing off on orders puts Trump, who has presided over a sprawling business empire but has never before held public office, in a familiar place similar to the CEO role that made him famous, and will give him some early victories before he has to turn to the lumbering process of getting Congress to pass bills.

The strategy has been used by other presidents, including Obama, in their first few weeks in office.

“He wants to show he will take action and not be stifled by Washington gridlock,” said Princeton University presidential historian Julian Zelizer.

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Trump is expected to impose a federal hiring freeze and take steps to delay a Labor Department rule due to take effect in April that would require brokers who give retirement advice to put their clients’ best interests first.

He also will give official notice he plans to withdraw from the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal and renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico, Spicer said. “I think you will see those happen very shortly,” Spicer said.

Obama, ending eight years as president, made frequent use of his executive powers during his second term in office, when the Republican-controlled Congress stymied his efforts to overhaul immigration and environmental laws. Many of those actions are now ripe targets for Trump to reverse.

Trump is expected to sign an executive order in his first few days to direct the building of a wall on the southern border with Mexico, and actions to limit the entry of asylum seekers from Latin America, among several immigration-related steps his advisers have recommended.

That includes rescinding Obama’s order that allowed more than 700,000 people brought into the United States illegally as children to stay in the country on a two-year authorization to work and attend college, according to several people close to the presidential transition team.

It is unlikely Trump’s order will result in an immediate roundup of these immigrants, sources told Reuters. Rather, he is expected to let the authorizations expire.

The issue could set up a confrontation with Obama, who told reporters on Wednesday he would weigh in if he felt the new administration was unfairly targeting those immigrants.

Advisers to Trump expect him to put restrictions on people entering the United States from certain countries until a system for “extreme vetting” for Islamist extremists can be set up.

During his presidential campaign, Trump proposed banning non-American Muslims from entering the United States, but his executive order regarding immigration is expected to be based on nationality rather than religion.

Another proposed executive order would require all Cabinet departments to disclose and pause current work being done in connection with Obama’s initiatives to curb carbon emissions to combat climate change.

Trump also is expected to extend prohibitions on future lobbying imposed on members of his transition team.

Washington was turned into a virtual fortress ahead of the inauguration, with police ready to step in to separate protesters from Trump supporters at any sign of unrest.

As Obama packed up to leave the White House, Trump and his family laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery and attended a concert at the Lincoln Memorial.

Trump spoke earlier to lawmakers and Cabinet nominees at a luncheon in a ballroom at his hotel, down the street from the White House, announcing during brief remarks that he would pick Woody Johnson, owner of the New York Jets of the National Football League, as U.S. ambassador to Britain.

“We have a lot of smart people. I tell you what, one thing we’ve learned, we have by far the highest IQ of any Cabinet ever assembled,” Trump said.

Trump has selected all 21 members of his Cabinet, along with six other key positions requiring Senate confirmation. The Senate is expected on Friday to vote to confirm retired General James Mattis, Trump’s pick to lead the Pentagon, and retired General John Kelly, his homeland security choice.

Senate Republicans had hoped to confirm as many as seven Cabinet members on Friday, but Democrats balked at the pace. Trump spokesman Spicer accused Senate Democrats of “stalling tactics.”

Also in place for Monday will be 536 “beachhead team members” at government agencies, Vice President-elect Mike Pence said, a small portion of the thousands of positions Obama’s appointees will vacate.

Trump has asked 50 Obama staffers in critical posts to stay on until replacements can be found, including Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work and Brett McGurk, envoy to the U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State.

The list includes Adam Szubin, who has long served in an “acting” capacity in the Treasury Department’s top anti-terrorism job because his nomination has been held up by congressional Republicans since Obama named him to the job in April 2015.

The Supreme Court said U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts, who will administer the oath of office on Friday, met with Trump on Thursday to discuss inauguration arrangements.
U.S. President Donald Trump nominates New York Jets owner Woody Johnson to be the next United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom.