PHILADELPHIA (AP) – President Donald Trump is making his first appearance before Republican House and Senate members since taking office to coordinate on a shared agenda during the lawmakers’ annual policy retreat.
Trump’s midday remarks Thursday in Philadelphia come a day after he began overhauling the nation’s immigration system. Trump moved to jumpstart construction of his promised U.S.-Mexico border wall. He also ordered cuts Wednesday in federal grants for “sanctuary cities” that shield some immigrants from law enforcement, along with increases in the number of border patrol agents and immigration officers.
After returning to the White House, Trump planned to sign an executive action commissioning a probe into allegations of widespread voter fraud, said White House press secretary Sean Spicer.
Trump planned additional actions on Friday, but Spicer said Thursday that decisions were still to be made on what Trump will sign.
The president is also expected to take steps, possibly as soon as this week, to restrict the flow of refugees into the United States. He is also considering plans to negotiate individual trade deals with the countries that have signed onto the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact. Trump took steps earlier in the week to withdraw the U.S. from TPP, which he said puts American workers at a disadvantage.