Washington: Donald Trump being Donald Trump and politics being politics, much of what he promised for inclusion on his Day One to-do list, either will be executed by an order to be signed by Trump on Monday or will be acknowledged as an important, with a view to being addressed in the coming days, weeks or months.
Remember the urgency of building the Mexican border wall, ending the "war on coal", repealing Obamacare and branding China a currency manipulator – and by implication initiating whatever action such a declaration might require?
Without going into detail, Trump aides claim that as many as 200 draft executive orders are ready for the new President's signature and will be dribbled out in the coming two weeks, with the view to creating the sense of a Trump tsunami at work.
Here are some of Trump's designated must-dos:
President Barack Obama signs the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in March 2010. Photo: AP
Repeal Obamacare: This Day One "must" is proving challenging. Trump has talked of "repeal and replace" on the same day – yet that is not likely to happen any time soon. The repeal part could take months and Republicans have yet to agree on a replacement. And as push comes to shove, GOP congressmen are reportedly reluctant to hold town hall meetings to discuss the terms of new legislation because they fear protests.
Immigration and the border: Trump repeatedly promised to restrict Muslims entering the US, stipulating that "suspend immigration from terror-prone regions" would be a Day One item of business. Trump said last week that he could act as early as Monday, acknowledging as he did that the restrictions could also apply to Europeans - a move that would almost certainly face a legal challenge. Trump would also face immediate legal challenges if he sought a blanket ban based on religion. Trump has promised "extreme" vetting of asylum seekers, but never explained how it would be more extreme that the current process, which takes a gruelling 18 to 24 months.
Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, left, and Donald Trump shake hands after a joint statement in Mexico City in August 2016. Photo: AP
Mexican border wall and deportations: The Wall has lost some of its grandiosity – parts of it might, in fact, become a fence, and Congress has to approve the funding. And the pretense that Mexico would pay, it seems, is being abandoned. Similarly, his plan to deport more than 12 million undocumented Hispanic migrants is slimming down – Trump has agreed to focus initially on removing the estimated two to three million who have criminal records; and though he might quickly reverse his predecessor's DREAMer protection for an estimate 750,000 "illegals" who came to the US as children, a decision has yet to be made on actually deporting them, as opposed to merely withdrawing their protection.
Tear up NAFTA and TPP trade deals: Trump has mellowed on NAFTA, holding to his threat to walk, which he could do by executive order, but saying he'll first attempt to negotiate better terms for the US with Canada and Mexico. The TPP deal, which includes Australia, has not been approved by Congress and Trump reportedly can renege on all Obama's TPP commitments by executive order.
A Chinese H-6K bomber patrols the islands and reefs in the South China Sea. Photo: AP
