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Trump Brings Whirlwind of Change in Early Days

by Jim Malone

   During last year's presidential campaign, Donald Trump's supporters
   were thrilled with the idea that he would become Washington's
   "disrupter-in-chief." Less than two weeks into his presidency, no one
   could dispute that Trump is doing all he can to follow through on that
   pledge.

   Since his inauguration January 20, Trump has moved quickly to deliver
   on his agenda of change. He has signed several executive orders aimed
   at jump-starting key parts of his domestic policy priorities, but his
   highly controversial move to tighten immigration and his insistence on
   investigating voter fraud in the November 2016 election have become
   major distractions in the early days of his presidency.

   Immigration furor

   Trump's order banning entry to refugees and immigrants from seven
   Muslim-majority countries has sparked a firestorm around the country
   and internationally. There have been protests at U.S. airports and in
   several cities blasting the new policy as unfair to immigrants.

   Demonstrators hold banners as they take part in a protest against U.S
   President Donald Trump's controversial travel ban on refugees and
   people from seven mainly-Muslim countries, outside Downing Street in
   London, Jan. 30, 2017.

   Trump has fired back on Twitter. "There is nothing nice about searching
   for terrorists before they can enter the country," Trump said in one
   tweet early Monday. In another, he added there "are a lot of bad
   'dudes' out there."

   At the White House on Monday, Trump defended his decision.

   "We actually had a very good day yesterday in terms of homeland
   security. We had to make the move and we decided to make the move," he
   said.

   Vocal opposition

   Democrats were quick to express opposition and, in some cases, outrage
   with the Trump order on immigration.

   Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer told a news conference Sunday in
   New York that the measure was "mean-spirited," and added, "it was
   implemented in a way that created chaos and confusion across the
   country and it will only serve to embolden and inspire those around the
   globe who will do us harm."

   WATCH: Schumer's Emotional Response to Immigration Order

   Even some Republicans seemed unsettled by Trump's push for extreme
   vetting of immigrants.

   Ohio Senator Rob Portman told the Associated Press that Trump's
   "extreme vetting proposal didn't get the vetting it should have had."
   Portman added that the administration should "come up with something
   that makes sense for national security" and also reflects the notion
   that "America's always been a welcoming home for refugees and
   immigrants."

   Frenzy of activity

   By any measure, Trump's first days in office have been a whirlwind
   featuring numerous executive orders on trade, Obamacare, cutting
   government regulations and, most controversially, tightening
   immigration.

   Trump said the flurry of executive actions is aimed at delivering on
   his campaign promises.

   "We're here now because tens of millions of Americans have placed their
   hopes in us to transfer power in Washington, D.C., and give it back to
   the people," Trump said in a speech in Washington last week.

   But there have been distractions that extend beyond the immigration
   uproar.

   Trump's habit of issuing statements through Twitter and his
   preoccupation with the size of his inaugural crowds present challenges
   in terms of his leadership style.

   House Speaker Paul Ryan was asked about that during last week's
   Republican congressional retreat in Philadelphia.

   "I think we are going to see unconventional activities like tweets and
   things like that, and I think that is something we are just all going
   to have to get used to," he said.

   FILE - U.S. President Donald Trump is applauded by Vice President Mike
   Pence and House Speaker Paul Ryan as he arrives to speak at a
   congressional Republican retreat in Philadelphia, Jan. 26, 2017.

   Fixation on alleged voter fraud

   Trump has also called for a probe into possible voter fraud based on
   his claim, offered without proof, that he lost the popular vote because
   millions of illegal immigrants voted for his Democratic opponent
   Hillary Clinton.

   Democrats say there is no evidence to back the president's allegation
   of massive voter fraud.

   House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said she finds the fixation
   concerning.

   "I, frankly, feel very sad about the president making this claim," she
   said. "I felt sorry for him. I even prayed for him. But then I prayed
   for the United States of America."

   WATCH: Pelosi Calls Trump's Voter Fraud Claim is 'Strange'

   Trump's fixation on alleged voter fraud is a distraction that could
   become a political liability down the road, said analyst John Fortier
   of the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington.

   "On big things like changing Obamacare, on tax cuts, on [cutting]
   regulatory things, and Donald Trump is still emphasizing border
   security and the building the wall [with Mexico], those are things that
   I think they will try to act relatively quickly on and use those
   [Republican congressional] majorities before the momentum of the early
   part of the administration fades away," Fortier told VOA.

   Even some Republicans have urged the president to drop the voting fraud
   issue, especially his claim that he lost the popular vote to Clinton
   because 3 million to 5 million illegal immigrants voted against him.
   Numerous state officials in charge of voting around the country, both
   Republicans and Democrats, have said there is no evidence to support
   such a claim.

   Polls show a mixed picture

   Trump got some mixed news on the polling front in recent days.

   A new Quinnipiac University survey found voters support a suspension of
   immigration from "terror-prone" regions by a margin of 48 to 42
   percent. But the same poll also found that 59 percent of those asked
   believe illegal immigrants should be allowed to stay in the U.S. and
   eventually apply for citizenship.

   On his broader job performance, the president remains underwater. Last
   week's Quinnipiac poll found his positive job approval rating at 36
   percent, with 44 percent registering a negative view.

   Protesters of Donald Trump's immigration ban gather at Dulles
   International airport, near Washington, Jan. 30, 2017. (Photo: S.
   Dizayee / VOA Turkish Service)

   But the survey also found that Trump enjoys strong approval among
   Republican voters by a margin of 81 percent to 3 percent. Among
   Democrats, the rating was 77 percent disapproval to 4 percent in favor.

   Targeting core supporters

   Trump's focus on delivering for his core supporters seems to be paying
   dividends in bolstering his approval with that group. However, some
   analysts believe Trump should try to broaden his appeal beyond his core
   following.

   "Two-point-eight million, or 2.9 million more people voted for Hillary
   Clinton," said Brookings Institution scholar John Hudak. "It is not to
   say his presidency is illegitimate. It's not. But it is to say that he
   has a lot of work to do to convince the American public that he
   represents and reflects the values of a majority of them."

   For now, though, Trump seems determined to follow through on the
   pledges he made at all those raucous rallies during last year's
   presidential campaign. To the delight of his supporters, and to the
   alarm of his critics, Trump is plowing ahead no matter the intensity of
   the political pushback aimed back at him.