Trump the decree Monday that effectively ends US participation in a sweeping trans-Pacific free trade agreement negotiated under former president Barack Obama. (AFP PHOTO / SAUL LOEBSAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)
President Trump signed three presidential directives Monday, withdrawing U.S. support for a Pacific trade deal, imposing a hiring freeze in civilian agencies, and restoring the so-called Mexico City policy that prohibits U.S. aid from supporting international groups that promote abortion.
“Everybody knows what I’m about to do,” Trump said before withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a 13-nation trade deal signed by the Obama administration but not ratified by the Senate. “We’ve been talking about this for a long time. A great thing for the American worker, what we just did.”
When Chief of Staff Reince Priebus handed him an order directing a hiring freeze, Trump emphasized, “Except for the military.”
The White House did not immediately release the text of the directives, but Trump held up the trade order for a photo opportunity. “It is the policy of my administration to represent the American people and their financial well-being in all negotiations, particularly the American worker,” the presidential memorandum said.
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SOURCE: USA Today, Gregory Korte
