President Trump Moves Quickly on Promises

Even if he missed his “Day One” pledges, President Trump is making swift work of many of his campaign promises. On Wednesday, he is set to move federal monies around to may for the initial construction for the border wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, as well as impose temporary bans on immigration from several Muslim-majority countries. Trump had once promised a religious test for immigration, but backed off those claims on constitutional grounds. The refugee/immigration suspensions are set to last until Trump’s call for “extreme vetting” is carried out. Trump will sign both orders Wednesday at the Department of Homeland Security headquarters in Washington.

Trump is also considering new orders to roll back President Obama’s actions on Guantanamo Bay and CIA “black sites,” as well as to call for a review of U.S. interrogation policies to determine whether “enhanced interrogation techniques” should be brought back. Those measures, which include waterboarding, are currently banned by U.S. statute.

Trump’s steady rollout of executive actions has been overshadowed in part by his continued belief in the debunked allegation that millions voted illegally in the 2016 election. Trump’s claims of election fraud aren’t new—he’s been making them steadily since it became clear that he lost the popular vote—but bringing it up in a meeting with congressional leaders, and then having his spokesman repeat those claims from the White House, represents a new level of blatant falsehood. Trump followed it up Wednesday morning by pledging to launch an investigation into those incorrect claims, though the precise mechanics of who would and what would be investigated, and how much it would saddle taxpayers, remains to be seen.

Trump’s agency gag orders. The SCOTUS short list. And a national park goes rogue on Twitter.

Here are your must reads:

Must Reads

A White House Spokesman Said President Trump ‘Believes’ False Claim on Voter Fraud

Day four at the White House [TIME]

Democrats Are Trying to Divide President Trump From Republicans in Congress
Democrats embrace Trump’s populism on trade and infrastructure, TIME’s Sam Frizell writes

Trump Eyeing 3 Judges for Supreme Court Vacancy
Decision to be announced next week [Associated Press]

Trump Poised to Lift Ban on C.I.A. ‘Black Site’ Prisons
Draft executive order would roll back Obama guidelines [New York Times]

Trump Readies Plan to Build Border Wall
Proposals would ban people from countries deemed a terror risk, suspend refugee program [Wall Street Journal]

Sound Off

“The president does believe that. He has stated that before. I think he’s stated his concerns of voter fraud, and — and people voting illegally during the campaign, and he continues to maintain that belief based on studies and evidence that people have presented to him.” — White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer on the false claims of massive voter fraud in the 2016 election

“I will be asking for a major investigation into VOTER FRAUD, including those registered to vote in two states, those who are illegal and even, those registered to vote who are dead (and many for a long time). Depending on results, we will strengthen up voting procedures!” — President Trump in a pair of tweets Wednesday morning

Bits and Bites

“The president does believe that. He has stated that before. I think he’s stated his concerns of voter fraud, and — and people voting illegally during the campaign, and he continues to maintain that belief based on studies and evidence that people have presented to him.” — White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer on the false claims of massive voter fraud in the 2016 election

“I will be asking for a major investigation into VOTER FRAUD, including those registered to vote in two states, those who are illegal and even, those registered to vote who are dead (and many for a long time). Depending on results, we will strengthen up voting procedures!” — President Trump in a pair of tweets Wednesday morning