Nick Harper: US Correspondent on the response to Donald Trump's policy changes

Donald Trump's sweeping changes to US policy are already garnering pushback.  

Trump's immediately begun wielding his new presidential powers, signing off 26 orders and backtracking 78 of Joe Biden's after being sworn in

His withdrawals from the World Health Organisation and the Paris Climate Agreement have prompted global concern.

US Correspondent Nick Harper told Francesca Rudkin the new Department of Government Efficiency is already facing three lawsuits.

He says the decision to end birthright citizenship is also being challenged, with claimants coming forward saying he has no authority to redefine American citizenship.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now, Donald Trump hasn't held back. On his first day
as president, he signed twenty six executive orders ending birthright citizenship,
leaving the World Health Organization, and he backtracked on seventy
eight executive actions taken by the Biden administration. These were
among the orders. He also declared a national order emergency,
and US correspondent Nick Harper joins me, now, thanks for

(00:22):
your time, Nick.

Speaker 2 (00:24):
Good warning, Francesca, A busy day.

Speaker 1 (00:26):
What does it all mean. What's the reaction being.

Speaker 2 (00:30):
Yeah, an unbelievably busy day, showing that he is hitting
the ground running and showing that he has a very
clear agenda for his second time in the White House.
The reaction from Republicans his party, as you could imagine,
is one of absolute delight. They feel that Donald Trump,
the man who can save America, is back where he belongs,
back in the White House, and is enacting a whole

(00:52):
raft of legislative agenda that they have been wanting to
see for the last four years, the four years under
President Biden that they feel has been four years of
decline for the country. On the other side of the isle,
the Democrats have been looking at this and wondering if
the country is now going to the dogs because there
is significant concern about some of those executive actions he

(01:14):
signed yesterday. Top of the list amongst worry four Democrats
seems to be what he's doing to the rule of
law and the Justice Department overturning the convictions of one
thy five hundred people who had been convicted for their
actions on January sixth, twenty twenty one, when they stormed
the US Capitol. So it really depends on who you ask.

(01:35):
Some people love Donald Trump being back, some are very
concerned what will happen over the next four years.

Speaker 1 (01:41):
Are we going to see similar action today his first
full day as president.

Speaker 2 (01:46):
Yeah, a little bit different. I think for this day,
there is the potential for more orders to be signed,
but he's also getting into I guess the nitty gritty
of the details today. First order of business at the moment,
he's attending the special National Prayer ceremony that always takes
place the day after inauguration at that taking place in Washington,

(02:07):
DC's National Cathedral. But after that he heads to Capitol
Hill where he'll be meeting with the top Republicans there,
really speaking about what he hopes to achieve on Capitol
Hill to try and get his legislation pushed through over
the coming months. There is also a suggestion that there
will be a big announcement later on infrastructure that's been

(02:28):
teased by his White House Press secretary. Will see if
that develops, but there is, of course, with Donald Trump,
the potential for anything to happen at any moment. We
could see him back in the White House signing more
orders before the end of the day.

Speaker 1 (02:40):
Do you see any of these executive orders being challenged
by the courts.

Speaker 2 (02:44):
We've already seen challenges actually on one of them, in
particular his birthright citizenship plan. He wants to end that
if you're born in the US, you get citizenship by law,
but already claimants have come forward saying that he has
no authority to redefine American citizenship. And there are three
lawsuits against the newly created Department of Government Efficiency. That's

(03:05):
the one being headed up by Elon musk At. That
lawsuit claim that it is violating transparency laws. Potentially mortal
lawsuits to come on some of the other actions he's
announced as well.

Speaker 1 (03:16):
On nex. Thank you so much for your time this morning.
That was arguish. Correspondent Nick Harbitt. For more from earlier
edition with Ryan Bridge.

Speaker 2 (03:23):
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