Donald Trump Already Busy At Work Scrapping Obama’s Legacies And Cracking Down On Abortion

President Trump has abandoned the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal and put payment freezes on abortion groups within the first few days of taking office.

The New York Times reports U.S. President Trump has formally pulled out from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) on Monday. The decision is considered a dramatic reversal of decades of economic policies strategised by former President Barack Obama.

What is the TPP? In a nutshell, it’s a trade deal that 12 countries—bordering the Pacific Ocean—have signed up to. The deal represents around 40 per cent of the world’s economic output, and aimed to consolidate economic ties between signatory nations. Under the TPP, tariffs would be slashed significantly in a bid to foster trade and economic growth.

Trump had previously decried the trade deal in a series of tweets. He has been vocally critical about the partnership, calling it a bad deal for American workers.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership is an attack on America's business. It does not stop Japan's currency manipulation. This is a bad deal.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 22, 2015

TPP does not stop Japan’s currency manipulation & China has a backdoor to join. It must be stopped. We need to protect the American worker!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 19, 2015

“We’ve been talking about this for a long time,” said Trump as he signed a document ratifying his decision. He described the move to withdraw the U.S. from the pact as, a “great thing for the American worker.”

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has pledged his support for the TPP, saying Australia will remain committed to signing the deal. "We are working flat out to find more opportunities for Australians to sell their services, their goods, their produce because that drives employment here," he said.

In another controversial decision, Trump has barred international non-government organisations that perform or promote abortions from receiving U.S. government funding. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters the President has made clear that he’s pro-life. “He wants to stand up for all Americans, including the unborn, and I think the reinstatement of this policy is not just something that echoes value, but respects taxpayer funding as well,” Spicer said.

Democrats and pro-choice activists have been swift in their condemnation of Trump’s decision. “Donald Trump has turned his anti-women rhetoric into policy, and made it more difficult for women and families all over the world to access vital reproductive care,” said abortion advocacy group NARAL’s president, Ilyse Hogue.

“He really is living up to the lowest of expectations.”

Photo: iStock