He sought to fulfil his nationalist election promises on immigration and trade, even as the White House promoted falsehoods or unproven information on dubious matters like crowd sizes and voter fraud.

Not everyone was pleased.

Mexico's President Enrique Peña Nieto abruptly withdrew from a scheduled meeting with Trump after a war of words erupted on social media over who would pay more than $US10 billion for the wall to stop illegal immigrants crossing from Mexico into the US.

Trump said the leaders had "agreed" to postpone the meeting, because it would be "fruitless" unless Mexico respected America.

President Donald Trump speaks to House and Senate Republican lawmakers at the annual policy retreat in Philadelphia on Thursday. AP

Firing an opening salvo in a negotiation, Trump's press secretary Sean Spicer swiftly touted a possible 20 per cent border tax on imports to fund the promised wall.

The White House quickly clarified it was not official policy and it was among a "buffet" of options.

If anything can be discerned from the first days of the Trump era, the populist leader has no intention of changing his brash, impulsive and defiant leadership style.


Veteran political commentator Mike Allen summed it up in his Axios column, writing, "There is a dominant faction inside the White House that believes fervently this is shrewd, long-term, disruptive politics that will forever change the country."

David Rowe

Indeed, Trump's chief strategist Stephen Bannon told The New York Times on Thursday the media was the "the opposition party" and should "keep its mouth shut and just listen for a while" after being humiliated by Trump's upset election win.

The rebuke came in the wake of Trump assailing the "dishonest" media for inventing his "feud" with intelligence agencies.

Two weeks ago, Trump likened intelligence agencies to "Nazi Germany" for reputedly leaking information about a probe into a dirt file trying to expose his unverified links to Russia. He said at the time it "was disgraceful that the intelligence agencies allowed any information that turned out so false and fake out."

On the weekend, Trump copped criticism for self-indulgently talking about his election win and inauguration crowd in front of the "very special" CIA Memorial Wall emblazoned with 117 stars to commemorate agents killed in the line of duty.

Kellyanne Conway is off the hook for now. Bloomberg

Former CIA director chief John Brennan called the speech a "despicable display of self-aggrandizement" and other former agents spoke out.


Trump saw the situation very differently to his critics, labelling the CIA address a "total home run".

"I got a standing ovation. In fact, they said it was the biggest standing ovation since Peyton Manning had won the Super Bowl and they said it was equal," Trump said.

The President was poised to host British Prime Minister Theresa May on Friday, in a critical early test for the so-called "special relationship" and amid hopes of a bilateral trade deal being in the offing.

Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto cancelled a meeting with Trump. POOL

Before the weekend, Trump flew on Air Force One to a retreat of Republican lawmakers in Philadelphia. Trump reminisced about his surprise election win in the Democratic-leaning state, before getting down to business.

"This Congress is going to be the busiest Congress we've had in decades, maybe ever," Trump declared, to thunderous applause.

Observing the 45h President from the floor, Republican congressman Tom Cole reportedly said, "It's like being actually led into the Promised Land by Moses,"

"We're there and he's our leader and people feel very comfortable."


Outside, the world waits to be bowled over by the next Trump twist.

Stephen Bannon, has wooed the ethnonationalist bloggers. Bloomberg

Retired CIA director John Brennan criticised Trump's appearance at the CIA. Pete Marovich