President Donald Trump yanked the United States out of President Barack Obama's 12-nation trade pact today, making good on a campaign promise to negotiate a better agreement.

Trump signed an executive order Monday morning withdrawing the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP.

'We've been talking about this for a long time,' Trump said in remarks from the Oval Office on Monday as he signed the memorandum. 'Great thing for the American worker.'

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President Donald Trump yanked the United States out of President Barack Obama's 12-nation trade pact today, making good on a campaign promise to negotiate a better agreement

The deal had not yet been ratified and was considered dead on arrival once Trump won the presidential election. Trump railed against the agreement on the campaign trail, calling it a 'rape of our country.'

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said Monday that the president is 'moving quickly' on trade policies to make the United States more competitive and has appointed 'tough and smart' experts to fight for American workers.

'This is a strong signal that the Trump administration wants free and fair trade around the world,' he said, calling it a 'new era.'

A copy of the memo White House released began: It is the policy of my Administration to represent the American people and their financial well-being in all negotations, particularly the American worker, and to create fair and economically beneficial trade deals that serve their interests.

'Additionally, in order to ensure these outcomes, it is the intention of my Administration to deal directly with individual countries on a one-on-one (or bilateral) basis in negotiating future trade deals.

'Trade with other nations is, and always will be, of paramount importance to my Administration and to me, as President of the United States.'

It misspelled the word 'negotiations.'

It went on to say, that by the power vested in Trump by the Constitution, 'I hereby direct you to withdraw the United States as a signatory to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), to permanently withdraw the United States from TPP negotiations, and to begin pursuing, wherever possible, bilateral trade negotiations to promote American industry, protect American workers, and raise American wages.'

Spicer said during his briefing that Trump rejected the multinational agreement because it put the United States 'on par with some very small countries.'

'They're not always in the best interest of the United States,' Spicer said.

Not only are bilateral agreements easier to get out of, he argued, 'a good chunk' of the countries that were part of TPP have existing trade deals with the United States to begin with.

Trump's opposition to trade deals negotiated by Democrats was a driving force behind his victory in Rust Belt states with populations that are largely white and working class and were expected to go to Obama's preferred successor, Hillary Clinton.

Clinton's husband signed the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement, NAFTA, which Trump has said he'll take a look at, too.

Trump warned workers that Clinton would 'betray' them, too, just like her former president husband if they gave her the authority to negotiate on their behalf.

As president-elect, Trump promised to back out of the trade deal that Obama pursued with the backing of congressional Republicans, against the demands of his own party, on 'day one' of his administration.

In a video he released in late November, Trump said the trade deal is 'a potential disaster for our country.' Trump said promised to negotiate 'fair, bilateral trade deals that bring jobs and industry back onto American shores' instead.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, a proponent of Obama's trade deal, applauded Trump in a statement on Monday for 'acting on his promises,' including on trade.

'He followed through on his promise to insist on better trade agreements,' Ryan said, supporting the Republican president.

In addition to signing the TPP memorandum, Trump met business leaders and union workers Monday.

Ford CEO Mark Fields told reporters after a 'breakfast and listening session' for the business community that he has 'a lot of confidence that the president is very, very serious on making sure that the United States economy is going be strong and have policies, tax regulatory or trade to drive that.'

‘So it was a very, very positive meeting, and I think a very positive meeting for the United States of America and manufacturing,' Fields said.

Trump later held a listening session with union leaders and American workers in the Roosevelt Room of the White House

Trump told a reporter that they would be discussing free trade. Meeting came after he officially withdrew the U.S. from Obama's trade deal

Trump later held a listening session with union leaders and American workers, including Tom Flynn of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, Terry O'Sullivan of the Laborers' International Union of North America, and Joseph Sellers, Jr. of the Sheet Metal National Workers' Fund, according to the White House.

'We're going to get them working again,' the president said in Oval Office remarks.

He said in response to a question that they would be discussing free trade.

Not on the list of attendees provided by the White House to journalists: labor giants that supported Clinton.

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), AFL-CIO, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the National Federation of Teachers, the Teamsters and the American Federation of Teachers were not represented on an official list.

Spicer said in his daily briefing Trump 'made it a priority' to meet with the unions and laborers he did today - on 'working' day one - in recognition of the 'tremendous union support' he received on Election Day.

'He's dedicated to growing and deepening their support,' Spicer said. 'The offshoring of American jobs, the lack of economic growth in recent years, has hit American workers particularly hard. The president's top priority is to retain and attract American jobs.'