PHILADELPHIA—President Donald Trump on Thursday rallied fellow Republicans who control the White House and Congress for the first time in more than a decade, telling lawmakers they will be busier than they have been in decades helping him implement a broad agenda.
“Think of everything we can achieve and who we can achieve it for,” Trump told GOP House and Senate lawmakers at their annual retreat. “This is our chance to achieve great and lasting change for our beloved nation.”
Trump has moved swiftly since taking office last Friday to begin reshaping the government and American society. He has taken executive action to revive oil pipelines that were blocked by President Barack Obama, pull the U.S. out of a multinational trade agreement and overhaul the immigration system, among other steps.
Trump’s midday remarks Thursday in Philadelphia came a day after he began overhauling the nation’s immigration rules and moved to jumpstart construction of his promised U.S.-Mexico border wall. He also ordered cuts Wednesday in federal grants for “sanctuary cities,” which shield some illegal immigrants from federal law enforcement, and authorized increases in the number of border patrol agents and immigration officers.
Trump’s moves on immigration prompted President Enrique Pena Nieto to cancel a trip to Washington next week for his first meeting with the new president.
The White House sought to avoid making too much of Pena Nieto’s decision. Spokesman Sean Spicer said the White House would keep the lines of communication open in hopes of scheduling a future meeting.
