Donald Trump plans to repeal a number of President Barack Obama's executive actions in his first day in the White House that he feels have "hampered" both economic growth and job creation, the US President- elect's close aide said today.
Sean Spicer, Trump's incoming White House press secretary, said on ABC's "This Week" that Trump will immediately "repeal a lot of the regulations and actions that have been taken by this administration over the last eight years that have hampered both economic growth and job creation."
It was one of two moves Spicer, who served as the Republican National Committee's communications director before jumping to the Trump team, said Trump will make immediately after he takes the oath of office on January 20.
He did not specify which executive actions Trump will repeal.
However, the 70-year-old real estate billionaire-turned- politician has long been critical of Obama's moves on immigration, energy regulation and foreign policy, and could look for ways to undo those and other actions.
Spicer also said Trump will begin reforms intended to "bring a new brand to Washington" with a restriction on members of his administration becoming lobbyists for a period of five years after they leave Trump's government.
"It's very forward-thinking," Spicer said. "What we've had in the past is people who have looked in the rearview mirror. This time, we're thinking forward. If you want to serve in a Trump administration, you're going to serve this country, not yourself."
When asked whether Trump would continue his unusual and deeply controversial approach of making major policy statements over Twitter, Spicer replied, "Sure, why not."
"With all due respect," he continued, "I think it freaks the mainstream media out that he has this following of over 45-plus million people that follow him on social media, that he can have a direct conversation."
Spicer added: "Business as usual is over... There's a new sheriff in town."
When pressed repeatedly on whether Trump might reverse President Obama's steps, including the expulsion of 35 Russian agents, aimed at punishing Moscow for interfering in the US election, Spicer just said that Trump would delay any decision until he receives an intelligence briefing on the matter.
Spicer has also defended comments by Trump that he knows "things that other people don't know" when it comes to allegations of Russian hacking during US presidential polls.
Spicer told Fox News that Trump was being briefed by "on a daily basis" on national security issues and "there doesn't seem to be conclusive evidence" Russians were behind the hacking of Democratic emails during the election.
He also dismissed a report by the FBI and Homeland Security Department backing the hacking allegations against Russia, calling it a "how-to" manual on basic cybersecurity for Democrats.
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