Trump’s first acts as president

WASHINGTON — President Trump quickly claimed the mantle of the White House on Friday, signing legislation allowing retired Gen. James Mattis to serve as his defense secretary as well as the nomination papers for his Cabinet choices. Less than an hour after wrapping up his inaugural address, Trump sat in an ornate room steps from the Senate floor and signed a series of papers formally launching his administration. Flanked by Vice President Mike Pence and congressional leaders, he praised each of his nominees as he signed the papers and handed out the pens he was using, exchanges that allowed him to banter with his new congressional rivals, including Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco. The president distributed pens to top congressional leaders, handing the pen he used to formally nominate Elaine Chao, his choice for transportation secretary, to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, her husband. [...] in place of a page promoting the Obama administration’s Climate Action Plan was a page detailing Trump’s America First Energy Plan, which stresses Trump’s commitment to “eliminating harmful and unnecessary policies such as the Climate Action Plan.” Shortly after Trump became president, the Department of Housing and Urban Development suspended the Obama administration’s planned reduction of mortgage insurance premium rates, a move that had been intended to make home ownership more affordable.