On his first day, Trump begins to set up his administration

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump quickly assumed the mantle of the White House and began setting up his new administration on Friday, signing a bill that allows retired Gen. James Mattis to serve as his defense secretary, as well as the nomination papers for his other Cabinet choices.

Less than an hour after delivering a stinging rebuke of the political status quo in his inaugural address, Trump sat in an ornate room steps from the Senate floor to officially assemble his core team.

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 buying a home more affordable.

Given Trump's opposition to Obama's immigration actions, he could also cancel the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, which has protected about 750,000 young immigrants from deportation.

Other issues poised to receive early action include energy, where Trump is likely to undo regulations on oil drilling and coal, and cybersecurity, where he has already said he will ask for a report on the strength of the nation's cyber defenses within 90 days of taking office.