WASHINGTON — Donald Trump has sat down for his first interviews since becoming U.S. president-elect, has shared his views on his state of mind since the stunning victory, and made announcements on his plans for the country.
Here are top developments from recent days:
—Deportations. An estimated 11 million undocumented people live in the U.S. Trump suggested he will deport many, but not most. In his ''60 Minutes'' interview, Trump referred to the people he wants to deport as gang members and drug dealers: ''(It's) probably two million, it could be even three million.'' Criminals are already a deportation priority under the current government — more than 2.5 million have actually been deported over the Obama years. Trump said he'll make a decision later about the rest, whom he called, ''terrific people.''
—Urges people to stop harassing minorities. When asked on CBS's ''60 Minutes'' about anecdotes of his supporters insulting minorities, he turned to the camera and spoke directly to viewers: ''I am so saddened to hear that. And I say, 'Stop it.' If it helps, I will say right to the cameras: Stop it.''
—Trudeau invites. He and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke by phone. They invited one another to visit the neighbouring capital: ''It was a brief call, but it was a strong beginning to what is going to be a constructive relationship'' Trudeau said.
—Moral issues: Has no plan to fight same-sex marriage. Trump told ''60 Minutes,'' speaking about that issue: ''It's done.'' But he says he will push back against abortion, as he promised religious conservatives during the primaries. Trump says he'd appoint pro-life judges, and if they overturn the Roe v. Wade decision, he assumes some states would allow abortion and others wouldn't.
—Obamacare. During the campaign, he promised to scrap President Barack Obama's signature health law. He's now talking like he wants to build on it. After meeting with the outgoing president, he told The Wall Street Journal that he agrees with two key provisions of the law, related to coverage for children and for people with pre-existing conditions: ''I like those very much.''
—Lobbyists. He has several on his transition team. The team includes three of his children — despite the fact they'll also be running his business in a blind trust. Trump spent a year and a half bemoaning establishment cronyism.
Asked by ''60 Minutes'' about lobbyists on his team, he said he needed help from experienced people and, in Washington, that means hiring lobbyists: ''The whole place is one big lobbyist,'' he said. But he insisted he will push forward ethics reforms.
—White House hires. He's hired two top White House staffers. One is uncontroversial, the other more so. His chief of staff will be Republican party chair Reince Priebus.
It's his senior strategist who's raising eyebrows: Steve Bannon, the former head of Breitbart News, which frequently engages in racially inflammatory news coverage. A former aide to Ohio Gov. John Kasich reacted with dismay: ''The racist, fascist extreme right is represented footsteps from the Oval Office. Be very vigilant America,'' John Weaver tweeted.
—Kind words for Obama. Suddenly, Trump is complimentary. After insulting the current president for years, even insinuating he wasn't American, Trump sounded a different tune after meeting him this week: ''I found him to be terrific. I found him to be very smart and very nice. Great sense of humour,'' he told ''60 Minutes.''
According to The Wall Street Journal, he may need Obama's help. The newspaper cited sources saying that Trump was surprised when the president informed him about all the staff he needs to hire. The newspaper said Obama has realized he needs to help his successor more than he'd expected.
—Kind words for Clinton. He said he got a lovely phone call from his opponent Hillary Clinton, and from her husband Bill. He appeared to demur from his campaign threat to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate her.
During a recent debate he said, if he were president, she'd be in jail. But here's what he told ''60 Minutes'', when asked about targeting the Clintons: ''I don't want to hurt them. I don't want to hurt them. They're good people.''
—Legislative priorities. He also met last week with the Republicans who lead Congress. He told, ''60 Minutes,'' that he walked away with three legislative priorities: Health care, immigration, and tax cuts.
—Forgoes salary. The billionaire says he doesn't even know how much a president earns. He says he'd have to accept a salary of $1 per year, for legal reasons, but will refuse the rest of the US$400,000-a-year pay.
—Attacking the media. He complained about the media in his ''60 Minutes'' interview. He's accused it of encouraging street protests since the election.
He also tweeted against the New York Times on Sunday: ''(It) states today that (Trump) believes 'more countries should acquire nuclear weapons.' How dishonest are they. I never said this!'' Trump did certainly hint as much during the election, questioning why the U.S. has to protect countries in Asia and suggesting they could perhaps get their own nukes.
