I inherited a mess, US president Donald Trump says

President cites domestic and international problems but says his administration is a 'fined-tuned' machine and will deal with them.

US president Donald Trump answers questions during a news conference at the White House in Washington on February 16, 2017. Kevin Lamarque / Reuters

WASHINGTON // The United States faces a host of problems at home and abroad, president Donald Trump said on Thursday, declaring: “I inherited a mess.”

Mr Trump, speaking at his first solo news conference, said jobs were leaving the country to Mexico and other places, and there was widespread instability overseas.

“To be honest, I inherited a mess. It’s a mess. At home and abroad. A mess,” he said.

“Low pay, low wages. Mass instability overseas no matter where you look. The Middle East a disaster. North Korea. We’ll take care of it, folks. We’re going to take care of it all.”

Nearly a month into his presidency, Mr Trump said his new administration had made “significant progress” and took credit for an optimistic business climate and a rising stock market. He pushed back against widespread reports of a chaotic start to his administration marked by a contentious executive order – now tied up in a legal fight – to place a ban on travellers from seven predominantly Muslim nations.

“This administration is running like a fine-tuned machine,” Mr Trump declared. He said he would announce a “new and very comprehensive order to protect our people”.

The president also announced that Alexander Acosta, dean of the Florida International University law school and former US attorney in Florida, would be his nominee to head the department of labour. Hi previous nominee, fast-food executive Andrew Puzder, withdrew on Wednesday after losing support among Republican senators.

If confirmed, Mr Acosta would be the first Hispanic member of Mr Trump’s cabinet.

Mr Trump, a reality television star and real-estate mogul who was elected as an outsider intent on change, opened a hastily arranged news conference to bash coverage by the news media. He accused reporters of not telling the truth and only serving special interests.

“The press has become so dishonest that if we don’t talk about it, we are doing a tremendous disservice to the American people,” he said.

He dismissed recent reports in The New York Times and CNN that Trump campaign aides had been in contact with Russian officials before his election. Mr Trump called Paul Manafort, his former campaign manager who has ties to Ukraine and Russia, a "respected man".

The president called the reports a “ruse” and said he had “nothing to do with Russia”.

“Russia is fake news,” he said. “This is fake news put out by the media.”

Amid reports of widespread leaks within his administration, Mr Trump also warned that he would clamp down on the dissemination of sensitive information, saying he had asked the justice department to look into the leaks. “Those are criminal leaks,” he said, adding, “The leaks are real. The news is fake.”

As for his inner circle, Mr Trump is also expected to soon name a new national security adviser following this week’s ouster of Michael Flynn, who the White House said had misled vice president Mike Pence about his contacts with Russia.

Mr Trump is said to favour vice admiral Robert Harward, a former Navy Seal, according to a White House official. Mr Harward met with top White House officials last week and has the backing of defence secretary Jim Mattis.

Earlier in the day, Trump had a breakfast meeting with some of his staunchest supporters in the house of representatives.

He also warned in a pair of tweets that “low-life leakers” of classified information would be caught. As journalists were being escorted out of the breakfast meeting, Mr Trump responded to a reporter’s question on the subject by saying: “We’re going to find the leakers” and “they’re going to pay a big price”.

* Associated Press and Agence France-Presse