A day of confusion, chaos in White House
A meeting with a senator vanished from the White House schedule. A ceremonial executive order signing abruptly cancelled. A dramatic walk-back from the press secretary on how a signature campaign promise will be funded.
The first days of any new president's term are often disorderly, but by any measure, Thursday was a chaotic day in President Donald Trump's White House.
The confusion began early, when the president left the White House nearly an hour late for his first trip out of Washington, a quick jaunt to Philadelphia for a Republican congressional retreat.
While airborne, White House aides confirmed that a meeting between Trump and Utah Senator Orrin Hatch and Representative Kevin Brady that was scheduled for the president's return had been postponed until next week - and that Hatch, unbeknownst to the press, had actually met with Trump the night before.
On the return flight to Washington, White House press secretary Sean Spicer announced to reporters on the plane that the administration was working with Congress to impose a 20 per cent tax on Mexican imports to pay for the southern border wall.
"By doing that, we can do $US10 billion a year and easily pay for the wall just through that mechanism alone," Spicer said.
The surprise announcement, meant to fulfill Trump's declaration that Mexico would pay for the wall, led to breaking news alerts lighting up phones across Washington.
But less than an hour later, reporters in the White House press room were hurriedly escorted to Spicer's office where he said the tax on Mexican imports "was just one option" and that no final decision had been made.
Spicer also announced that an executive order signing scheduled for the Oval Office just minutes later was being postponed because Trump had arrived back at the White House too late.
The order itself, which would commission an investigation into unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud, stemmed not from a campaign promise, but rather Trump's public musings on the subject in recent days.
An environment of chaos is not new for Trump, who at times seems to thrive on disorder.
He sowed it in the campaign, pitting factions of aides against each other, and he frequently changed his mind on issues based on his most recent conversation.
His aides often woke up surprised to Trump's early morning, out-of-nowhere pronouncements via Twitter.
His first days in office suggest that nothing has changed.
