Is the US President any closer to making America great again?

Sweeping executive orders have sparked controversy, creating an air of uncertainty

- Bhagyashree Garekar

WASHINGTON - It is a gusty morning in the American capital, which is experiencing an extended cold snap. But in a largely Democratic town, there is a new chill that has nothing to do with the weather.

All shook up by US President Donald Trump, who is one month into his second term, and his "first buddy" Elon Musk, government workers are filing silently into the clusters of stately buildings along Pennsylvania Avenue. High overhead, a couple of golden eagles glide on unseasonal thermals.

Mr Trump is not in town, but his hold on the public imagination is complete. Mr Musk flits in and out of the White House, while his presence continues to be the subject of debate.

On the morning of Feb 18, though, there was a brief interlude on the TV news channels when the headlines were not about Mr Trump.

The blow-by-blow coverage of his administration was upstaged by a live broadcast from Toronto Pearson International Airport about rescue operations that saved all 80 people on board the jet that flipped onto its roof as it crash-landed on Feb 17.

At a 30-minute press conference in the afternoon at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, an unsmiling Mr Trump, with the air of a man expecting no thanks, announced details of the latest executive order - the 68th since he was sworn in on Jan 20 - to expand access to in-vitro fertilisation and make it more affordable.

Then, he answered a stream of questions from reporters crowded into a room at his resort. US-Russia talks were the hot topic of the day, having displaced Gaza, which had a run of almost two weeks.

The work-in-progress tariff policy always attracts a question or two; on Feb 18, it resulted in a statement from Mr Trump that he is considering imposing levies of up to 25 per cent on the imports of semiconductors, pharmaceuticals and autos.