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| A Jarring New Level of Confrontation and Conflict Hits Washington | A Jarring New Level of Confrontation and Conflict Hits Washington |
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| WASHINGTON — President Trump made clear in his fiery inaugural speech that he was going to challenge the Washington establishment. Now the establishment is quickly pushing back, creating a palpable air of uncertainty and chaos in the opening days of his administration. | WASHINGTON — President Trump made clear in his fiery inaugural speech that he was going to challenge the Washington establishment. Now the establishment is quickly pushing back, creating a palpable air of uncertainty and chaos in the opening days of his administration. |
| The new president fired an acting attorney general who refused to defend the administration’s executive order on immigration. Democrats on Tuesday boycotted Senate confirmation hearings to prevent votes on cabinet nominees. State Department employees opposed to the administration were urged to quit if they didn’t like Mr. Trump’s direction. | The new president fired an acting attorney general who refused to defend the administration’s executive order on immigration. Democrats on Tuesday boycotted Senate confirmation hearings to prevent votes on cabinet nominees. State Department employees opposed to the administration were urged to quit if they didn’t like Mr. Trump’s direction. |
| Even after years of unbreakable gridlock and unyielding partisanship, it was a jarring new level of confrontation and conflict, and it was contributing to a building sense of crisis just as the new president prepared to make the momentous announcement of a new Supreme Court nominee — a selection certain to further inflame tensions. | |
| Republicans, adjusting to the new era, seemed blindsided by the rapid pace of events and the worrying failure of the new administration to engage in the information-sharing and consultation that would typically accompany the issuance of a potentially explosive proposal like the freeze on visas for refugees and immigrants from select countries. | Republicans, adjusting to the new era, seemed blindsided by the rapid pace of events and the worrying failure of the new administration to engage in the information-sharing and consultation that would typically accompany the issuance of a potentially explosive proposal like the freeze on visas for refugees and immigrants from select countries. |
| “It’s regrettable that there was some confusion with the rollout,” Speaker Paul D. Ryan told reporters Tuesday, noting that top Republicans learned of the contents of the order only as it was being issued. | “It’s regrettable that there was some confusion with the rollout,” Speaker Paul D. Ryan told reporters Tuesday, noting that top Republicans learned of the contents of the order only as it was being issued. |
| That secretive, closely held approach may be the preferred choice of the president and self-proclaimed disrupters like his senior adviser, Stephen K. Bannon, who is quickly emerging as the power in the West Wing, but not by more conventional politicians who definitely don’t like to be caught off guard. | That secretive, closely held approach may be the preferred choice of the president and self-proclaimed disrupters like his senior adviser, Stephen K. Bannon, who is quickly emerging as the power in the West Wing, but not by more conventional politicians who definitely don’t like to be caught off guard. |
| Representative Peter T. King, Republican of New York, said similar failings had emerged in the early days of previous administrations but would not be tolerated for long. | Representative Peter T. King, Republican of New York, said similar failings had emerged in the early days of previous administrations but would not be tolerated for long. |
| “You get a brief period you’re allowed for a learning curve, but after that, you have to get your act together,” Mr. King said. | “You get a brief period you’re allowed for a learning curve, but after that, you have to get your act together,” Mr. King said. |
| Still, the main Republican objection seemed to be with the handling of the executive order by the inexperienced and understaffed White House rather than the actual content of the order. | Still, the main Republican objection seemed to be with the handling of the executive order by the inexperienced and understaffed White House rather than the actual content of the order. |
| Several Republicans noted that they were fully supportive of the border control effort and that the substance mirrored legislation the House had passed last year. Unlike the Democrats, there was almost universal support among Republicans for the firing of Sally Q. Yates, the acting attorney general. | Several Republicans noted that they were fully supportive of the border control effort and that the substance mirrored legislation the House had passed last year. Unlike the Democrats, there was almost universal support among Republicans for the firing of Sally Q. Yates, the acting attorney general. |
| Republicans say they remain eager to work with the president to reverse what they see as Obama administration overreach and put their own conservative stamp on the government. | Republicans say they remain eager to work with the president to reverse what they see as Obama administration overreach and put their own conservative stamp on the government. |
| In their view, the furor and continuing tumult in official Washington isn’t necessarily upsetting to the voters back home. | In their view, the furor and continuing tumult in official Washington isn’t necessarily upsetting to the voters back home. |
| “President Trump has made clear that he is a man of action and we are ready,” said Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington, a member of the House Republican leadership. | “President Trump has made clear that he is a man of action and we are ready,” said Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington, a member of the House Republican leadership. |
| How ready remained an open question. Most in Congress, regardless of party, take their role seriously as members of a coequal branch of government and they don’t take well to being kept out of the loop on matters for which they will be held to account. | How ready remained an open question. Most in Congress, regardless of party, take their role seriously as members of a coequal branch of government and they don’t take well to being kept out of the loop on matters for which they will be held to account. |
| In other corners of the establishment, the reaction to the first days of the Trump era was not nearly as enthusiastic as that of Ms. McMorris Rodgers. One usually plugged-in Republican consultant who didn’t want to be identified picking a fight with the new president said a continuation of the turmoil would quickly call into question the basic competency of the new administration. He noted that despite being in the middle of past Supreme Court confirmation fights, he surprisingly had not heard from the White House for ideas on how to handle the coming one. | In other corners of the establishment, the reaction to the first days of the Trump era was not nearly as enthusiastic as that of Ms. McMorris Rodgers. One usually plugged-in Republican consultant who didn’t want to be identified picking a fight with the new president said a continuation of the turmoil would quickly call into question the basic competency of the new administration. He noted that despite being in the middle of past Supreme Court confirmation fights, he surprisingly had not heard from the White House for ideas on how to handle the coming one. |
| Senator Angus King, an independent from Maine who is part of the Senate Democratic Caucus, called the executive order on immigration a “disaster” and pointed to Mr. Trump’s reliance on an extremely tight circle of advisers. | Senator Angus King, an independent from Maine who is part of the Senate Democratic Caucus, called the executive order on immigration a “disaster” and pointed to Mr. Trump’s reliance on an extremely tight circle of advisers. |
| “This president, you know, he listens to a very narrow group of people, and as we’ve learned this weekend, can make some very bad decisions,” Mr. King said in an interview on CNN. “We need to get some people around him as quickly as possible who can rein in those impulses like what we saw this weekend.” | “This president, you know, he listens to a very narrow group of people, and as we’ve learned this weekend, can make some very bad decisions,” Mr. King said in an interview on CNN. “We need to get some people around him as quickly as possible who can rein in those impulses like what we saw this weekend.” |
| At least part of the mounting consternation in the capital was because of the clear break with ingrained rituals and ways of doing business. | At least part of the mounting consternation in the capital was because of the clear break with ingrained rituals and ways of doing business. |
| When Democrats were clashing with President George W. Bush, there was a general expectation of how things would go and the realization that both sides understood their roles. Over eight years of the Obama administration, the two parties settled into a predictable pattern of Republicans opposing the president and Democrats trying to find a way around it. Despite frequent visits to the brink of crisis, the adversaries tended to find a resolution before the damage was beyond repair. | |
| With the Trump team, no one as yet is sure what to anticipate, leaving nerves jangled and people wondering what is next — a rollback of gay legal protections (denied by the White House), or a move against the young undocumented immigrants in the so-called Dreamers program? What about a clash with Iran or an embrace of Russia? | |
| Mr. Trump and his team seem in some ways to be enjoying the confusion they have come to create. | Mr. Trump and his team seem in some ways to be enjoying the confusion they have come to create. |
| “We’re going to be changing a lot of — a lot of the rules,” the president exclaimed Tuesday at a White House meeting with pharmaceutical executives. | “We’re going to be changing a lot of — a lot of the rules,” the president exclaimed Tuesday at a White House meeting with pharmaceutical executives. |
| His comments were aimed at what to do about drug development and pricing. But they seemed to imply so much more, keeping Washington on edge. | His comments were aimed at what to do about drug development and pricing. But they seemed to imply so much more, keeping Washington on edge. |