Trump administration updates: Schumer continues to face calls for new leadership

The Senate minority leader says he's not going anywhere.

ByKevin Shalvey, Alexandra Hutzler, William Mansell, and Ivan Pereira
Last Updated: March 23, 2025, 9:39 PM EDT

Sen. Chuck Schumer said Sunday he has no plans to step aside as Senate minority leader as criticism of Schumer and of Democrats' ineffectiveness in combatting President Donald Trump's agenda continues.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration sent another group of migrants to Guantanamo Bay, alleging many are members of the Venezuelan gang Tren De Aragua, an official with knowledge of the flight told ABC News. But deportation flights of Venezuelans to El Salvador remain on hold while the administration fights a judge's order to curtail those flights while their legality is decided.

Trump on Friday announced a new F-47 fighter jet with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and signed a series of presidential actions before departing the White House for his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. The actions included one rescinding the security clearances of several former Biden officials and political opponents.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing.
Mar 18, 2025, 12:48 PM EDT

Treasury secretary says White House prepared to increase sanctions on Russia if needed

Ahead of the president's phone conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the White House is willing to put a pressure campaign in terms of sanctions on Russia.

"President Trump has instructed me that, if we need to, we will go to a ten with sanctions to bring President Putin to the table. But I'm optimistic that he will be able to get him to the table without increasing the sanctions," Bessent said during an interview with Fox Business.

U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent speaks to reporters before walking into the White House in Washington, U.S., March 13, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters

Bessent also brushed off concerns of a recession, telling Fox while he "can't guarantee anything" there was "no reason we need to have a recession."

-ABC News' Kelsey Walsh

Mar 18, 2025, 12:30 PM EDT

Supreme Court's John Roberts pushes back on Trump's attacks on judges: 'Not an appropriate response'

In response to ABC News and other inquiries with the Supreme Court, Chief Justice John Roberts provided a statement calling President Donald Trump's calls to impeach judges whose rulings he disagrees with "not an appropriate response."

"For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose," Roberts said.

Trump earlier Tuesday called for the judge in the legal battle over his administration's deportation flights to be impeached.

U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts attends inauguration ceremonies in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

-ABC News' Devin Dwyer

Mar 18, 2025, 11:10 AM EDT

Trump speaking with Russia's Vladimir Putin

President Donald Trump began the highly anticipated phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin at 10 a.m. ET. and it was still ongoing as of 10:54 a.m.

The White House has provided a brief glimpse into the phone conversation, saying it is "going well," according to deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino.

Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Mar. 18, 2025 and President Donald Trump in Washington, Mar. 13, 2025.
Reuters

Mar 18, 2025, 9:48 AM EDT

Trump takes aim at judge amid court battle over deportation flights

President Donald Trump is ramping up criticism of U.S. District Judge Jeb Boasberg, who conducted a "fact-finding" hearing on Monday over whether the Trump administration knowingly violated a court order when it flew more than 200 alleged gang members to El Salvador over the weekend.

President Donald Trump speaks to the media during a guided tour of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts before leading a board meeting, Mar. 17, 2025 in Washington.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

In a new social media post, Trump suggested the federal judge should be impeached.

"This judge, like many of the Crooked Judges' I am forced to appear before, should be IMPEACHED!!!" Trump wrote. "WE DON'T WANT VICIOUS, VIOLENT, AND DEMENTED CRIMINALS, MANY OF THEM DERANGED MURDERERS, IN OUR COUNTRY."

-ABC News' Kelsey Walsh

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