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

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

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.

Mar 18, 2025, 3:15 PM EDT

Trump says call with Putin was ‘very good and productive’

Trump gave his readout of his call with Putin in a Truth Social post, calling it "very good and productive."

"We agreed to an immediate Ceasefire on all Energy and Infrastructure, with an understanding that we will be working quickly to have a Complete Ceasefire and, ultimately, an END to this very horrible War between Russia and Ukraine," Trump wrote in the post.

Trump repeated his argument that the war would have never started had he been in office.

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before attending a board meeting for the Kennedy Center, in Washington, Mar. 17, 2025.
Carlos Barria/Reuters

"Many elements of a Contract for Peace were discussed, including the fact that thousands of soldiers are being killed, and both President Putin and President Zelenskyy would like to see it end. That process is now in full force and effect, and we will, hopefully, for the sake of Humanity, get the job done!" Trump added.

-ABC News’ Molly Nagle

Mar 18, 2025, 2:56 PM EDT

Pentagon provides update on effort to cut up to 8% of civilian workforce

The Pentagon on Tuesday provided the first update of its effort to reduce its civilian workforce of 878,000 by up to 8% -- which could number between 50,000 to 60,000 civilian employees, a senior Defense Department official said.

“The number sounds high, but I would focus on the percentage, a 5% to 8% reduction is not a drastic one, is one the secretary is confident can be done without negatively impacting readiness in order to make sure that our resources are allocated in the right direction,” the official said.

The Department of Defense logo is seen on the wall in the Press Briefing room at the Pentagon, Oct. 29, 2024, in Washington.
Kevin Wolf/AP

The Pentagon is currently carrying out a process to reach that goal including: voluntary separations, a hiring freeze and the dismissal of 5,400 probationary employees, the official told reporters.

As of right now, 21,000 civilian employees have been approved for the Deferred Resignation Program, the official said, though ABC News previously reported more than 31,000 employees had put in for that program. The hiring freeze means that the average 6,000 employees who join the Pentagon every month are not coming in as other employees leave. The official would not elaborate on the status of the probationary employees whose dismissal was paused by a federal lawsuit.

-ABC News' Luis Martinez

Mar 18, 2025, 2:41 PM EDT

House Judiciary ramps up investigation into Biden DOJ

The Republican-led House Judiciary Committee is ramping up its probe into the Department of Justice under President Joe Biden.

Chairman Jim Jordan is requesting transcribed interviews from several DOJ employees who served under Biden, including one from David Weiss -- who led the criminal investigation into Hunter Biden.

Rep. Jim Jordan speaks during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on sanctuary cities' policies at the U.S. Capitol on Mar. 5, 2025 in Washington.
Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

“During the 118th Congress, the Committee sought to work in good faith with the Biden-Harris Administration's DOJ to to conduct oversight in a constructive manner. However, the Biden-Harris DOJ dictated unilateral and severe scope limitations on the Committee's fact-finding and directed Department witnesses appearing before the Committee to not answer questions on the vast majority of topics. The Committee looks forward to the cooperation of all witnesses requested today,” Jordan wrote.

-ABC News’ Lauren Peller

Mar 18, 2025, 1:43 PM EDT

Trump, Putin agree to work toward ceasefire on energy, infrastructure, White House says

The White House issued a readout of the call between Trump and Putin, saying "both leaders agreed this conflict needs to end with a lasting peace."

However, the readout does not include any specific reference to Putin agreeing to the 30-day ceasefire that Ukraine had agreed to without conditions.

According to the readout, Trump and Putin said "movement to peace will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire, as well as technical negotiations on implementation of a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, full ceasefire and permanent peace."

President Donald Trump in Washington, Mar. 17, 2025 and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Mar. 18, 2025.
Reuters/Getty Images

These negotiations will begin immediately in the Middle East, according to the readout.

In addition to discussion around the war, Trump and Putin "stressed the need for improved bilateral relations between the United States and Russia" and spoke more broadly about the Middle East.

-ABC News' Molly Nagle

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