Trump 2nd term updates: Trump says USAID is run by 'radical lunatics'

The comments came amid turmoil as DOGE took over USAID offices last week.

ByAlexandra Hutzler, Ivan Pereira, Emily Chang, Andrea Pineda-Salgado, Meredith Deliso, and Julia Reinstein
Last Updated: February 2, 2025, 11:11 PM EST

President Donald Trump made good on his threats to impose tariffs on some of the U.S.'s trading partners, announcing Saturday that he will levy 25% tariffs on some goods from Canada and Mexico and 10% on Chinese goods.

Experts have warned that tariffs of this magnitude will likely increase prices paid by U.S. and Trump appeared to acknowledge that “some pain” might be possible in the U.S.

Meanwhile, the Senate Finance Committee announced it will meet Tuesday, when it is expected to vote on the controversial nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for secretary of Health and Human Services.

Key Headlines

Here's how the news is developing:
Jan 31, 2025, 1:50 PM EST

Leavitt dodges question about Trump's disability hiring comments

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked Friday about President Donald Trump's comments where he partially blamed DEI hiring practices, including those hiring people with disabilities, for the deadly plane crash in Washington D.C. this week. The president offered no details about his claims.

The press secretary repeated the president's claims that he was trying to bring more merit back to hiring.

"When it comes to many of the federal agencies across our government, people should not be hired based on their disabilities, based on their skin color, their gender, their race. None of that matters," she said.

Jan 31, 2025, 1:43 PM EST

Leavitt slams Democratic leaders over sanctuary cities

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt took aim at Democratic leaders over their opposition to the increased immigration raids by ICE agents.

"If they're not enforcing our nation's immigration law, sounds like they are breaking the law," she said.

Jan 31, 2025, 1:31 PM EST

Tariffs on Mexico, Canada, China will start Feb. 1, White House says

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that tariffs against Mexico and Canada will start on Saturday after a report circulated that Trump was going to push it back a month.

"I saw that report and it is false," Leavitt said. "I was just with the president in the Oval Office, and I can confirm that tomorrow, the Feb. 1 deadline that President Trump put into place in a statement several weeks ago, continues."

"The president will be implementing tomorrow a 25% tariff on Mexico, 25% tariffs on Canada and a 10% tariff on China," she added.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during the daily press briefing in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, Jan. 31, 2025.
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

Leavitt would not say if there will be any exemptions for items like oil, which Trump suggested could be spared from the tax.

"Those tariffs will be for public consumption in about 24 hours tomorrow," she said. "So you can read them then."

Jan 31, 2025, 1:22 PM EST

Leavitt says Trump will sign proclamation honoring Black History Month

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked about the administration's stance on honoring Black History Month following a Defense Department memo that called the agency to stop acknowledging holidays and observances related to minority groups.

Leavitt said Trump plans on signing a proclamation honoring Black History Month, as he did in his first administration, however, she did not comment on the DOD memo.

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