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Trump 2nd term live updates: Trump defends tariffs, declines to comment on Ukraine aid

Trump said tariffs will be the "greatest thing we've ever done as a country."

Last Updated: March 9, 2025, 8:31 PM EDT

President Donald Trump is defending his decision to pause some tariffs to Canada and Mexico for another month -- a notable reversal after imposing historic levies on the key U.S. trading partners earlier this week, causing markets to tumble.

On Friday, Trump signed more executive orders at the White House before he convened a first-ever cryptocurrency summit with industry leaders.

Mar 04, 2025, 12:38 PM EST

Johnson touts 'excitement about what DOGE is doing' ahead of Musk visit to Congress

House Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed Elon Musk is meeting with House Republicans on Wednesday at 7 p.m. to explain what DOGE is doing and take questions.

"Elon Musk is coming to give everyone an update, House Republicans," Johnson said Tuesday. "There's a lot of excitement about what DOGE is doing and some questions, and he'll be able to answer the questions of members there. The closer we coordinate with what DOGE is doing and with the House, the better off the country is because again we'll be able again to make these savings from fraud, waste and abuse permeant in the budgeting process that's going to be a good thing for every American taxpayer."

Elon Musk speaks during a Cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, Feb. 26, 2025.
Pool via AP

-ABC News' Lauren Peller

Mar 04, 2025, 12:25 PM EST

Trump illegally removed member of board that protects government employees, judge rules

President Donald Trump unlawfully removed a member of a federal office that protects government employees from partisan interference, a federal judge ruled earlier Tuesday.

U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras granted a permanent injunction reinstating Cathy Harris to the Merit Systems Protection Board, delivering the Trump administration a legal defeat as it attempts to reshape the federal workforce.

President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, Mar. 3, 2025.
Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images

"Because the President did not indicate that he sought to remove Harris for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office, his attempt to terminate her was unlawful and exceeded the scope of his authority," Judge Contreras wrote.

-ABC News' Peter Charalambous

Mar 04, 2025, 12:18 PM EST

Mike Johnson embraces Trump move to freeze Ukraine aid

House Republicans gathered Tuesday morning for a closed-door conference meeting in which they discussed President Donald Trump's decision to cut off military aid for Ukraine and heard directly from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about his plans to reprioritize spending at the Pentagon.


While some lawmakers grumble that the president is overstepping his executive authority by restricting the distribution of military aid explicitly appropriated by Congress, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., argued that Trump has the constitutional power to act unilaterally -- and that his decision might even pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to succumb to Trump's position.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) delivers remarks after the House passed the Republican's budget resolution on the spending bill on Feb. 25, 2025 at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images


"It's a temporary pause, and it is to do a reset," Johnson told reporters afterward. "The president has authority to do that, to act as the commander in chief, to use the strategy that he and his team believe is best fit for, that it's not changing or redirecting something that Congress did."

Johnson called on Zelenskyy to return to Washington "to come and make right what happened last week, the shocking developments in the Oval Office."

-ABC News' Lauren Peller and John Parkinson

Mar 04, 2025, 11:32 AM EST

Trudeau slams US tariffs, says Canada will not back down until Trump lifts

In an emotional speech, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau slammed the U.S. tariffs as counterproductive.

"The U.S. started a trade war last night with their closest ally and friend," Trudeau said Tuesday. "They chose to do this while appeasing Putin. Make that make sense. We will not back down from a fight."

Trudeau said Canada would not back down until the U.S. and President Donald Trump lift the tariffs.

"To the U.S. people, your government has chosen to do this to you," Trudeau said. "Your government has chosen to put American jobs at risk. They've chosen to raise prices and chosen to harm American national security. They are sabotaging their own progress."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau holds a news conference on imposed U.S. tariffs with Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly, Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Public Safety Minister David McGuinty in Ottawa, Mar. 4, 2025.
Adrian Wyld /The Canadian Press via AP

He also touted the success the country has had in stopping fentanyl at the northern border.

--ABC News' Will Gretsky

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