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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 07, 2025, 9:39 AM EST

DOGE can access sensitive Treasury Dept records, judge rules

A federal judge is allowing DOGE to access sensitive Treasury Department records and payment systems for now.

U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly denied a request Friday to issue an injunction blocking their access and dissolved her earlier order, determining the three federal unions who brought the case failed to prove DOGE's access to the records would cause irreparable harm.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury building is seen in Washington, Nov. 18, 2024.
Jose Luis Magana/AP, FILES

"For a time, parts of Silicon Valley embraced an unofficial credo of disruption: 'Move Fast and Break Things.' Plaintiffs, three large membership organizations, suggest that parts of the Executive Branch are now doing the same," she wrote before concluding that the unions failed to prove DOGE had caused serious damage," Kollar-Kotelly, a Clinton appointee, wrote.

Representatives from DOGE are still subject to a separate court order in New York that limits their access.

-ABC News' Peter Charalambous

Mar 07, 2025, 9:28 AM EST

Education secretary says Trump intends sign order to dissolve department, but unclear when

Education Secretary Linda McMahon told Fox and Friends that President Donald Trump "intends" to sign an executive order to dissolve the Department of Education, but it's still unclear when.

"I don't know. I don't want to get ahead of the president," she said, adding "I think you'd have to check with the White House."

The White House pulled the expected signing on Thursday, citing concerns of blowback the order would receive, specifically if vital federal programs could no longer exist. Without giving any details, McMahon said she and Trump have spoken about the order and he is "crystal clear" on the move.

Secretary of Education nominee Linda McMahon listens as President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, Feb. 26, 2025.
Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

As ABC News previously reported, a draft of the order calls on McMahon to facilitate a department closure by taking all necessary steps "permitted by law," sources said.

"He certainly intends to sign the order," McMahon said. "His intent is to provide quality education through school choice to all students, and he wants to make sure that education is back at the state level where it belongs, that that our local school boards, that governors and teachers and parents are really the ones that are involved mostly in their children's education."

-ABC News' Arthur Jones II

Mar 07, 2025, 9:02 AM EST

Trump to sign more executive orders, convene 1st-ever crypto summit

Trump is set to sign more executive orders at 2 p.m. ET. It's not clear what the orders will address.

Later in the afternoon, at 3:00 p.m. ET, he will participate in the White House's first-ever cryptocurrency summit -- an industry in which the president and his family have a personal stake. The summit is being chaired by the White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks. Trump will be delivering remarks.

Mar 07, 2025, 8:29 AM EST

Trump sent Iran leader letter urging nuclear deal or risk possible military action

In another clip of his Fox Business interview, President Donald Trump said he sent Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei a letter this week saying he hopes to negotiate a nuclear deal, while also threatening military action if a deal can't be reached.

"There are two ways Iran can be handled, militarily or you make a deal. I would prefer to make a deal," he said.

President Donald Trump speaks as he prepares to sign executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Mar. 6, 2025.
Alex Wong/Getty Images

"I would rather negotiate a deal. I'm not sure that everybody agrees with me but we can make a deal that would be just as good as if you won militarily. But the time is happening now, the time is coming up. Something is going to happen one way or the other. I hope that Iran and I've written them a letter, saying I hope you're going to negotiate because if we have to go in militarily, it's going to be a terrible thing for them," Trump said, adding he sent the letter Wednesday.

-ABC News' Molly Nagle

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