Trump admin updates: Trump wants Senate to cancel August recess to work on nominees

Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called on Trump to fire Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought over his suggestion that Congress should be less bipartisan when it comes to congressional appropriations.

"Russ Vought has now said the quiet part out loud. He said he even wants less bipartisanship in the Congress. He wants to destroy: Destroy the way the Congress works, destroy the balance of power, upend our entire constitution. Russell Vought doesn't believe in this democracy," Schumer said to a group of reporters this afternoon.

Schumer called Vought a "great danger to the American people"

"He wants to impose his right-wing views on America almost unilaterally. He said he will break the law by pocket rescissions, by impoundment. He is a very great danger to the American people, to our democracy, and the things people believe in," Schumer said. "Where are our Republican colleagues? Are they going to let this guy run rampant in one of the most powerful positions in government? Where the Republicans? I'm just furious. Donald Trump should fire Russell Vought immediately before he destroys our democracy and runs the country into the ground."

Schumer dodged a number of questions about how Vought's comments coupled with the GOP move to pass a rescissions package Wednesday would affect how Democrats maneuver in the upcoming government funding fight.

"Ask the Republicans,” he answered repeatedly.

-ABC News’ Allison Pecorin

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt didn't answer a question on the firing of Maurene Comey from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.

Leavitt deferred reporters to the Department of Justice, saying that it was their decision to fire Comey.The press secretary was later asked whether the White House had knowledge of the firing and whether Trump signed off on it. Leavitt sidestepped, saying only that it was a decision from the DOJ.

Comey prosecuted high-profile cases, including the Sean "Diddy" Combs prosecution and the office's case against Jeffrey Epstein. She is the daughter of former FBI director James Comey, who Trump fired during his first term.

-ABC News' Michelle Stoddart

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked about calls to appoint a special counsel to investigate the Jeffrey Epstein case.

The press secretary said although the idea was floated by someone in the media, "the president would not recommend a special prosecutor in the Epstein case."

"That's how he feels," she added.

Leavitt was asked about President Donald Trump's claims that the Jeffrey Epstein controversy was a "hoax" perpetuated by the Democrats and she doubled down on the president's comments.

The press secretary maintained that the administration did a thorough job with the probe.

"It was this president who directed the Department of Justice and the attorney general to do an exhaustive review of all files related to Jeffrey Epstein, which they did," she said. "The attorney general and the FBI, led by Pam Bondi, Dan Bongino, Kash Patel, these are great patriots, some of the most trusted voices in the Republican Party movement."