Trump admin updates: EU will buy $750 billion worth of U.S. energy under deal

With just one week until the Aug. 1 tariff deadline, President Donald Trump told reporters Friday on the White House South Lawn that a majority of trade deals are complete, highlighting that official letters will be sent out shortly.

"Aug. 1 is going to come, and we will have most of our deals finished, if not all," he said.

The president then provided a status update on other countries, expressing disappointment in Canada, stating he's open to collaborating with the EU, and mentioning the framework of a deal with China.

"I think Canada could be one where they'll just pay tariffs. It's not really a negotiation," he said.

"I would say that we have a 50/50 chance, maybe less than that, but a 50/50 chance of making a deal with the EU," Trump added.

-ABC News' Kelsey Walsh

Trump was asked by ABC News Friday morning about the possibility of granting clemency for convicted Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is being interviewed by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.

The president initially dodged the question.

"I can't talk about that now because, you know, it's a very sensitive interview going on," he said.

When asked about trusting Maxwell, who has been deemed as untrustworthy by prosecutors, Trump said he had faith in Blanche, who previously served as Trump's criminal attorney.

"But you should focus on Clinton. You should focus on the aggressiveness of Harvard - the former president of Harvard. You should focus on some of the hedge fund guys. I'll give you a list. These guys lived with Jeffrey Epstein. I sure as hell didn't," he said.

However, when asked again about potential clemency for Maxwell, Trump said, "something that I haven’t thought about."

"I am allowed to do it, but it is something that I haven’t thought about,” he said.

-ABC News' Mary Bruce and Kelsey Walsh

President Donald Trump, in a post on his social media platform on Thursday night, officially endorsed Republican National Committee co-chair Michael Whatley for the Senate race in North Carolina in 2026.

"Mike would make an unbelievable Senator from North Carolina. He is fantastic at everything he does, and he was certainly great at the RNC where, in the Presidential Election, we won every Swing State, the Popular Vote, and the Electoral College by a landslide!" Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that he has a “mission” for allies in North Carolina to get Whatley to run for the seat.

Trump also endorsed RNC treasurer and Florida state Sen. Joe Gruters to become the new chair of the RNC if Whatley runs.

Whatley has not yet weighed in openly or formally launched a bid.

-ABC News' Oren Oppenheim

President Donald Trump’s attempt to ensure his pick remains in charge of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey took a new twist on Thursday.

One day before Alina Habba’s tenure as the interim U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey was set to expire, the White House withdrew her nomination for the post.

Habba then announced on social media that she is now the acting United States Attorney, seemingly restarting the clock on what is usually a 120-day temporary term.

“I don’t cower to pressure. I don’t answer to politics. This is a fight for justice. And I’m all in,” Habba wrote on social media.

The unorthodox legal maneuver appears to end a stalemate that began when federal judges in New Jersey selected Desiree Leigh Grace, an experienced federal prosecutor, over Habba, the president’s former personal attorney and choice to lead the office.

The Department of Justice quickly stated that it fired Grace, leaving unclear who would take over the office.

In a social media post, Grace stated that she would still be willing to lead the office “in accordance with the law.”

The Trump administration’s move to pull Habba’s nomination and then install her in an acting capacity appears to take advantage of a section of the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, which allows an acting officer to serve in a position for no more than 210 days if no one is nominated to the position.

-ABC News' Peter Charalambous and Alexander Mallin