APPLENEWS - STORY ADD
Trump 2nd term live updates: Dan Bongino named as deputy FBI director
He hosts the popular right-wing and pro-Trump podcast "The Dan Bongino Show."
President Donald Trump's administration is continuing its radical effort to cut much of the federal government and crackdown on immigration -- and is being met with dozens of legal challenges.
On the foreign policy front, Trump's press secretary said the White House believes it can reach a deal to end the war in Ukraine this week even as Trump attacks Ukraine's president and blames it for starting the war, which even some in his own party are calling him out over.
Meanwhile, heads of federal government agencies were telling employees not to reply to an email from Elon Musk, Trump's ally who he picked to cut government waste, which asked for them to list their accomplishments for the week or face termination.
Latest headlines:
- Murkowski to Musk: Treat federal workers with ‘dignity and respect’
- Largest federal worker union calls OPM email ‘unlawful’
- US attorney for DC encourages workers to reply to OPM email
- Air traffic controllers also got ‘What did you get done’ emails
- Witkoff heads to Mideast to negotiate next phase of ceasefire
Trump calls for 'cleaning house' at DOJ
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social on Tuesday, President Donald Trump again called for "cleaning house" at the Department of Justice.
"Over the past four years, the Department of Justice has been politicized like never before. Therefore, I have instructed the termination of ALL remaining 'Biden Era' U.S. Attorneys. We must 'clean house' IMMEDIATELY, and restore confidence. America’s Golden Age must have a fair Justice System - THAT BEGINS TODAY!" Trump posted.
-ABC News' Hannah Demissie
Layoffs expected to hit IRS as soon as tomorrow: sources
The Trump administration is expected to begin layoffs at the Internal Revenue Service as soon as tomorrow, multiple sources told ABC News.
Management was informed on Tuesday to expect probationary employees to be affected and to prepare to collect ID cards and government-issued equipment, sources said.
It is not immediately clear how many probationary employees will be affected. ABC News previously reported that 15,000 IRS employees had been identified as probationary.
-- ABC News' Will Steakin, Olivia Rubin, and Anne Flaherty
Trump says federal firings is something ‘we have to do,’ says some people will be ‘put back’
When asked whether he was concerned about the thousands of federal employees fired over the weekend as part of his administration’s desire to cut costs, Trump said, “No, not at all,” telling reporters, “We have to just do what we have to do.”
Instead, he focused on the “amazing” findings he claims they have uncovered, emphasizing that this is what he was elected to do.
“In some cases, they'll fire people and then they'll put some people back, not all of them, because a lot of people were let go,” he said in regards to the firing and rehiring of certain employees that occurred over the weekend.
Trump asked to clarify Elon Musk's role after contradictory statements
Amid contradictory statements about Elon Musk's position at the Department of Government Efficiency, Trump was asked directly what is Musk's role in the administration.
"Elon is to me a patriot," Trump responded. "You can call him an employee, you can call him a consultant, you could call him whatever you want, but he's a patriot."
Trump didn't clarify or elaborate, instead going on to praise Musk for his work. Trump listed examples of government spending he disagrees with, alleging without evidence it's fraudulent or corrupt.
The confusion over Musk came to a head after the administration contended in a court filing late Monday that he was not the DOGE administrator but rather a "special government employee" akin to a senior adviser to Trump.