Trump 2nd term updates: Trump excludes low-value shipments from looming tariffs
The amendment exempts imports valued at less than $800 from Canada and Mexico.
President Donald Trump’s efforts to reshape the federal government to his liking suffered a loss in court when a federal judge blocked his administration from firing the head of a federal watchdog agency without cause, likely triggering a lengthy appeal that could end at the Supreme Court.
U.S. District Justice Amy Berman Jackson determined the move was unlawful and issued a permanent injunction that reinstated special counsel Hampton Dellinger to his position.
Meanwhile, the Social Security Administration said it will cut 7,000 jobs and six of its 10 regional centers as part of the president’s downsizing of the federal workforce.
And Trump’s physician announced the president will have his annual physical next month, days after reporters raised questions about a bruise they saw on the back of his hand.
Latest headlines:
- White House excludes low-value shipments from looming Canada, Mexico tariffs
- Kennedy stops short of calling for vaccines amid measles outbreak
- Intel community has concerns Russia, China could target fired employees
- Trump's doctor says he'll have annual physical exam 'next month'
- White House backs Israel blocking aid to Gaza
Trump says he's discussing 'economic development' deal with Putin
President Trump wrote in a social media post on Monday he's having "serious discussions" with Russia not only on ending its invasion of Ukraine but also on "major economic development transactions" -- though he didn't provide details.
Trump was asked to elaborate on what those transactions would look like as he met with France's Emmanuel Macron in the Oval Office.
"We're trying to do some economic development deals. They have a lot of things that we want, and we'll see. I mean, I don't know if that will come to fruition, but we'd love to be able to do that if we could," Trump said.
"You know, they have massive, rare earth ... they have very valuable things that we could use, and we have things that they could use, and it would be very good if we could do that. I think it would be a very good thing for world peace," Trump said.
Trump defends Musk's OPM email as a "pretty ingenious idea"
Amid confusion regarding Elon Musk's request for federal employees to list five accomplishments they achieved last week, the president has stepped in to defend the OPM email, calling it "great" and arguing that "a lot of people aren't answering because they don't even exist."
When asked about a "disconnect" in communications between Musk and federal agency heads instructing employees not to respond, Trump argued that this was because some employees are working on confidential material.
"And they don't mean that in any way combative with Elon. They're just saying there are some people that you don't want to really have them tell you what they're working on," Trump argued.
"But other than that, I think everyone thought it was a pretty ingenious idea," Trump added.
Trump says he will also meet with Putin, declines to call Russian leader a 'dictator'
After saying he would meet with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy once a mineral deal is reached, Trump said he would also meet Russia's Vladimir Putin.
"At some point, I'll be meeting with President Putin, too," Trump said, though he said he didn't know when that would take place.
Last week, Trump ramped up criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by calling him a "dictator."
On Monday, he was asked if he would use that term to describe Russia's Vladimir Putin. Trump declined to do so.
"I don't use those words lightly," he responded. "I think we're going to see how it all works out."
Trump says he will meet soon with Zelenskyy
Trump said Monday he will meet soon with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The comment was made as Trump took reporters' questions in the Oval Office, where he was meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Trump said Zelenskyy could come this week or next week to sign an agreement on Ukrainian minerals and rare earth elements. Trump said the agreement was still being worked on and that they are "very close" to a final deal.
"He would like to come, as I understand it, here to sign it. And that would be great by me," Trump said.