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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."
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.
Latest headlines:
Trump administration backs off memo ordering mass firings after court ruling
The Office of Personnel Management has revised its Jan. 20 memo to federal agencies about probationary employees -- now writing that "OPM is not directing agencies to take any specific performance-based actions regarding probationary employees."
"Agencies have ultimate decisionmaking authority over, and responsibility for, such personnel actions," read the memo, which came after a federal judge ruled last week that the OPM's initial directive to terminate temporary employees was illegal.
An OPM spokesperson did not respond to questions about how this change affects workers who have already been fired -- or if this is meant to bring the government's directives in line with the new ruling.
-ABC News' Katherine Faulders and Benjamin Siegel
Thune said he views tariff policy through a 'different lens' than Trump
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Tuesday that he views tariff policy through a "different lens" than President Donald Trump because of the economic impact that tariffs have on his home state of South Dakota.
"I think the president is looking at this as a means to an end. I don't think it is the end itself. I certainly hope it isn't," Thune said during an appearance on CNN.
He predicted the markets will stabilize but conceded the potential for rising costs for consumers is an "issue."
-ABC News' Allison Pecorin
Trump says retaliatory tariff on US will raise reciprocal tariffs
President Donald Trump said retaliatory tariffs on the United States will lead him to raise reciprocal tariffs by 25% on Canada.
"Please explain to Governor Trudeau, of Canada, that when he puts on a Retaliatory Tariff on the U.S., our Reciprocal Tariff will immediately increase by a like amount!" Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social Tuesday afternoon.
House Democratic women wearing pink to protest Trump's joint address
The Democratic Women's Caucus Chairwoman, Teresa Leger Fernández, told ABC News the caucus is calling on women to wear pink at the president's joint address on Tuesday because it is the "color of power and protest."
"It has been used in protest against Trump, and it's been used in protest against Putin, and it is, I think, an affirmation that women are strong," Fernández said. "This is a color that immediately pops as associated with women, both our power and our purpose."
"In our beautiful tapestry, we are united against Trump," she added.
-ABC News' Arthur Jones II