Trump 2nd term updates: Trump attends the Super Bowl
Trump becomes the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl.
President Donald Trump's second administration continued its swift recasting of the federal government, prompting pushback from Democrats and legal challenges.
The president said Sunday that he will announce tariffs on all imported steel and aluminum on Monday but didn't say when they'll take effect.
Trump, meanwhile, is at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Sunday night to take in the Super Bowl. Trump picked the Kansas City Chiefs to beat the Philadelphia Eagles in an interview aired before the game on Fox.
Key headlines:
Trump’s Gaza plan is a ‘good development,’ Speaker Mike Johnson says
Outside the House Republican Conference meeting Wednesday morning, Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters that Trump's plan to take over Gaza was "surprising," but that it was a "good development."
"Yeah, we're trying to get the details of it, but I think this is a good development," Johnson said. "We have to back Israel 100% and so whatever form that takes, we're interested in having that discussion."
While he called this a "surprising development," he added, "I think it's one that we'll applaud."
During a press conference Wednesday morning, Johnson reiterated that "there's a lot to discuss" and that they will "await details" on the president's full plan, but called it "bold, decisive news."
Trump's plan is 'ethnic cleansing by another name,' Democrat Van Hollen says
Senate Democrats continue to express outrage over Trump's assertion that the U.S. should "take over" Gaza.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., in an appearance on CNN on Wednesday morning, framed the proposal as "dangerous” and “ethnic cleansing by another name.” He also presented the possibility of U.S. troops going to Gaza as a non-starter.
"This is an insane proposal, and there's been a huge backlash already, because the president of the United States was saying that he would use U.S. military force, if necessary, to forcibly remove 2 million Palestinians from Gaza -- that's ethnic cleansing by another name -- so that it could be redeveloped," Van Hollen said.
Also on CNN, Rep. Debbie Dingell, a Michigan Democrat, said Trump’s proposal is part of the president trying to “create chaos everywhere” and that the proposal will have next to no support.
– ABC News’ Oren Oppenheim
USPS says it will accept packages from China, Hong Kong
According to a new statement on the U.S. Postal Service website, they will now accept packages from China and Hong Kong.
"Effective February 5, 2025, the Postal Service will continue accepting all international inbound mail and packages from China and Hong Kong Posts," the statement reads.
"The USPS and Customs and Border Protection are working closely together to implement an efficient collection mechanism for the new China tariffs to ensure the least disruption to package delivery."
USPS had announced on Tuesday a temporary suspension of some inbound packages after the Trump administration imposed an additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods.
White House national security adviser defends Trump's pitch for US takeover of Gaza
White House national security adviser Mike Waltz is standing by Trump's proposal for a U.S. takeover of Gaza and relocating millions of Palestinians, calling them "bold, fresh, new ideas" that don't warrant criticism for what is likely a violation of international law.
"He's not seeing any realistic solutions on how those miles and miles and miles of debris are going to be clear, how those, you know, essentially unexploded bombs are going to be removed, how these people are physically going to live for the -- at least a decade if not longer it's going to take to do this," Waltz said on CBS News.
Waltz was asked directly what right the U.S. had to try to take ownership of Gaza.
"I think anyone asking that question, frankly, doesn't have a realistic view of the plight of the Palestinian people in Gaza," Waltz replied. "I mean, you have literally, nearly 2 million people, living in place that has thousands and thousands of unexploded ordinance and bombs. It's in some places like a minefield. You have buildings that are collapsing and unsafe. You have no sewage, no running water. It has become completely unlivable with this war that Hamas started on Oct. 7."
-ABC News' Justin Gomez