Astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore, Sunita “Suni” Williams and Nick Hague, who are on the International Space Station, discuss the challenges of sending humans to Mars. (ABC News)
(WASHINGTON) — It’s been a lofty goal America’s leaders have set their sights on for generations, and President Donald Trump kicked off his second term by restating his goal of reaching the Red Planet.
“And we will pursue our Manifest Destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the Stars and Stripes on the planet Mars,” he said during his Jan. 20 inauguration speech.
Elon Musk — the CEO of space technology company SpaceX — has the president’s ear this time around, suggesting we’ll see an even harder push to make the 140 million-mile journey to Mars.
“Can you imagine how awesome it will be to have American astronauts plant the flag on another planet for the first time?” Musk said on Inauguration Day.
It will take a herculean effort from NASA to make a mission to Mars a reality, experts told ABC News. It must build on the Artemis program — which Trump established in 2017 to build a human presence on the moon — to get people setting foot on Mars, according to NASA.
“NASA’s current moon to Mars exploration approach calls for using missions on and around the moon under the Artemis campaign to prepare for future human missions to Mars,” an agency spokesperson said in a statement sent to ABC News. “We’re looking forward to hearing more about the Trump administration’s plans for our agency and expanding exploration for the benefit of all, including sending American astronauts on the first human mission to the Red Planet.”
However, the mission can’t simply launch whenever the crews and technology are ready. Scott Hubbard ran the agency’s Mars program from 2000 to 2001, served as director of its Ames Research Center for 4 years and was in executive management at NASA for 20 years.
He noted that there are specific windows for when to launch the mission. When Earth and Mars align in their orbits around the sun, the distance and energy required for a spacecraft to travel to Mars are minimized.
The next window is just a year and a half away.
“Even with the most powerful rockets we have, there is a window of 20 days every 26 months,” he told ABC News. “And that’s it. I mean, it’s literally be there or forget about it.”
Whenever the mission takes off, it will be an incredibly challenging endurance test filled with problems never encountered before, requiring a crew of astronauts daring enough to make the journey.
Astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams have been getting a taste of that. The pair have been in space for nine months, with their planned 8-day trip to the International Space Station (ISS) getting an unexpected extension for safety reasons.
“So once we transitioned from not returning on our spacecraft, we transitioned into being a crew member, on the international crew, members on the International Space Station,” Wilmore told ABC News. “And that’s what we’ve been doing since we’ve been here.”
Williams noted that this kind of flexibility will be key for anyone hoping to go to Mars.
“I’d say nothing goes as planned and be ready for that,” she told ABC News. “You know, a little challenge, a little adversity brings out the best in us.”
This experience may one day be useful to astronauts making the 7-month journey to Mars, their fellow ISS crew member Nick Hague told ABC News.
“You know, being up here, it’s not about a singular mission. It’s not about a singular trip to Mars,” he said. “We’re part of a long legacy of exploration, of human exploration, of space, and we’re doing our little part to try to advance that.”
The ISS crew is researching some of the logistical challenges that the long journey to Mars would present.
“How do we sustain ourselves? We can’t pack all the resources we need on a trip to Mars and sustain a long mission,” Hague said. “So we’re going to have to figure out how to grow the food that we’re going to need.”
The astronauts would also need to be able to replace equipment that breaks during the trip.
“So you cannot take every single spare part with you,” Wilmore said. “You’re going to have to have some way of additive manufacturing — 3D printing.”
The trip would also expose astronauts to conditions that could lead to multiple health problems, including the potential risk of cancer and mental health issues, along with bone and muscle problems, space physiologist Rihana Bokhari told ABC News. Getting messages back to Earth could take a while as well, she noted.
“That communication delay is going to be quite large when it comes to Mars, about 20 minutes each way at the furthest,” she said.
Setting foot on the fourth planet from the sun may be the goal, but it’s only half the battle. A round-trip mission would take at least three years.
“In addition to transportation, you need a habitat. We have not yet built a place for astronauts to live for the 6 or 7 months it would take to get there and have a really reliable life support,” Hubbard, the former NASA Mars lead, told ABC News.
Hubbard believes NASA should be thinking longer term for its first manned mission to Mars.
“Not all opportunities are equal,” he said. “And if you were to look out to 2033, you see an opportunity that comes only once every 15 years. You can get the most mass to Mars of any of these other 20-day windows.”
Considering the length of time for the window from now, Hubbard noted that the Apollo missions followed a similar timeline — from the first tests in 1961 to Apollo 11 landing on the moon in 1969.
“And it’s going to take not just technological advancement but political will,” he said. “It’s going to take people to see that this is part of what we do as human beings.”
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump is addressing a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, six weeks into his historic return to the White House.
The speech comes after markets tumbled following Trump’s steep tariffs on key U.S. trading partners. Meanwhile, his administration could sign a mineral deal with Ukraine as soon as today after a tumultuous Oval Office meeting last week between Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Here’s how the news is developing.
More Democrats leave as speech continues
More Democrats are trickling out of the chamber including Reps. Pramila Jayapal, Ilhan Omar, Jardee Huffman and Nydia Velazquez around 10:40 p.m.
Reps. Mark Takano and Joaquin Castro left when Trump brought up Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
Reps. Judy Chu and Mark Pocan left at approximately 10:48 p.m.
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
More Democrats leave as speech continues
More Democrats are trickling out of the chamber including Reps. Pramila Jayapal, Ilhan Omar, Jardee Huffman and Nydia Velazquez around 10:40 p.m.
Reps. Mark Takano and Joaquin Castro left when Trump brought up Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
Reps. Judy Chu and Mark Pocan left at approximately 10:48 p.m.
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
Trump talks about Butler assassination attempt
Trump, who survived two assassination attempts during the 2024 campaign, talked about the shooting at his Butler, Pennsylvania, rally.
“A sick and deranged assassin unloaded eight bullets from his sniper’s perch into a crowd of many. My life was saved by a fraction of an inch. But some were not so lucky,” he said. He then shared a few words about Corey Comperatore, whose family is in the room for the speech.
Marc Fogel, American teacher released from Russian prison, attends speech
Marc Fogel, an American history teacher who was released from a Russian prison last month after four years detainment, is in attendance at tonight’s speech.
Trump said he promised Fogel’s mother “that we would bring her boy safely back home.”
“After 22 days in office, I did just that,” he said.
Trump brings back ‘Pocahontas’ taunt against Elizabeth Warren
As Trump finally turned to talking about Russia and Ukraine, Democrats clapped when he said the U.S. has sent billions of dollars to support Ukraine’s defense.
“Do you want to keep it going for another five years? Yeah, yeah, you would say, Pocahontas says ‘yes,'” he said. The reference is a callback to his 2018 taunt of Sen. Elizabeth Warren as she ran for president.
The camera then panned to Warren, who was wearing her signature blue suit. Warren clapped throughout Trump’s jab.
Trump claims Zelenskyy wrote him a letter agreeing to sign minerals deal
Ukraine came up 90 minutes into the speech and Trump provided an update following last week’s blow up in the Oval Office.
He claimed Zelenskyy sent him a letter today indicating that he was ready to come back to the negotiating table and was willing to sign the agreement to give the U.S. Ukraine’s rare materials.
“Wouldn’t that be beautiful? Wouldn’t that be beautiful? It’s time to stop this madness,” Trump said.
Trump misleads about autism statistics
Trump said “not long ago, and you can’t even believe these numbers, one in 10,000 children had autism, one in 10,000 and now it’s one in 36.”
It’s not clear what year Trump was referencing for his “one in 10,000” statement, but in 2000 it was one in 150, according to the CDC.
There are reasonable explanations for why the rate is higher now than decades ago. The autism criteria shifted in 2013 when three diagnoses — autistic disorder; Asperger’s syndrome; and pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified — were merged into a singular autism spectrum disorder diagnosis, Evan H. Dart, University of South Florida associate professor in the school psychology program, previously told PolitiFact.
“This alone could explain large increases in medical diagnoses of autism since the 2000s, even more so compared to the 1980s,” when autism first appeared in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Dart said.
— Amy Sherman, PolitiFact
Trump vows to rename Panama Canal
Trump continued his push to rename landmarks and vowed to rename the Panama Canal.
He repeated several false claims about its ownership and told Secretary of State Marco Rubio “good luck.”
“We know who to blame if anything goes wrong,” Trump said.
Mother of Jocelyn Nungaray attends speech
The mother of Jocelyn Nungaray — a 12-year-old Houston girl who was sexually assaulted and killed last summer — is in attendance at tonight’s speech.
The two men accused in her assault and death are undocumented immigrants from Venezuela, who Trump called “two illegal alien monsters.”
Trump accused former President Joe Biden of allowing the suspects to enter the U.S. through what he slammed as a “ridiculous open border” policy.
During his speech, Trump announced that a wildlife refuge near the victim’s home would be renamed the “Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge” in her honor.
Trump pushes for ‘golden dome’ over US
Trump asked Congress to help fund “golden dome” over the U.S. akin to Israel’s Iron Dome defense system.
But experts told ABC News it wouldn’t make much sense for the nation’s national security, with allies located to the north and south and oceans on both sides.
Trump surpasses some of his previous addresses in length
Surpassing the one hour mark, Trump’s address is now longer than his first joint session of Congress in 2017, which lasted about one hour.
His 2019 State of the Union speech was one hour and 22 minutes long, which marked the third longest address.
Former President Bill Clinton’s 2000 speech was the longest, sitting at just over one hour and 28 minutes.
Trump calls for 13-year-old’s dream of being a police officer to come true
Trump called attention to 13-year-old DJ Daniel, who aspires to become a police officer but was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2018.
“The doctors gave him five months at most to live. That was more than six years ago,” Trump said. “Since that time, DJ and his dad have been on a quest to make his dream come true.”
“And tonight, DJ, we’re going to do you the biggest honor of them all. I am asking our new Secret Service Director Sean Curran to officially make you an agent of the United States.”
Trump called attention to 13-year-old DJ Daniel, who aspires to become a police officer but was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2018.
Daniel reacted with a face of shock, before his dad lifted up to the crowd. DJ proudly raised a certificate and was met with claps, chants and cheers.
In one of the rare moments, a Democrat stood in support. Rep. Laura Gillen, rose up and applauded for Daniel.
Claim: There will be a little disturbance for Americans because of tariffs
FACT CHECK: This is lacking context.
The Yale Budget Lab estimates that the tariffs could cost the average household up to $2,000 annually. Cars and car parts are big exports from Canada and Mexico, and tariffs could increase the cost of a new car by over $3,000 per vehicle on top of last year’s average new car price of $44,811, according to JP Morgan Research.
Most economists predict that prices, and therefore, inflation will go up, with consumers seeing higher prices for food, gasoline, clothes, shoes, toys and other household items.
-ABC News’ Soo Youn
Democrats yell ‘January 6th’ as Trump talks law enforcement
Several Democrats including Rep. Veronica Escobar yelled “January 6th” as Trump discussed law enforcement and protecting police officers.
Trump pardoned all of the defendants charged with the riot.
Trump tells his FBI director, attorney general: ‘Good luck’
Trump railed against what he claims is a justice system weaponized by Democrats to go after political opponents, including him. Democrats audibly grumbled at the comments.
Trump then wished FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi “good luck” and the pair received standing ovations. Patel and Bondi narrowly survived their confirmation votes. In fact, Patel’s was one of the most partisan and divided confirmation votes for an FBI director in history at 51-49.
Claim: ‘Hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud’ found by DOGE
FACT CHECK: This is unverifiable.
This claim is unverifiable because DOGE has yet to release the entirety of its work or specify which cuts have been “fraud” as opposed to “waste.” DOGE has claimed to have saved $106 billion in total savings, not “hundreds of billions” in fraud, and even Elon Musk himself has said they have mostly found “waste” and “mostly not fraud.”
DOGE has claimed it has saved a total of $106 billion in federal money from a “combination of asset sales, contract/lease cancellations and renegotiations, fraud and improper payment deletion, grant cancellations, interest savings, programmatic changes, regulatory savings, and workforce reductions.” The figure remains unverifiable and DOGE’s website claims to have posted only 30% of the receipts supporting this total.
Even Musk himself said on Joe Rogan’s podcast last week that most of what DOGE is finding is “waste,” rather than outright fraud. “Only the federal government could get away with this level of waste. It’s mostly waste. It’s mostly not fraud, it’s mostly waste. It’s mostly just ridiculous things happening,” Musk said.
-ABC News’ Soo Rin Kim and Will Steakin
Trump crosses the 1-hour mark
Trump has been speaking for one hour. His remarks so far resemble the tone of his 2024 campaign speeches, as he weaves from one topic to another. He is currently railing against illegal immigration, the southern border and criminal cartels, which were some of his favorite topics to talk about on the trail.
Democrats speak out after leaving speech
Democratic Reps. Sydney Kamlager-Dove and Maxwell Frost released statements after they left the speech.
“Through walking out, my message to Donald Trump is simple: stop the lies, stop the cheating, and stop the stealing — enough is enough. The American people deserve better,” Kamlager-Dove said.
“Donald Trump is many things — a liar, a grifter, a wanna-be-dictator — but no matter how hard he tries and how many Republicans in Congress bend the knee and kiss the ring: he will never be king,” Frost said.
-ABC News’ John Parkinson
Trump argues that ‘all we really needed’ was a new president to fix the border
Trump once again bashed former President Joe Biden for his immigration policy, arguing that a new president was needed to resolve the issue of illegal border crossings.
“Friends in the Democrat Party kept saying we needed new legislation, we must have legislation to secure the border,” Trump said, before arguing that “turns out, all we really needed” was a new president.
Trump highlights Laken Riley case as he pushes his border policies
Trump highlighted the tragic killing of nursing student Laken Riley. Her case reignited the national debate over immigration and crime during the 2024 election. The Laken Riley Act, series of initiatives meant to tackle his key goal of curbing illegal immigration, was symbolically the first law Trump signed of his second administration.
Laken Riley’s mother and sister are guests of first lady Melania Trump and stood as Trump spoke. Her mother, Allyson Phillips, appeared emotional as the two received applause from Republicans in the chamber.
Trump highlights Laken Riley case as he pushes his border policiesLaken Riley’s mother and sister are guests of Melania Trump and Laken’s mother, Allyson Phillips, appeared emotional as the two received applause from Republicans in the chamber.
Illegal immigration at the U.S. southern border has dropped since Trump entered office Jan. 20, and it’s likely that Trump’s hard-on-immigration approach has played a role. From former President Joe Biden’s last week in office to Trump’s first week in office, border officials’ daily encounters with immigrants illegally entering the U.S. dropped 60%. There’s been a 94% drop in encounters with Border Patrol agents at the U.S. southern border over a seven-day period in February and the same time last year.
But looking at a small period of time ignores longer-term trends, and there are multiple ways to examine the data. Illegal immigration has been dropping since March 2024, during Biden’s administration.
Immigration experts havetoldPolitiFact that weather patterns, such as extremely cold or hot conditions, changes in administration and policies or political shifts in people’s home countries can affect whether someone migrates. So it’s uncertain what causes a drop or how long it will last.
— Aaron Sharockman, PolitiFact
Trump highlights first lady for her work with foster care, ‘Take It Down’ Act
Trump called attention to first lady Melania Trump and praised her work protecting children.
Melania Trump was flanked by Haley Ferguson, a recipient of the first lady’s Fostering the Future initiative and Ellison Berry, a victim of AI-generated pornography.
Trump highlights first lady for her work with foster care, ‘Take It Down’ ActMelania Trump was flanked by Haley Ferguson, a recipient of the first lady’s Fostering the Future initiative and Ellison Berry, a victim of AI-generated pornography.
Berry was present at Melania Trump’s roundtable event Monday advocating for the passage of the “Take It Down” Act, which aims to criminalize deepfake and revenge pornography.
“And I’m going to use that bill for myself, too, if you don’t mind. There’s nobody gets treated worse than I do online. Nobody,” Trump said.
Trump calls for a balanced budget while promising revenue cuts
Trump has spent most of the last 20 minutes talking about out-of-control government spending, ranging from cuts of foreign aid to repeating falsehoods about Social Security payments to dead people. He went so far as to promise the government will balance the budget — something it hasn’t done since the 90s.
Now he’s a few paragraphs in to a preview of tax cut legislation. Trump says he will extend his 2017 tax cuts and further cut the rate for wealthy Americans while eliminating the tax on tips. It’s worth noting that these goals are not compatible without cuts to government entitlement programs, since cutting taxes also cuts revenues that pay for spending. A budget bill which recently passed the Republican-controlled House would add nearly $3 trillion to the deficit over the next decade.
—G. Elliott Morris, 538
Understanding all those 100-plus-year-olds on the Social Security rolls
In detailing the waste and fraud his administration has discovered, Trump used the example of the country’s Social Security rolls, saying millions of people listed at ages 100 and older are still on active Social Security lists. Why?
Social media commenters came up with one possible explanation for the 150-year age, and experts who have worked closely with the Social Security Administration told PolitiFact it was plausible.
Under an international standard called ISO 8601, a missing value for a date is coded as May 20, 1875, because that was the date of an international standards-setting conference held in Paris, known as the “Convention du Mètre.”
For that reason, under some coding systems, a missing value for a date will default to 1875 — which in the year 2025 produces a round figure of 150.
Social Security Administration Acting Commissioner Lee Dudek said in a Feb. 19 statement that people older than 100 in the Social Security database “are not necessarily receiving benefits.”
That doesn’t mean payments aren’t sent out improperly, however.
Between fiscal years 2015 and 2022, which includes Trump’s first presidency, the Social Security Administration sent almost $71.8 billion in improper payments, according to a July 2024 agency inspector general report. The inspector general’s office called improper payments “a longstanding challenge.”
A November 2021 inspector general’s report found $298 million in payments after death to some 24,000 beneficiaries. (About $84 million was returned, the report said.)
— Aaron Sharockman, PolitiFact
‘At some point, we’re all going to have to stand up’: Al Green
Rep. Al Green spoke with ABC News after he was escorted out of the chamber and said he’d welcome any consequences that come from his disruption.
“I was following the wishes of conscious, there are times when it is better to stand alone than not stand at all,” he said.
‘At some point, we’re all going to have to stand up’: Al GreenRep. Al Green spoke with ABC News after he was escorted out of the chamber and said he’d welcome any consequences that come from his disruption.
ABCNews.com
Green added that he believes Trump is “disrupting the healthcare system” and “all but defying court orders.”
“At some point, we’re all going to have to stand up,” the congressman said.
-ABC News’ Jay O’Brien
Fact-checking Trump’s claim on egg prices
Though egg prices did increase under President Joe Biden, they have recently surged under Trump too — and that’s because of bird flu, which has led to the deaths of 136 million birds since 2022, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.
While the price of eggs was consistently rising due to inflation under Biden’s administration, the first significant price hike occurred in 2022, when bird flu began infecting flocks of birds in the U.S. Egg prices rose from $1.93 per dozen to $4.82 per dozen over the course of just that one year, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The prices moderated again, back down to the $2-$3 range during the rest of Biden’s presidency — but have shot back up to a record-high $4.95 this January, again due to bird flu.
A disjointed response from the Democrats
An incredibly disjointed response from the Democratic party.
Is the plan to protest in silence? Walk out of the speech? Or cause a massive disruption?
If you’re watching, it’s all of the above.
It didn’t take 10 minutes for Rep. Al Green to cause so much of a disruption, the president was forced to stop his speech. Green was escorted out.
Several minutes later, we saw a handful of Democrats stand up, remove their blazers and turn their backs toward the president. Some of their shirts reading “RESIST” and “NO MORE KINGS.”
But for the most part, all other Democrats are sitting silently and using their paddles to protest, trying to fact check the president in real time and holding up signs that read “FALSE.”
Rep. Rashida Tlaib has a whiteboard with her writing, “LIES” and “THAT’S A LIE” as the president moves through his speech, then holding it up.
Not so long ago, it was Democrats who were condemning outbursts from Republicans who interrupted President Joe Biden. The lack of decorum is now becoming part of the norm here on Capitol Hill.
-ABC News’ Rachel Scott
Trump defends his new tariffs and says more are coming
Trump defended his the tariffs against China, Canada and Mexico that went into effect earlier today — despite the negative fallout, including U.S. stocks tumbling. He said on April 2, he’ll go further and implement “reciprocal tariffs.”
Trump defended his the tariffs against China, Canada and Mexico that went into effect earlier today. He said on April 2, he’ll go further and implement “reciprocal tariffs.”
Claim: ‘Gold cards’ don’t need congressional approval
FACT CHECK: Misleading.
Immigration expertssay Trump can neither create a new green card program nor shut down an existing one without congressional action.
Trump announced a plan to give people legal permanent residency in the U.S. if they pay $5 million. The so-called “gold card” would be similar to a green card in that it would let people live and work in the U.S. permanently and provide a pathway to citizenship.
Trump has described the program as a way to cut the U.S. deficit and has said it would replace the EB-5 immigrant investor visa program. But he hasn’t provided an official document creating the program.
— Aaron Sharockman, PolitiFact
Trump repeats pledge to eliminate taxes on Social Security benefit package
In touting his plans for tax cuts, Trump emphasizes his desire for “permanent income tax cuts all across the board” and repeats his promise to eliminate taxes on Social Security benefits.
“I’m calling for no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and no tax on Social Security benefits for our great seniors,” he said.
Trump pressures Congress to extend his tax cuts
Trump called on Congress to make his 2017 tax cuts permanent. “I’m sure you’re going to vote for those tax cuts, because otherwise I don’t believe the people will ever vote you in to office,” he told members.
Trump called on Congress to make his 2017 tax cuts permanent. “I’m sure you’re going to vote for those tax cuts, because otherwise I don’t believe the people will ever vote you in to office,” he said.
‘Bureaucracy has crushed our freedoms’: Trump
Trump again talked about government inefficiency and waste and claimed that “bureaucracy has crushed our freedoms.”
“My administration will reclaim power from this unaccountable bureaucracy, and we will restore true democracy to America again,” he said. “And any federal bureaucrat who resists this change will be removed from office immediately.”
Trump claims ‘gold card’ for immigrants will be ready soon
Trump touted his “gold card” immigration plan, which would give citizenship status to foreign applicants who pay $5 million.
He claimed it will be available “soon.”
“These people will have to pay tax in our country,” he said.
There are two audiences tonight
I’m sitting in the House chamber right above Trump, and the split screen in front of me is remarkable. On the Republican side, the audience is sitting in rapt attention, laughing at Trump’s jokes and encouraging him with applause. The energy on the Democratic side, meanwhile, is cold and often actively hostile, with several half-shouted cries of protest.
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
—Nathaniel Rakich, 538
Claim: Elon Musk found people in the Social Security system as old as 369
Elon Musk shared a chart on X and said he found millions of people in a Social Security database over the age of 110, including 1 who was in the 360-369 age bracket.
The acting Social Security commissioner said that people older than 100 who do not have a date of death associated with their Social Security record “are not necessarily receiving benefits.” Recent Social Security Administration data shows that about 89,000 people aged 99 and older receive Social Security payments.
Government databases may classify someone as 150 years old for reasons peculiar to the complex Social Security database or because of missing data, but that doesn’t mean that millions of payments are delivered fraudulently to people with implausible ages.
— Aaron Sharockman, PolitiFact
Economic anxiety has been growing
Trump just promised to “reverse the damage” of the Biden economic agenda and “make America affordable again,” and blames the former president for letting the prices of eggs “get out of control.” But if that will take time to accomplish, political damage for Trump may set in first. Last month the University of Michigan released new data from its popular Index of Consumer Sentiment, which measures how optimistic Americans are feeling about the economy. The estimate was lower than any ICS score during the 2024 election.
—G. Elliott Morris, 538
Republicans laugh, boo as Trump reads list of alleged ‘waste’ found by DOGE
Trump is reading from a list of what he alleges is “waste, fraud and abuse” identified by DOGE so far. He claimed millions were being spent on “making mice transgender” or for the “Arab Sesame Street” in the Middle East. Republicans either laughed or booed at some of the items he listed. Trump and Elon Musk have at times exaggerated or misrepresenting government programs.
Trump touts ban on transgender athletes
Trump touted his executive order banning transgender athletes from women’s sports.
Attending the speech was Peyton McNabb, who Trump said was a former high school athlete.
“But when her girls’ volleyball match was invaded by a male, he smashed the ball so hard in Peyton’s face, causing a traumatic brain injury, partially paralyzing her right side and ending her athletic career,” Trump said.
Trump says he will expand production of minerals and rare earths
“And later this week, I will also take historic action to dramatically expand production of critical minerals and rare earths here in the USA,” Trump said, though he did not mention any particular deal or plan.
Trump touts DOGE, calls out Musk by name
As Trump turned to talking about the Department of Government Efficiency, the camera panned to Elon Musk standing in the House gallery. Trump then called him out by name and praised his work so far. Republicans gave Musk a hefty round of applause.
As Trump turned to talking about the Department of Government Efficiency, the camera panned to Elon Musk standing in the House gallery. Trump then called him out by name and praised his work so far.
Some members leave address in protest
Some members exit the chamber while Trump is speaking. One sported a black t-shirt reading “RESIST” on the back.
Claim: The Paris climate accord was costing the U.S. ‘trillions.’
FACT CHECK: False
Trump defended his decision to pull out of the Paris climate agreement, saying the pact was costing the U.S. “trillions of dollars.”
That’s untrue.
The Trump administration defended the decision to withdraw from the climate agreement, in part, based on projections by consultant NERA Economic Consulting. It concluded that restrictions on fossil fuel emissions would result in higher cost of production, and a higher cost of production would translate into the closure of uncompetitive manufacturing businesses. Those closures, in turn, would mean fewer manufacturing jobs.
The consultant estimated that these losses and their knock-on effects beyond the manufacturing sector would amount to 1.1 million jobs lost by 2025 and 6.5 million by 2040. The loss of jobs results in a corresponding decline in gross domestic product, with a loss of $250 billion by 2025 that accelerates to $3 trillion by 2040.
So the climate agreement wasn’t costing the U.S. trillions of dollars. It hypothetically could.
But even if it did, the study’s say that the long-term projections did not factor in all of the offsetting job gains and GDP growth associated with a clean tech transition.
— Aaron Sharockman, PolitiFact
Trump puts blame on Biden over egg prices
Trump brought up rising egg prices, promising to tackle the issue, but didn’t give any details on a plan.
Instead he continued to blame Biden over the rising prices.
Trump puts blame on Biden over egg pricesTrump blamed President Joe Biden for persistent inflation, saying he will bring prices down. But his new tariffs against China, Canada and Mexico could raise prices even more, economists have said.
Trump says he’ll tackle inflation after slapping tariffs on key partners
Trump blamed President Joe Biden for persistent inflation, saying he will bring prices down. But his new tariffs against China, Canada and Mexico could raise prices even more, economists have said.
Trump says he ended ‘weaponized government’
In listing off the accomplishments of his second presidency, Trump took credit for ending weaponized government.
“And we’ve ended weaponized government where, as an example, a sitting president is allowed to viciously prosecute his political opponent. Like me,” he said.
“How did that work out?” he asked, receiving standing applause in return.
Trump boasts about making country ‘woke no longer’
Trump boasted ending DEI programs in the federal government vowing that “our country will be woke no longer.”
He also got cheers from Republicans in the chamber when he championed his executive order that recognized only two genders and banning transgender athletes in school sports.
Democrats stay seated as Trump lists executive actions
As Trump lists the executive orders he’s signed, many of which focused on culture war issues that defined the 2024 election, Democrats remain seated while Republicans routinely stand for applause.
Two polls show America is on the ‘right track,’ 17 others say we’re still on the ‘wrong track’
Fighting through the protests of Democrats, Trump tried to say the country believes it is on the right track for the first time in modern history.
“Now, for the first time in modern history, more Americans believe that our country is headed in the right direction than the wrong direction,” he said.
That’s cherry picking two poll results out of 18.
According to an archive of “right track/wrong track” polling maintained by RealClearPolitics, two polls since Trump took office have found more respondents saying the country was on the right track than on the wrong track. One of those polls, by Rasmussen Reports, found a 1-point edge for “right track,” while one by Emerson College found a 4-point edge.
However, all 17 other polls since Trump took office show “wrong track” leading “right track,” some by double-digit margins. RealClearPolitics’ average is “wrong track” leading by just shy of 9 points.
— Louis Jacobson, PolitiFact
Trump touts end of electric vehicle mandate
In his speech, Trump touted an end to what he called former President Joe Biden’s “insane electric vehicle mandate.”
Democrats are already protesting
Democrats in the audience are not hiding their displeasure with Trump. Several of them are holding up black circular signs that say “False,” “Save Medicaid,” “Protect veterans,” and “Musk steals.” One Democrat was audibly calling Trump’s speech “lie after lie after lie after lie.” And Rep. Al Green of Texas repeatedly interrupted Trump by saying, “You have no mandate to cut Medicaid.” After a few such interruptions, the sergeant-at-arms escorted him out of the chamber.
—Nathaniel Rakich, 538
Much of Trump’s agenda is not popular
Trump is starting his speech claiming he was elected with a “mandate” for change in America. But as we have written, explicit support for his agenda is much lower than the vote share he won in the 2024 presidential race. According to our analysis of 50 political polls released since the start of Trump’s second term, much of the president’s agenda is not supported by a majority of U.S. adults. Across nearly 300 questions asked in these polls, the average policy proposal or other official action by Trump is supported by just 38% of Americans, with 46% opposed to them.
The administration’s most popular policies (and some of the few with positive approval ratings) have been those targeting transgender Americans — such as those updating federal documents to only include two genders — and the most unpopular moves are on health care, Trump’s pardons of Americans convicted of crimes related to Jan. 6, 2021, foreign policy, and the “Department of Government Efficiency.” When asked specifically about DOGE-related cuts to federal programs, most Americans opposed Trump’s actions.
As of 1 p.m. Eastern, 47.8% of Americans approve of the job Trump is doing as president, according to 538’s average, whereas 47.7% disapprove. His net approval rating is much lower than every other president’s at this point in their term.
—G. Elliott Morris, 538
Trump takes aim at Democrats
Trump took aim at Democrats after they booed and interrupted his speech, saying “there is absolutely nothing I can say to make them happy or to make them stand or smile or applaud.”
He then made a weak attempt at pitching unity, asking them for “just one night, why not join us in celebrating so many incredible wins for America.” As Trump said the words, Vice President JD Vance was seen laughing behind him.
Trump touts immigration policies and deportation efforts
“Within hours of taking the oath of office, I declared a national emergency on our southern border, and I deployed the U.S. military and border,” Trump touted. “And what a job they’ve done as a result.”
He added that “illegal border crossings last month were by far the lowest ever recorded ever,” before criticizing former President Joe Biden for his immigration record and calling him “the worst president in American history.”
Claim: Trump won a mandate in the election
FACT CHECK: This is in the eye of the beholder.
Trump’s victory was clear, but by historical standards, it was no landslide.
Trump has reason to celebrate winning both the Electoral College and the popular vote. In fact, he became only the second Republican to win the popular vote since 1988, after George W. Bush in his 2004 reelection win. Trump won each of the seven battleground states that political analysts said would decide the election.
In addition, the vast majority of U.S. counties saw their margins shift in Trump’s direction, both in places where Republicans historically do well and places where Democrats generally have an edge.
On the other hand, Trump’s margins of victory — both in raw votes and in percentages — were small by historical standards, even for the past quarter century, when close elections have been the rule, including the 2000 Florida recount election and Trump’s previous two races in 2016 and 2020.
Trump’s victory also came without a big boost for downballot Republicans. Republicans lost a little ground in the House, which was already narrowly divided, and while Republicans flipped the Senate, Democrats won four Senate races in key battleground states even as former Vice President Kamala Harris was losing those states to Trump.
— Aaron Sharockman, PolitiFact
Republican takes sign ‘This is not normal’ out of Democrat’s hands
New Mexico Democratic Rep. Madeleine Stansbury, who was sitting on the aisle, held up a sign that said, “THIS IS NOT NORMAL.” GOP Rep. Lance Gooden of Texas then appeared to rip it out of her hands and threw it on the floor of the chamber.
Republican takes ‘This is not normal’ sign out of Democrat’s handsNew Mexico Democratic Rep. Madeleine Stansbury, who was sitting on the aisle, held up a sign that said, “THIS IS NOT NORMAL.” GOP Rep. Lance Gooden of Texas then appeared to rip it out of her hands.
Johnson tries to bring chamber to order, has Democrat removed
Speaker Mike Johnson is standing up, slamming his gavel and trying to restore order and “decorum.”
As he did, he had the sergeant at arms remove Democratic Rep. Al Green of Texas.
Speaker Mike Johnson is standing up, slamming his gavel and tried to restore order and “decorum.” As he did, he had the sergeant at arms remove Democratic Rep. Al Green of Texas.
Dems, GOP members push back with chants
Democrats were heard booing and jeering as Trump listed his accomplishments and the election, however, Republicans pushed back with chants of “USA.”
Trump says he’s ‘just getting started’ after quick start to administration
Trump claimed they “accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations accomplished in four years or eight years and we are just getting started.” To date, he’s signed 76 executive orders — though several are being challenged in the courts.
Trump: ‘America is back’
After a brief introduction thanking Vance and Johnson, Trump emphatically proclaimed “America is back” to start his remarks.
Trump shakes hands with Vance and Johnson
As President Donald Trump stepped up to the podium, he shook hands with Vice President J.D. Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Chamber rings with ‘USA’ chant
With loud cheers and applause, chants of “USA” are heard throughout the chamber as Trump makes his way to the dais.
Trump enters to boisterous cheers
Trump is now in the chamber, shaking hands and talking to members as he makes his way to the dais. At times, he’s raising his fists in the air, reminiscent of the moment he stood after being shot at a campaign rally last summer.
(TEXAS) — The number of measles cases associated with an outbreak in Texas has grown to 159 — an increase of 13 cases in the past five days, authorities said on Tuesday.
The Texas Department of State Health Services updated its website with the new numbers Tuesday afternoon and said the majority of the cases are in unvaccinated individuals or those whose vaccination status is unknown, with 80 unvaccinated and 74 of unknown status.
At least 22 people have been hospitalized, two more than the last update on Friday, according to the DSHS.
“Due to the highly contagious nature of this disease, additional cases are likely to occur in the outbreak area and the surrounding communities,” the DSHS said.
Five cases have occurred in people vaccinated with one dose of the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine, a number that did not change from the last DSHS update on Feb. 28.
Youths between ages 5 and 17 make up the majority of cases with 74, followed by 53 cases among children 4 and under, the DSHS said. The virus was found in 27 people who are 18 or older, according to the agency.
The number of fatalities from measles remains at one: an unvaccinated, school-aged child who lived in the outbreak area. The DSHS said Tuesday that the child had no underlying conditions.
The death marks the first time in a decade that someone has died in the United States from the measles, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Gaines County in West Texas is the epicenter of the outbreak, with 107 cases, up from 98 on Friday, according to DSHS. Terry County, which neighbors Gaines County, had the second highest number of measles cases with 22.
At least four measles cases were reported in three counties not associated with the West Texas outbreak — Harris, Rockwall and Travis counties.
State health data shows the number of vaccine exemptions in the county has grown dramatically. Roughly 7.5% of kindergarteners in the Gaines county had parents or guardians who filed for an exemption for at least one vaccine in 2013. Ten years later, that number rose to more than 17.5% — one of the highest in all of Texas, according to state health data.
The CDC has separately confirmed 164 measles cases in eight other states this year: Alaska, California, Georgia, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York and Rhode Island. The total, however, is an undercount due to delays in reporting from states to the federal government.
About 95% of nationally confirmed cases are in people who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown. Of the cases, 3% are among those who received one dose of the MMR shot.
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases known to humans. Just one infected patient can spread measles to up to 9 out of 10 susceptible close contacts, according to the CDC.
Health officials have been urging anyone who isn’t vaccinated to receive the MMR vaccine.
The CDC currently recommends that people receive two vaccine doses, the first at ages 12 to 15 months and the second between 4 and 6 years old. One dose is 93% effective, and two doses are 97% effective. Most vaccinated adults don’t need a booster.
Measles was declared eliminated from the United States in 2000 due to the highly effective vaccination program, according to the CDC. However, CDC data shows vaccination rates have been lagging in recent years.
In a statement posted on social media earlier Tuesday, the CDC said it has sent a rapid response team from the agency’s Epidemic Intelligence Service to Texas “to tackle urgent public health issues like disease outbreaks.”
“The measles outbreak in Texas is a call to action for all of us to reaffirm our commitment to public health. By working together — parents, healthcare providers, community leaders, and government officials, we can prevent future outbreaks and protect the health of our nation,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a statement on Tuesday. “Under my leadership, HHS is and will always be committed to radical transparency to regain the public’s trust in its health agencies.”
In an interview that aired Tuesday on Fox News, Kennedy said the CDC’s rapid response team had treated 108 patients in the first 48 hours of arriving in Texas. He said patients are being treated with Budesonide, a steroid; Clarithromycin, an antibiotic; vitamin A; and cod liver oil, which has high concentrations of vitamins A and D.
“They’re getting very, very good results,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy has long questioned the effectiveness and safety of MMR and other vaccines, but told Fox News that the federal government has sent 2,000 doses of MMR to Texas to fight the measles outbreak.
“What we’re trying to do is really to restore faith in government and make sure that we are there to help them with their needs and not particularly to dictate what they ought to be doing,” Kennedy said.
ABC News’ Youri Benadjaoud contributed to this report.
(LOS ANGELES) — The Los Angeles City Council voted against reinstating Kristin Crowley as its fire chief on Tuesday after she was fired by Mayor Karen Bass in the wake of the Palisades and Eaton fires.
The city council upheld Crowley’s firing by a vote of 13-2.
Crowley appealed the mayor’s decision nearly a week after her firing. The LA City Council held a hearing Tuesday where Crowley spoke and answered questions, but the council was not swayed to vote in her favor.
The fire chief denied Bass’ allegations that she refused to conduct an investigation into the fires.
“I said that the LAFD is not capable, nor do we have the proper resources, to adequately conduct an after-action report for the Palisades Fire due to the sheer magnitude, scope and complexity of the incident. We are already understaffed, under-resourced, under-funded, and based on my knowledge of the LAFD’s resources and capabilities, I recommended simply to collaborate with Gov. [Gavin] Newsom’s already selected and funded agency, Fire Safety Research Institute,” Crowley told the city council on Tuesday.
Crowley also said 1,000 firefighters were sent home the morning of the fires because LAFD did not have enough apparatus for them, denying another allegation made by Bass.
“We did not have enough apparatus to put them on. Because of the budget cuts and lack of investments in our fleet maintenance, over 100 of our fire engines, fire trucks and ambulances sat broken down in our maintenance yards, unable to be used to help during one of the worst wildfire events in our history,” she said.
Crowley also denied that she did not inform the mayor of the dangerous weather event.
“The LAFD engaged in all of its standard communications, including emailing two separate media advisories, conducting multiple live and recorded media interviews about the predicted extreme weather and fire danger, and also notifying city officials about the upcoming weather events. The Emergency Management Department also plays a key role in notifying the mayor’s office and city officials. And the mayor’s office itself also set out multiple media messages prior to the fire’s warnings,” Crowley said.
Bass said she did not know the weather forecast before leaving for Ghana for a planned diplomatic trip before the fires broke out, saying the fire chief did not call to warn her. Bass has faced backlash for not being in the city when the fires broke out.
While she was removed from her position, Crowley will stay with the department, according to the LA Mayor’s Office. Crowley exercised her civil service rights to stay with the department at a lower rank with duties to
(NEW YORK) — U.S. stocks tumbled on Tuesday after the Trump administration’s long-promised tariffs took effect.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 670 points, or 1.5%; while the S&P 500 fell 1.2%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq ticked down 0.3%.
The policy taxes imports from Mexico, Canada and China — the three largest trading partners of the United States — meaning that it could raise prices for everything from gasoline to avocados to iPhones.
Shares of retail giant Target fell 3% on Tuesday, following an earnings release from the company that cited “tariff uncertainty” as a potential impediment for the business. Walmart’s stock price dipped about 2.5% on Tuesday, while Amazon shares inched down 0.6%.
Shares of Best Buy plummeted more than 13%. The sharp drop came after Best Buy CEO told analysts that price increases are “highly likely” as a result of the tariffs.
Higher costs for car production could also pose a challenge for U.S. automakers, many of which depend on a supply chain closely intertwined with Mexico and Canada.
Shares of Ford tumbled nearly 3% on Tuesday, while General Motors dropped about 4.5%. Stellantis — the parent company of Jeep and Chrysler — saw shares decline more than 4%.
Tesla, the electric carmaker led by Elon Musk, saw its stock price drop about 4.5%.
The far-reaching losses extend a market slide that began on Monday afternoon when Trump affirmed plans to impose a fresh round of tariffs.
Trump stuck to a March 4 start date for 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada, as well as 10% tariff on Chinese goods — which, as of Tuesday, rises to 20%, per an amended executive order.
Tariffs of this magnitude would likely increase prices paid by U.S. shoppers, since importers typically pass along a share of the cost of those higher taxes to consumers, experts said. The duties also raise input costs for manufacturers that import raw materials.
In addition to Tesla and Amazon, the tariffs appeared to impact some of the other so-called “Magnificent Seven,” a group of large tech firms that helped drive stock market gains in recent years.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, suffered a 2% drop in its stock price. Apple, which makes some of its products in China, fell nearly 1%.
Shares of Microsoft defied the trend, however, remaining essentially unchanged on Tuesday.
Chipmaker Nvidia, which relies on semiconductors from Taiwan but also imports some materials from Mexico, saw shares increase about 1.5%. Alphabet’s stock price climbed about 2%.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(WASHINGTON) — Education Secretary Linda McMahon has released what she calls the “final mission” for the Department of Education, as the Trump administration appears to be laying the groundwork for the agency’s dismantling.
The newly confirmed secretary’s plans for the coming months will result in what she calls a “historic overhaul” of the education department that “will profoundly impact staff, budgets, and agency operations here at the Department.”
In a brief list of goals guiding the department’s path forward that was posted to the Education Department’s website on Monday, McMahon, the former head of the Small Business Administration and Trump donor, stated, “Parents are the primary decision makers in their children’s education.”
She adds, “Taxpayer-funded education should refocus on meaningful learning in math, reading, science, and history—not divisive DEI programs and gender ideology.”
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, according to DEI experts, are intended to address and correct discriminatory policies or practices that may be found within an organization.
“Postsecondary education should be a path to a well-paying career aligned with workforce need,” McMahon adds in the list of goals.
Parental rights and “divisive” topics have been hot button issues on the state-level for years, quickly making their way to the national stage – with heated debate taking place in recent years over school voucher programs, content restrictions, book bans, and more.
McMahon’s plans follow President Donald Trump’s campaign proposals for education reform. One of these proposals — an expansion of school voucher programs — has been a key education talking point for the Trump administration, touted as an opportunity for parents to have more of a say in where their child goes to school.
School voucher programs allow families to use public school funds to pay for private school tuition, homeschooling, and similar education opportunities.
McMahon also echoed the Trump administration’s efforts to restrict the discussion of certain topics – like race, sex, gender and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) – in the K-12 classrooms as well as in higher education.
Trump signed an executive order in January that aims to find ways to cut federal funding to schools that teach certain topics related to race, sex, gender or politics.
Restricting DEI topics in schools has also been a cause championed by “parental rights” advocates who have been behind a wave of book banning attempts as well as pressures on certain curriculum requirements at the local and state level.
The department memo comes as sources tell ABC News the president is expected to sign an executive order as soon as this week calling for McMahon to diminish the education department and work with Congress to pass legislation that would eliminate it.
The Department of Education, which administers and coordinates federal education assistance including Title I and Pell grants, was established under President Jimmy Carter in 1979 and officially began operations in 1980. The department has long stated that education curriculum, as well as graduation and enrollment requirements, have been decided by states and local communities.
Trump’s “Agenda47” campaign proposed eliminating the department. “We are going to close the Department of Education in Washington, D.C. and send it back to the States, where it belongs, and let the States run our educational system as it should be run,” the proposal said.
The agency can only be dismantled by an act of Congress, but how the department is funded and its policy goals are much more within Trump’s immediate scope of executive powers.
In the memo, McMahon stated that under her oversight, “the Department of Education’s role in this new era of accountability is to restore the rightful role of state oversight in education and to end the overreach from Washington.”
ABC News has reached out to the Department of Education for further comment.
ABC News’ Arthur Jones II has contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — The theme of President Donald Trump’s high-profile address to Congress and the nation on Tuesday night is “Renewal of the American Dream,” but he’s also expected to remark on what his second-term agenda may mean for the rest of the world.
According to a White House official, the president will lay out his vision for “peace around the globe.”
“He’s going to dive into foreign policy, talk about his intention to end the war in Ukraine, talk about his plan to bring all of the hostages out of Gaza home,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an interview on Tuesday.
But the president’s speech comes at a particularly contentious time. The aftermath of his heated Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy still hangs over Washington, and there are signs that both Israel and Hamas may be preparing to resume fighting as the future of the Gaza ceasefire deal appears to be in jeopardy.
And as the Trump administration levies new tariffs against adversaries and allies alike after turning U.S. foreign policy on its head during his first six weeks back in office, the international community will be listening closely as fellow work leaders try to divine what the next four years may have in store.
Here are some things to watch for:
Will Trump mend his rocky relationship with Ukraine?
After Trump expelled Zelenskyy from the White House and declared the Ukrainian leader was “not ready for peace,” his administration paused the pipeline of U.S. military assistance to the country — further ramping up pressure on Kyiv.
Zelenskyy initially declined to apologize to Trump, but in an address on Tuesday, he called the meeting “regrettable,” adding, “It is time to make things right.”
As part of that, he proposed a partial ceasefire with Russia that he said Ukraine would be willing to implement immediately.
“Then we want to move very fast through all next stages and to work with the U.S. to agree a strong final deal,” he declared.
But whether this is enough to get back in the president’s good graces remains to be seen.
State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said later on Tuesday there is still “an open door” for Zelenskyy, while applauding Trump.
“This is the end result of what happens when you make it clear to someone that there is one way to move forward,” she said.
A positive sign for Zelenskyy emerged Tuesday afternoon, when two sources briefed on discussions inside the White House told ABC News that the U.S. and Ukraine could sign the mineral deal that was supposed to be inked on Friday as soon as Tuesday.
One source said Trump indicated he would like to sign the deal before the speech but cautioned nothing is final.
But if Zelenskyy’s comments aren’t ultimately enough for the president, it’s possible he could go even further — potentially by attempting to cut off Ukraine from shipments of new weapons from American arm suppliers that were already paid for with money given to Kyiv by the Biden administration or by halting intelligence-sharing with the country.
Others have said they feel like no matter what, the damage has already been done.
“By canceling military aid to Ukraine, Trump doesn’t make peace any closer. It’s not even a blackmailing but rather conscious pressure on Ukraine to capitulate to Russia’s demands, after which Trump can “declare peace,” said Mariia Zolkina, the head of regional security and conflict studies at Ukraine’s Democratic Initiatives Foundation think tank.
“[Trump] can’t make a good deal now and defines Ukraine as ‘guilty’ for this,” she added.
Can the fragile peace in the Middle East last?
After members of his incoming administration worked with members of the Biden administration to secure a ceasefire deal in Gaza, Trump was able to reenter the White House with a major diplomatic win already under his belt.
Now, 44 days after that agreement went into effect, it seems to be at greater risk of falling apart than ever.
Israel revealed on Sunday that the U.S. had offered up another proposal to extend the first phase of the ceasefire deal, which would significantly speed up the release of hostages.
After Hamas rejected the plan, Israel cut off the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza, a move the Trump administration has backed but other key mediators, such as Egypt and Qatar, have decried as a violation of humanitarian law.
The State Department said on Monday that Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, is planning to travel to the Middle East this week and that he would seek either to “work out a way to extend phase I or advance to phase II” of the Gaza ceasefire deal.
Trump’s address on Tuesday may offer clarity on what the president would actually like to see happen next in the peace process — beyond his outlandish plan to build what has called the “Riviera of the Middle East” in Gaza.
If the Israel-Hamas war doesn’t get airtime during Trump’s speech, that, too, could be telling about the president’s focus. But on Tuesday, Trump’s top diplomat, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in order to “underscore that the United States’ steadfast support for Israel is a top priority for President Trump,” according to the State Department.
How will Trump handle the tariffs trouble?
On the day of Trump’s address, the president’s long-threatened 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico went into effect, prompting both countries to vow to take retaliatory economic measures — and subsequently leading to the president promising to raise tariffs further.
At the same time, the U.S. introduced another 10% tariff on Chinese imports, and Beijing hit back with its own tariffs on U.S. agricultural products and other measures targeting American business interests.
The immediate impact of the multifront trade wars has been a blow to the U.S. stock market, which Trump often uses as a barometer of his own success.
Economists say U.S. consumers may feel the crunch from tariffs more acutely as time goes on, as retailers are expected to offset costs by raising prices.
Beyond inflating prices, Joshua P. Meltzer, a senior fellow in the Global Economy and Development program at the Brookings Institution, argued the tariffs will also run counter to the Trump administration’s other economic aims.
“These tariffs will also harm the Trump administration’s goal of developing more secure supply chains and competing with China,” he said. “The tariffs are directly at odds with deeper economic integration across North America. In fact, China will benefit from a trade war across North America as it undercuts efforts to reshore supply chains away from China.”
Meltzer also said the move will hurt American credibility.
“They signal to the world that any international agreement with the U.S. is not worth all that much, raising difficult questions for all U.S. allies and trading partners about the value of trade agreements with the U.S.,” he said.
Trump’s address will provide a high-stakes opportunity for the president either to alleviate or exacerbate those concerns among U.S. trading partners.
ABC News’ Katherine Faulders and Rachel Scott as contributors.
Hyoung Chang/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — The Justice Department on Monday filed a highly unusual motion stating its intent to review a state-level conviction of a Trump ally who was sentenced to nine years in prison for leading a security breach of her county’s elections computer system following the 2020 presidential election.
Former Mesa County, Colorado, clerk Tina Peters was sentenced last October for giving an individual affiliated with MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, an ally of President Donald Trump who amplified false election claims, access to election software she used for her county. Screenshots of the software later appeared on right-wing websites that in turn used it to further promote baseless claims of voter fraud.
Early last month, Peters filed a motion with the federal district court in Colorado seeking to challenge her guilty verdict.
On Monday, the senior acting head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Yaakov Roth, filed a statement of interest with the court, urging a judge to give “prompt and careful consideration” to concerns Peters’ counsel has raised about her case.
“Reasonable concerns have been raised about various aspects of Ms. Peters’ case,” Roth said in the filing. “Accordingly, the United States respectfully submits that the concerns raised in the Application warrant – at the very least – prompt and careful consideration by this Court (and, at the appropriate time, the Colorado appellate courts).”
The Justice Department does not have the legal authority to unilaterally overturn state-level convictions. However, some critics have expressed concerns that such intervention highlights a troubling willingness by Trump-appointed officials at the Department of Justice to aid allies of the president, while also raising the prospect of retribution against his political opponents.
Roth’s filing further states that Peters’ case fits into a broader review underway at the Justice Department of “cases across the nation” that the filing argues may be “abuses of the criminal justice process.”
“This review will include an evaluation of the State of Colorado’s prosecution of Ms. Peters and, in particular, whether the case was ‘oriented more toward inflicting political pain than toward pursuing actual justice or legitimate governmental objectives,’” the filing stated.
“Nothing about the prosecution of Ms. Peters was politically motivated,” Mesa County District Attorney Daniel Rubinstein said in response to an ABC News request for comment. “In one of the most conservative jurisdictions in Colorado, the same voters who elected Ms. Peters, also elected the Republican District Attorney who handled the prosecution, and the all-Republican Board of County Commissioners who unanimously requested the prosecution of Ms. Peters on behalf of the citizens she victimized.”
“Ms. Peters was indicted by a grand jury of her peers, and convicted at trial by the jury of her peers that she selected,” Rubenstein said.
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump unlawfully removed a member of a federal office that protects government employees from partisan interference, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.
U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras granted a permanent injunction reinstating Cathy Harris to the Merit Systems Protection Board, delivering the Trump administration another legal defeat as they attempt to reshape the federal workforce.
Contreras found that Harris’ removal broke the law because Trump failed to provide cause for her removal when the White House communicated last month that her role had been terminated in a one-sentence, late-night email. Contreras noted that Harris had actually been “efficient and effective” in her role, clearing the board’s massive 3,800-case backlog.
“Because the President did not indicate that he sought to remove Harris for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office, his attempt to terminate her was unlawful and exceeded the scope of his authority,” Contreras wrote.
Harris, the board’s chairman, was nominated by then-President Joe Biden in January 2022 for a term not set to expire until March 2028. She was confirmed by the Senate in May 2022. Contreras’ ruling says Harris must now remain in the role through the end of her term, unless she is removed for cause.
The board only consists of three members, with the law stating no more than two can be from the same political party. In removing Harris, Trump had announced the Republican member, Henry Kerner, would take over the role as chair. Raymond Limon, also a Democrat like Harris, served as vice chair until he resigned last week on the final day of his term.
Trump’s attempt to remove Harris comes as the Merit System Protection Board — a little-known office that protects federal employees from abuses by management and prohibited practices — grows in significance as the Trump administration slashes thousands of federal employees. Some judges have turned down lawsuits by noting that the correct avenue for the employees’ claims would be the Merit System Protection Board, rather than a federal court.
On Saturday, another federal judge issued a permanent injunction reinstating special counsel Hampton Dellinger, who was similarly removed without cause by the Trump administration.
(WASHINGTON) — Rep. Richard Hudson, the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, encouraged House Republicans to do more virtual events over in-person town halls, according to multiple sources familiar with the meeting.
The plea comes as multiple House Republicans have faced fiery constituents at recent in-person town halls concerning cuts to the federal workforce and the impact Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has had on communities.
Hudson told members that communicating with constituents via Facebook Live, tele-town halls and other virtual avenues would be more effective, allowing them to screen questions and have better control over the events.
“Chairman Hudson supports members reaching and helping as many of our constituents as possible, using technology makes this a heck of lot easier. Chairman Hudson opposes attention-seeking MoveOn and Indivisible activists hijacking these events,” Will Kiley, NRCC’s spokesman, told ABC News.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., claimed tele-town halls are “more productive than if you just go to an open forum right now,” accusing Democratic activists, without evidence, of showing up to in-person town halls to portray Republicans in a negative light.
“Look, these are their people who do this as a profession,” Johnson said at the GOP press conference. “They’re professional protesters. So why would we give them a forum to do that right now? The best thing that our members can do is communicate directly, frequently, consistently, with their constituents, and there are other avenues to do it than just going in to try to give the other side sound bites.”
This comes after President Donald Trump made accusations, without evidence, that “paid troublemakers” were interrupting GOP town halls, not constituents.
Outside Tuesday’s GOP conference meeting, Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., claimed she experienced safety concerns in her district, saying that virtual events were safer and more effective.
“I’ve done many tele-town halls, and I think those are very productive and we can reach 1,000s more people than we ever could in person,” she said. “And so, I think that that is a great strategy, but for me personally, it’s just not safe to do an in person town hall because I don’t know what to expect.”
Meanwhile, some Democrats said that if Republicans won’t host town halls, they will.
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said on Tuesday that he’d soon go out to red districts in his state to speak out against DOGE layoffs.
“Starting March 24th, I will be going to three red districts in California to speak out against DOGE’s mass firings and the Republicans’ Medicaid cuts,” Khanna wrote in an op-ed in The Prospect published on Tuesday.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee, posted on X Tuesday morning that he’d host events in districts where Republican representatives won’t meet constituents.
“If your Republican representative won’t meet with you because their agenda is so unpopular, maybe a Democrat will,” he said. “Hell, maybe I will. If your congressman refuses to meet, I’ll come host an event in their district to help local Democrats beat ’em.”
