President Donald Trump’s administration is driving ahead with several controversial policies, including widespread layoffs in the federal government, despite a slew of legal challenges.
Today is the deadline for federal agencies to submit the first phase of their reduction in force plan while the administration is proposing a dramatic downsizing of the IRS that would result in a nearly 20% reduction of its workforce by May 15.
However, a federal judge ordered the departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Interior and Treasury to rehire probationary employees fired last month, calling the effort a “sham.”
Trump today met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House where he spoke about US tariff policies, the Ukraine ceasefire proposal and the government funding negotiations.
Catch up on the latest:
Trump on Ukraine: The president told reporters that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s response to the US-proposed ceasefire with Ukraine is “promising … but it wasn’t complete.” He added, “I’d love to meet with them or talk to him, but we have to get it over with fast. You know, every day, people are being killed.” Putin, for his part, said he has “reservations” about a 30-day ceasefire proposal, saying it’s not clear how the situation would develop in the region of Kursk and elsewhere if a truce was implemented.
Tariffs: Trump said he is “not going to bend” on the sweeping 25% steel and aluminum tariffs on imports, vowing that any resulting economic disruption “won’t be very long.” As markets have reacted to the president’s tariff uncertainty with sharp losses, Trump offered a brief timeline for the economic pain: “Now, there’ll be a little disruption, but it won’t be very long,” he said. US stocks slid again today and the S&P 500 closed in correction, down 10% from its record high in February as the president threatened new tariffs on the European Union.
Government funding: The president placed full blame for the potential government shutdown on Democrats in Congress, telling reporters, “If there’s a shutdown, it’s only going to be because of Democrats, and they would really be taking away a lot from our country, and from the people of our country.” Separately, several Senate Democrats told CNN they expect a shutdown to be averted — potentially with enough Democrats supplying the votes to break a filibuster on the House plan.
Legal challenges: The administration asked the Supreme Court in a series of emergency appeals to allow Trump to move forward with plans to end birthright citizenship, elevating a fringe legal theory that several lower courts have resoundingly rejected. Separately, a federal judge ordered half a dozen federal agencies to “immediately” reinstate probationary employees fired last month as part of the administration’s effort to rapidly shrink the federal workforce. The White House described the order as “absurd and unconstitutional” and the administration said it is appealing the ruling.
Wartime authority: The administration is expected to invoke a sweeping wartime authority to speed up the president’s mass deportation pledge in the coming days, according to four sources familiar with the discussions. The little-known 18th-century law, the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, gives the president tremendous authority to target and remove undocumented immigrants, though legal experts have argued it would face an uphill battle in court.
Protests at Trump Tower: Nearly 100 people were arrested after protesters gathered at Trump Tower in Manhattan to denounce the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist detained by ICE over his involvement with pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University.
Latest polls: The public’s views of the economy have dipped since December, according to a Quinnipiac University poll, which also finds registered voters divided on where they’d place responsibility in the event of a possible government shutdown.
