Trump 2nd term updates: Trump says USAID is run by 'radical lunatics'

The comments came amid turmoil as DOGE took over USAID offices last week.

President Donald Trump made good on his threats to impose tariffs on some of the U.S.'s trading partners, announcing Saturday that he will levy 25% tariffs on some goods from Canada and Mexico and 10% on Chinese goods.

Experts have warned that tariffs of this magnitude will likely increase prices paid by U.S. and Trump appeared to acknowledge that “some pain” might be possible in the U.S.

Meanwhile, the Senate Finance Committee announced it will meet Tuesday, when it is expected to vote on the controversial nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for secretary of Health and Human Services.

Jan 29, 2025, 3:13 PM GMT

Trump to sign the Laken Riley Act, his 1st act of legislation

President Donald Trump will sign the Laken Riley Act into law Wednesday at 2 pm in the East Room, according to the White House.

This will be the first measure Trump signs into law of his second administration.

The House of Representatives passed the Laken Riley Act earlier this month as the first bill of the new Republican-controlled Congress. Read more about the Laken Riley Act here.

– ABC News’ Hannah Demissie

Jan 29, 2025, 2:48 PM GMT

Federal worker buyout not a way to purge those who disagree with Trump's agenda: WH press secretary

When asked by ABC News’ Mary Bruce for her response to those who say the federal worker buyout is a way to purge individuals who disagree with the president’s agenda, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said this is “false” and asserted that this is a way to bring people back to the office.

Though the White House has described the federal worker buyout as an effort to bring people in the federal government back to the office, the union that represents federal workers doesn’t see it that way. It said this is not a voluntary buyout.

“We're all here at work, at the office. There are law enforcement officers and teachers and nurses across the country who showed up to the office today. People in this city need to do the same. It's an overwhelmingly popular policy with people outside of Washington, D.C. The president campaigned on this, and his administration's keeping the promise.”

When asked how much it would cost to bring all those workers back and provide them with the office space they need, Leavitt claimed he would “save tens of millions of dollars.”

“I would also add that the order simply directs federal agencies to come up with a return to work plan. And so this isn't a purge, and this isn't forcing every single individual in Washington, DC to return to work only if they are able, and of course, within the law," Leavitt said.

– ABC News’ Hannah Demissie and Ariane Nalty

Jan 29, 2025, 2:13 PM GMT

Dept of Education says Trump admin 'committed to reorienting our education system'

The Department of Education said the Nation's Report Card reveals a "heartbreaking reality" and that "students who were the most behind and needed the most support have fallen ever further behind."

It said the Trump administration is "committed to reorienting our education system" and will emphasize the need for change.

The U.S. Department of Education headquarters building on Oct. 7, 2024, in Washington, DC.
J. David Ake/Getty Images, FILE

According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, dubbed the Nation's Report Card, America's fourth and eighth grade students' sliding reading scores worsened in 2024.

"The nation's report card is out and the news is not good," National Center for Education Statistics Commissioner Peggy G. Carr said on a call with reporters.

– ABC News' Elizabeth Schulze and Arthur Jones II

Jan 29, 2025, 2:20 PM GMT

Trump admin cancels TPS for Venezuelans

The Trump Administration has canceled the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) extension for Venezuelans under the status, according to a document obtained by ABC News.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem signed off on a memo Tuesday night that ends the extension signed by former Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas just days before he left the job earlier this month.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks to employees at the Department of Homeland Security, Jan. 28, 2025, in Washington.
Manuel Balce Ceneta/Pool via Reuters

Those Venezuelans who gained TPS in 2021 will have their protections through September, and those who gained TPS in 2023 will have them through April.

Noem has until Saturday to decide on whether to extend Venezuelans who received status in 2023 can have their protections extended – if she chooses not to, those TPS statuses will automatically extend by six months.

The designation is expected to impact about 600,000 people, according to immigration advocates.

— ABC News’ Luke Barr