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 22, 2025, 8:15 PM EST

Dems contend Trump 'does not back the blue, he backs the coup'

In the wake of President Trump’s pardons of Jan. 6 rioters, Democrats joined with two men who were assaulted by the mob -- retired U.S. Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn and Washington Metro Police Department officer Daniel Hodges -- to denounce the president’s actions.

“On Monday, Donald Trump decided that he wants to whitewash history, pretend that the riot of January 6 never happened, and that it was simply a peaceful walk through the Capitol. Unfortunately for him, video and photographs don't lie,” Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., said. “You cannot say you back the blue if you are going to let out of jail violent criminals who assaulted the blue.”

California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell added, “Nothing erases what they did, but we should erase this concept that Donald Trump and the Republican Party have the backs of law enforcement officers. “Donald Trump does not back the blue. He backs the coup, and this action makes that absolutely clear.”

Dunn, who retired from the USCP and ran an unsuccessful bid for Congress, denounced Trump’s actions.

“The Republican Party has long claimed to be the party of law and order, back the blue, however many lawmakers’ silence and refusal to push back against Donald Trump's actions make it incredibly hard to take that claim serious,” he said. “The winner writes history. He didn’t win. He's not going to. I'm not going away. That's it.”

After Republicans launched their own select subcommittee to investigate the events surrounding Jan. 6, Rep. Jason Crow, a member of the January 6 select committee who received a preemptive pardon from former President Joe Biden in the final moments of his presidency, called the newly minted panel “a farce that is intended to try to cover up their abuse of process.”

“It's another diversion. It's another distraction in an attempt to rewrite history, but also to confuse folks,” Crow, D-Colorado, said. “But you heard pretty clearly today that we're not confused and we're not distracted, nor will we be. We're going to continue to tell the story loudly, clearly, repeatedly, about the criminality, about the abuse, not just of power, but of our law enforcement of the blue and we're not going to stop.”

-ABC News’ John Parkinson

Jan 22, 2025, 7:51 PM EST

Federal employees told to report DEI programs

Employees across the federal government have received memos asking them to report any possible diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) programs. ABC News has learned of employees at the departments of Commerce, State and Homeland Security receiving the memos, as well as health agencies.

Trump issued an executive order after taking office ending DEI programs in the federal government.

"We are aware of efforts by some in government to disguise these programs by using coded or imprecise language," one of the memos read. "If you are aware of a change in any contract description or personnel position description since November 5, 2024 to obscure the connection between the contract and DEIA or similar ideologies, please report all facts and circumstances to DEIAtruth@opm.gov within 10 days."

Failure to report the information within 10 days could result in "adverse consequences," according to the memo.

-ABC News' MaryAlice Parks, Katherine Faulders and Luke Barr

Jan 22, 2025, 7:38 PM EST

Trump pardons 2 DC police officers convicted in man's death

Trump on Wednesday pardoned two former Washington, D.C., police officers who were sentenced to prison for the 2020 death of a D.C. man in a police chase.
According to the Department of Justice, Terence Sutton and Andrew Zabavsky were involved in a chase after Sutton spotted a man, later identified as Karon Hylton-Brown, riding a moped on a sidewalk without a helmet and gave chase. Sutton chased Hylton-Brown into an alley, the DOJ said, and as he exited the alley on to a street, he was hit and killed by another driver.

Sutton, who was an officer, and Zabavsky, then a lieutenant, then conspired to cover up what had happened, DOJ said in a release announcing their convictions, at one point turning off their body cameras to discuss the matter.

Sutton was convicted in September 2024 of second-degree murder, conspiracy to obstruct and obstruction of justice and sentenced to 5 ½ years in prison. The same jury convicted Zabavsky of conspiracy to obstruct and obstruction of justice and he was sentenced to 4 years. Both were free on appeal.

"Well, we’re looking at two police officers, actually, that — Washington police officers — who went after an illegal. And things happened, and they ended up putting them in jail. They got five-year jail sentences. You know the case. And we’re looking at that in order to give them a — we got to give them a break," Trump said Monday, though Hylton-Jones was not in the U.S. illegally.

-ABC News’ Molly Nagle

Jan 22, 2025, 6:53 PM EST

Waltz dismisses more than 150 national security staffers

Trump's national security adviser Mike Waltz sent home 160 National Security Council aides while the Trump administration undergoes staffing reviews to ensure personnel support Trump’s America First agenda.

The career government employees were told on Wednesday that they are not needed to report to the White House. The council is responsible for briefing the president on national security and foreign policy advice, but insists despite staffing shakeups they have what is needed to fulfill their mission.

"National Security Advisor Mike Waltz promised and authorized a full review of NSC personnel. It is entirely appropriate for Mr. Waltz to ensure NSC personnel are committed to implementing President Trump’s America First agenda to protect our national security and wisely use the tax dollars of America’s working men and women," NSC spokesperson Brian Hughes said in a statement.

"Since 12:01 pm on Monday personnel reviews and decisions based on the evaluations are being made," Hughes said.

An official told ABC News, "We have dozens of people as detailees. Some have already concluded their service, some will be shortened, new detailees will be onboarded. NSC has and will continue to have what it needs to fulfill its mission in support of POTUS and his agenda. But POTUS won a historic victory with a clear mandate that the American people embraced. Ensuring the team to keep that promise is NSA Waltz’s role at NSC on behalf of President Trump."

In a recent interview with Breitbart News, Waltz indicated that he wanted the NSC to be staffed by personnel who are "100 percent aligned with the president’s agenda."

-ABC News' Kelsey Walsh