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.

ByAlexandra Hutzler, Ivan Pereira, Emily Chang, Andrea Pineda-Salgado, Meredith Deliso, and Julia Reinstein
Last Updated: February 2, 2025, 11:11 PM EST

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.

Key Headlines

Here's how the news is developing:
Jan 31, 2025, 5:00 PM EST

Trump says more tariffs to come on steel, chips and pharmaceuticals

President Donald Trump on Friday hinted more taxes could be in store on various industries -- including steel, aluminum, copper, computer chips and pharmaceuticals.

President Donald Trump answers a question after signing an executive order in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, Jan. 31, 2025.
Carlos Barria/Reuters

Next month we're going to be putting tariffs on steel and aluminum, and we'll give you an announcement as to what the exact date is," Trump said as he spoke to reporters in the Oval Office. He didn't provide any other details.

He also said he was "absolutely" going to place tariffs on the European Union, though he didn't elaborate.

Jan 31, 2025, 4:59 PM EST

Trump says nothing Canada, China and Mexico can do to stop tariffs

One day before his administration will slap tariffs on three of the country's biggest trading partners, Trump said the move is an economic decision and not a negotiating tool.

"Mr. President, is there anything China, Canada and Mexico can do tonight to forestall your implementation of tariffs tomorrow?" a reporter asked in the Oval Office.

"No, not right now," he said.

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks in Toronto, Canada and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum speaks in Mexico City, Jan. 31, 2025.
Reuters/ EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Trump said he was not looking for specific concessions from the nations, though he criticized Mexico and Canada on the borders and China on fentanyl. "They've treated us very unfairly," he said.

Jan 31, 2025, 3:23 PM EST

Canada's Trudeau says Trump tariffs will be met with 'forceful' response

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded to the 25% tariff the Trump administration will launch starting on Saturday.

"We don't know precisely what that could look like, but I do know two things: first, if the president does choose to implement any tariffs against Canada, we're ready with a response," he said on Friday. "A purposeful, forceful, but reasonable immediate response."

"If tariffs are implemented against Canada, we will respond," Trudeau continued. "We won't relent until tariffs are removed and, of course, everything is on the table."

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks about U.S.-Canada relations during a meeting of Canada's Canada-U.S. Relations Council at the Ontario Investment and Trade Centre in Toronto, Canada, Jan. 31, 2025.
Cole Burston/Reuters

Jan 31, 2025, 1:50 PM EST

Leavitt dodges question about Trump's disability hiring comments

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked Friday about President Donald Trump's comments where he partially blamed DEI hiring practices, including those hiring people with disabilities, for the deadly plane crash in Washington D.C. this week. The president offered no details about his claims.

The press secretary repeated the president's claims that he was trying to bring more merit back to hiring.

"When it comes to many of the federal agencies across our government, people should not be hired based on their disabilities, based on their skin color, their gender, their race. None of that matters," she said.