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.

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Here's how the news is developing:
Jan 31, 2025, 7:14 PM EST

Trump issues Black History Month proclamation

President Donald Trump issued a proclamation officially recognizing February as Black History Month.

"Throughout our history, black Americans have been among our country's most consequential leaders, shaping the cultural and political destiny of our Nation in profound ways," Trump wrote.

The proclamation cites Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, conservative economist Thomas Sowell, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and golf pro Tiger Woods.

"This National Black History Month, as America prepares to enter a historic Golden Age, I want to extend my tremendous gratitude to black Americans for all they have done to bring us to this moment, and for the many future contributions they will make as we advance into a future of limitless possibility under my Administration," Trump said.

The proclamation comes amid scrutiny by officials in the Trump administration over diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts in the federal government.

Jan 31, 2025, 6:58 PM EST

State Department removes 'TQI+' from LGBTQI+ travel information page

In line with the Trump administration’s executive order recognizing only the gender a person is assigned at birth, the State Department's website previously labeled "LGBTQI+ Travel Information" has been retitled to "LGB Travel Information."

The page has also been scrubbed of references to transgender, queer or questioning, intersex and other identities.

Other government websites appear to have been similarly edited or taken down, including ones run but the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

-ABC News' Shannon Kingston

Jan 31, 2025, 6:57 PM EST

Pentagon readying to send 500 Marines to Gitmo and 500 more soldiers to southern border

Two U.S. officials confirmed the Pentagon is readying to send more troops to the southwestern border and a complement of 500 Marines to Guantanamo Bay as part of the plan to use the U.S. naval base in Cuba to house some deported migrants.

One U.S. official confirmed 500 U.S. Army soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division based at Fort Drum, New York, mostly a headquarters unit, will be readied to head to the border.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth delivers recorded remarks on the mishap involving a U.S. Army helicopter at Ronald Reagan National Airport and an update on Guantanamo Bay operations at the Pentagon, in Washington, Jan. 30, 2025.
U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Alexander Kubitza/DoD

Another U.S. official confirmed about 500 Marines are being readied to head to Guantanamo.

-ABC News' Luis Martinez

Jan 31, 2025, 6:06 PM EST

Trump on Putin: "We are having discussions"

In a murky moment during the Oval Office spray, President Donald Trump implied he is already speaking to Russian President Vladimir Putin, but then, when pressed for details, he said he "didn’t want to say."

"We are having discussions, yes," Trump said.

"Ongoing? Already scheduled and ongoing?" a reporter asked.

"Already talking, yes," Trump said.

"So you've already spoken to Vladimir Putin?"

"I don't want to say that, but we are having very serious discussions," Trump said.

PHOTO: President Donald Trump speaks to the press after after signing an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Jan. 31, 2025.
President Donald Trump speaks to the press after after signing an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Jan. 31, 2025.
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

Over the course of the past week, Trump has repetitively failed to disclose details about his conversations with Putin, including the frequency and timeline of when discussions may have occurred.

During his first oval office spray on Jan. 20, Trump indicated that he’d be meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, he again fell short of establishing when the meeting may occur.

-ABC News' Cheyenne Haslett and Kelsey Walsh