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Trump 2nd term live updates: Trump defends tariffs, declines comment on Ukraine aid

Trump said tariffs will be the "greatest thing we've ever done as a country."

Last Updated: March 9, 2025, 8:31 PM EDT

President Donald Trump is defending his decision to pause some tariffs to Canada and Mexico for another month -- a notable reversal after imposing historic levies on the key U.S. trading partners earlier this week, causing markets to tumble.

On Friday, Trump signed more executive orders at the White House before he convened a first-ever cryptocurrency summit with industry leaders.

Mar 04, 2025, 2:03 PM EST

Senate Republican says aid to Ukraine should be restored

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., is wearing his Ukraine pin and a navy blue suit with yellow tie ahead of President Donald Trump's address to the joint session of Congress.

Tillis is a staunch ally of Ukraine who has become increasingly outspoken about his support for the country as the riff between Ukraine and the Trump administration has widened.

Poles and members of the Ukrainian diaspora take part in a rally in front of the US embassy in Warsaw, Mar. 3, 2025.
Wojtek Radwanski/AFP via Getty Images

"I'm trying to figure out what it would feel like to have been the head of state for a country that has experienced systematic murder rape, kidnapping and torture of tens of thousands of people, and I actually think somebody under that pressure should be given a little bit of leeway when it comes to addressing frustration," Tillis said.

-ABC News' Allison Pecorin

Mar 04, 2025, 1:31 PM EST

Trump administration backs off memo ordering mass firings after court ruling

The Office of Personnel Management has revised its Jan. 20 memo to federal agencies about probationary employees -- now writing that "OPM is not directing agencies to take any specific performance-based actions regarding probationary employees."

A view shows the logo of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), after probationary staff at the OPM were fired in a conference call and given less than an hour to leave the building, outside OPM in Washington, D.C., Feb. 13, 2025.
Tierney L. Cross/Reuters

"Agencies have ultimate decisionmaking authority over, and responsibility for, such personnel actions," read the memo, which came after a federal judge ruled last week that the OPM's initial directive to terminate temporary employees was illegal.

An OPM spokesperson did not respond to questions about how this change affects workers who have already been fired -- or if this is meant to bring the government's directives in line with the new ruling.

-ABC News' Katherine Faulders and Benjamin Siegel

Mar 04, 2025, 1:30 PM EST

Thune said he views tariff policy through a 'different lens' than Trump

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Tuesday that he views tariff policy through a "different lens" than President Donald Trump because of the economic impact that tariffs have on his home state of South Dakota.

"I think the president is looking at this as a means to an end. I don't think it is the end itself. I certainly hope it isn't," Thune said during an appearance on CNN.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune accompanied by Sens. Tom Cotton, Shelley Moore Capito, Sen. John Hoeven and Sen. James Lankford speaks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol, Feb. 25, 2025 in Washington.
Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

He predicted the markets will stabilize but conceded the potential for rising costs for consumers is an "issue."

-ABC News' Allison Pecorin

Mar 04, 2025, 1:30 PM EST

Trump says retaliatory tariff on US will raise reciprocal tariffs

President Donald Trump said retaliatory tariffs on the United States will lead him to raise reciprocal tariffs by 25% on Canada.

"Please explain to Governor Trudeau, of Canada, that when he puts on a Retaliatory Tariff on the U.S., our Reciprocal Tariff will immediately increase by a like amount!" Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social Tuesday afternoon.

President Donald Trump, Mar. 3, 2025 and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Mar. 4, 2025.
Reuters/AP

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