President Donald Trump held a Cabinet meeting with his top officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, as well as Elon Musk, on Thursday.
It follows Trump on Wednesday changing course on his tariff policy, instituting a 90-day pause in higher taxes for most countries while ramping up the rate against China to 145%.
On Capitol Hill, Republican leaders pushed through a budget blueprint to fund Trump's domestic agenda despite some GOP hard-liner opposition.
President Donald Trump is expected to host a Cabinet meeting at the White House Thursday -- his first since announcing, and now pausing, his sweeping tariffs.
The meeting comes as Trump's top advisers have butted heads both privately and publicly over Trump's tariff policy. Thursday's meeting is expected to include Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Members of the Cabinet have also been informed that Elon Musk is expected to attend.
President Donald Trump arrives for an executive order signing ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, April 8, 2025.
Al Drago/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
The meeting was scheduled prior to his latest tariff announcement and was not convened because of the 90-day pause.
--ABC News' Katherine Faulders
Apr 09, 2025, 2:04 PM GMT
Trump demands House Republicans pass blueprint budget
President Donald Trump repeatedly called on Republicans in Truth Social posts to pass his legislative agenda.
The president claimed it is "more important now, than ever, that we pass THE ONE, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL" and called on the House to pass his tax cut bill "NOW!"
President Donald Trump speaks at the National Republican Congressional Committee dinner in Washington, April 8, 2025.
Pool via AP
Trump said that he spoke to Johnson Tuesday night and some other Republicans, asking them to pass his agenda.
-ABC News' Michelle Stoddart
Apr 09, 2025, 3:29 AM GMT
Acting IRS head to resign following data-sharing agreement with DHS
The acting commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service is planning to resign following the agency's data-sharing agreement with the Department of Homeland Security to support the Trump administration's efforts to deport undocumented immigrants, three sources familiar with her plans told ABC News.
Melanie Krause is the third leader of the agency to resign this year. Senate-confirmed Commissioner Danny Werfel resigned from his role on Inauguration Day, less than two years into his five-year term.
One month later, acting Commissioner Doug O'Donnell, who spent nearly four decades at the IRS, retired amid concerns about the Trump administration's management of the agency.
A sign for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is seen outside its building on February 13, 2025 in Washington, DC. Members of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) arrived at the Internal Revenue Service to begin examining the agency's operations.
Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images
A Treasury Department spokesperson confirmed Krause's plans to leave the agency in a statement to ABC News.
“Melanie Krause has been leading the IRS through a time of extraordinary change. As we focus on IT modernization and re-organize the agency to better serve the taxpayer, we are also in the midst of breaking down data silos that for too long have stood in the way of identifying waste, fraud, and abuse and bringing criminals to justice. We believe these goals are critical to a more efficient government and safer country. We wish Melanie well on her next endeavor," the spokesperson said.
Krause did not respond to a request to comment from ABC News.
Other senior agency officials are considering leaving the agency following the new data sharing agreement and are concerned about its legality.
Some officials found out about its finalization, after weeks of negotiations, only after it was reported by Fox News Tuesday morning, sources told ABC News.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signed the agreement with DHS on behalf of the IRS, according to the redacted copy of the deal included in a court filing.
-ABC News' Ben Siegel
Apr 08, 2025, 11:33 PM GMT
Democrats plan ‘days of action’ against Trump policies
Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries declared on Tuesday their members were “unified” against the agenda of the Trump administration, announcing “days of action” to target White House policies next week during their recesses.
Flanked by a number of their Democratic colleagues, the leaders said a day of action would occur next Tuesday, which will be focused on Social Security. They'll then host one on Thursday centered around Medicaid. Finally, they’re planning a subsequent “week of action” on the cost of living in America.
“We believe that Medicaid should not be cut. We believe they're going after Social Security. We're fighting to defend it tooth and nail,” Schumer said. “We also believe that the costs that Republicans are imposing on the American people is hurting them badly, and it's going to get worse and worse and worse. These tariffs are just lunacy.”
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer is interviewed at the Capitol in Washington, Mar. 14, 2025.
Ben Curtis/AP
Jeffries said, “Bottom line is, Donald Trump is betraying the American people, breaking his promises, and Republican Congress members and senators are going along with that betrayal.”
Schumer lauded Democrats’ unity, saying that congressional Republicans and even GOP members of the White House are stuck fighting amongst themselves.
“I've never quite seen anything like this -- the Republican leader of the House and the Republican leader of the Senate are at loggerheads. And why is that? Because they're defending such unpopular programs. One wing of their caucus doesn't like the Medicaid cuts. Another wing of their caucus doesn't like the tax cuts on the billionaires … and the right wing wants to cut Medicaid even further dividing all of them,” Schumer said.
