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Trump admin live updates: Trump strikes deals with law firms totaling $600M

The agreements were with five law firms for pro bono work.

ByDavid Brennan, Alexandra Hutzler, Ivan Pereira, and William Mansell
Last Updated: April 13, 2025, 11:58 PM EDT

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.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing.
Apr 10, 2025, 9:18 AM EDT

Johnson says he believes they have the votes to pass Trump-backed budget blueprint

House Speaker Mike Johnson, after having to pull a vote on Trump's budget blueprint, said he had "very productive" discussions with members last night.

"I'm happy to tell you that this morning, I believe we have the votes to finally adopt the budget resolution so we can move forward on President Trump's very important agenda for the American people," Johnson said.

The House is expected to hold a vote on the blueprint in the 10 a.m. hour.

Apr 10, 2025, 8:56 AM EDT

Johnson, Thune to speak on budget blueprint as Trump claims lawmakers are 'getting close'

House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune are holding a news conference on Capitol Hill regarding the budget blueprint to move forward on Trump’s legislative agenda.

The newser comes after Johnson had to pull a House vote on Wednesday evening because of Republican holdouts.

President Trump weighed in this morning, claiming that lawmakers are "getting close" to passing his economic agenda.

"'The Big, Beautiful Bill' is coming along really well. Republicans are working together nicely. Biggest Tax Cuts in USA History!!!," Trump wrote in a post to his conservative social media platform.

Apr 09, 2025, 8:21 PM EDT

Speaker Johnson scraps budget vote for Wednesday night

House Speaker Mike Johnson said the House will not vote on its planned budget vote Wednesday night because a small "subset" of members are not totally satisfied.

House Speaker Mike Johnson returns to the Capitol following a meeting with President Donald Trump in Washington, April 8, 2025.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

He met with more than a dozen members for over an hour and told reporters "stay tuned," regarding the vote.

What happens next for the House is to be determined as it is unclear if a vote will occur Thursday.

-ABC News' Arthur Jones

Apr 09, 2025, 6:44 PM EDT

Whitmer joins Trump in Oval Office, but doesn't 'endorse actions,' spokesperson says

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appeared inside the Oval Office during President Donald Trump's session of executive order signing on Wednesday, where Trump called her a "very good person" and emphasized her efforts regarding the Great Lakes ecosystem.

Trump gave Whitmer a shoutout during the signing, saying, "We're honored to have Gretchen Whitmer from Michigan, great state of Michigan. And she's been -- she's really done an excellent job and a very good person."

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer speaks as President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House, April 9, 2025 in Washington.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Following the appearance, Whitmer's spokesperson told ABC News that the governor was "surprised that she was brought into the Oval Office" during Trump's executive order signing event.

"Her presence is not an endorsement of the actions or statements made at the event," the spokesperson said.

-ABC News' Oren Oppenheim and Hannah Demissie

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