Trump admin live updates: White House drops NASA nominee with Musk ties

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered that U.S. embassies and consulates to temporarily pause scheduling new interviews for student and exchange visitor visas amid ongoing efforts to boost screening of applicants' social media accounts, according to diplomatic cable issued Tuesday morning that was reviewed by ABC News.

The cable stipulates that previously scheduled interviews can proceed as scheduled, but that new appointments shouldn't be planned until further guidance is issued, which is expected "in the coming days." A State Department official told ABC News that leadership intends to lift the pause by the end of the week.

Politico was the first to report the pause in scheduling.

Although the pause for interviews is expected to be brief, there are concerns it could lead to a backlog in processing applicants—especially now that they will be subject to additional vetting.

Right now, the processing time for an F-1 student visa typically ranges from around three to five weeks, but in certain locations around the world, it can take anywhere from three to nine months.

-ABC News' Shannon Kingston

President Donald Trump escalated his criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin in a vague post on Truth Social Tuesday.

The president said that "Putin doesn’t realize is that if it weren’t for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD."

"He’s playing with fire!," Trump added in the post.

-ABC News' Michelle Stoddart

President Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened to withhold federal funding to California because a transgender athlete "won everything" at a recent competition.

The president didn't share their name or which sport they competed in.

"This week a transitioned Male athlete, at a major event, won 'everything,' and is now qualified to compete in the 'State Finals' next weekend. As a Male, he was a less than average competitor. As a Female, this transitioned person is practically unbeatable. THIS IS NOT FAIR, AND TOTALLY DEMEANING TO WOMEN AND GIRLS," Trump wrote on his social media platform.

Trump said "large-scale" federal funding will be held back, "maybe permanently," if the state allows the athlete to continue competing in women's sports.

"I am ordering local authorities, if necessary, to not allow the transitioned person to compete in the State Finals. This is a totally ridiculous situation," Trump wrote.

President Donald Trump said on Monday morning that he is considering reallocating $3 billion in federal grant money from Harvard University to trade schools.

"What a great investment that would be for the USA, and so badly needed!!!" Trump wrote on his conservative social media platform.

The comments come after the administration last week moved to prohibit the school from enrolling international students. Trump has also threatened the school's tax-exempt status and has withheld billions in federal funding since the school refused to comply with the administration's demands regarding campus policies and governance.