Trump 2nd term updates: Trump says USAID is run by 'radical lunatics'

Dozens of Department of Education employees received letters on Friday night placing them on “administrative leave," effective immediately.

While no specific reason was given, employees told ABC News on Sunday that they believe the only common thread between them is that they attended a voluntary diversity training program in 2019, during President Donald Trump's first term.

ABC News has obtained the letter which states that the administrative leave notice is not for disciplinary purposes; rather, the letter said it's related to Trump’s executive order on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. Employees were told to await “further guidance from OPM,” according to the letter, referencing the Office of Personnel Management.

Per the letter, employees will receive full pay and benefits through the end of the administrative leave, but they are not required to do work-related tasks during this time or come into the office. At the same time, the impacted employees had their government email access suspended.

Sheria Smith, the American Federation of Government Employees Local 252 president, told ABC News that over 50 employees in “extremely diverse roles” within the department had received the emails after regular business hours this weekend.

Smith said she fears more letters will be sent in the coming days.

ABC News did not receive an immediate response to a request for comment from the DOE.

-ABC News' Arthur Jones II

In an interview that aired on "60 Minutes" on Sunday, former Republican Leader Mitch McConnell was openly critical of recent decisions by President Donald Trump and said he planned to be more outspoken about their differences of opinion now that he was no longer in a leadership role in the Senate.

McConnell sharply criticized the president imposing tariffs, especially on allied countries.

"It'll drive the cost of everything up. In other words, it'll be paid for by American consumers. I mean why would you want to get in a fight with your allies over this?" McConnell questioned.

McConnell often found himself at odds with Trump during his first term in the White House, he said, but claimed their relationship was all but severed after Jan. 6, 2021.

The former Senate leader reacted to Trump's sweeping pardons for the convicted rioters, saying, "I think pardoning people who have been convicted is a mistake."

-ABC News' Allison Pecorin

President Donald Trump plans to speak with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Monday morning, he told to reporters during a stopover at Joint Base Andrews on Sunday evening.

The calls are scheduled two days after he imposed 25% tariffs on both of the United States' neighboring countries.

Sheinbaum is also expected to deliver Mexico’s response to the tariffs in the morning, according to sources familiar with the situation.

-ABC News' Hannah Demissie

The Treasury Department has given Elon Musk and representatives of his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team access to the vast federal payment system responsible for handling trillions of dollars in government expenditures, multiple sources familiar with the matter said.

The payment system -- which is essentially a checkbook for the entire federal government -- is a closely held operation run by career officials, with a limited number of people authorized to access the information given it, contains sensitive information about hundreds of millions of Americans.

If Musk or his team were to attempt to block these payments, it would likely face legal challenges given the money is approved by Congress.

Sources tell ABC News that if Musk or his representatives were to request that changes be made to the system, such requests would be subject to an internal review process by Treasury Department officials.

Sen. Ron Wyden, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, said in a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that any "politically-motivated meddling" in the payment systems "risks severe damage to our country and the economy."