White House says some employees were fired by mistake

After taking the recent buyout offer, some employees were fired, a source said.

Last Updated: February 16, 2025, 11:07 PM EST

President Donald Trump's administration, including Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, is continuing its sweeping effort to cut much of the federal government -- but it's being met with legal challenges.

Trump is also making his second administration's first forays on the diplomatic front with calls to Russia's Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy on ending the 3-year-old war that began in February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine.

And a day after Hamas released more hostages taken when it attacked Israel in October 2023, Secretary of State Marco Rubio agreed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the militant organization needs to be "eliminated."

Feb 11, 2025, 1:44 PM EST

Trump no longer threatening to withhold aid from Egypt and Jordan

Less than 24 hours after President Donald Trump said he "would conceivably withhold aid" from Jordan and Egypt if they don't take in Palestinians, Trump now says, "I don't have to threaten with money."

"I don't have to threaten that, I don't think. I think we're above that. I do believe we're above that," he said.

President Donald Trump shakes hands with King Abdullah II of Jordan during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Feb. 11, 2025.
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

"I don't want to say that because we've had such a good relationship and we're doing so well just in the short time that we've been talking. I mean, that the King just made a statement. I didn't ask him to do that about literally saving 2000 young children from the Gaza Strip. We didn't know about that," Trump said, despite moments earlier appearing to prompt the King to make an announcement.

– ABC News' Mary Bruce

Feb 11, 2025, 1:43 PM EST

Trump says Israeli hostages 'looked like Holocaust survivors,' says 'all bets are off' if not released by Saturday

When asked to clarify his statements that all hell will break out of the Israeli hostages are not released by Saturday, President Donald Trump emphasized the health of the hostages.

"They looked like Holocaust survivors. They looked -- they I mean -- they'll get better, but they -- they're in rough shape. They were treated really badly. And we've heard things from them since."

The president also speculated that Hamas wants "time" because "they don't want to send the least healthy people out."

"I don't want to do two, and then we do another two in another week, and then we do four in three weeks. No, no," Trump said in regards to the timing of hostage releases. "They either have them out by Saturday at 12 or all bets are off."

ABCNews Liveblog Bot

Feb 11, 2025, 1:26 PM EST

Trump wants ‘parcels’ of land in Jordan, Egypt for Palestinians

Trump was asked where he expects Palestinians to live following his plan to take over Gaza, in which he said he will "parcel" land in Jordan and Egypt.

"Well, it's not where I want them to live. It's going to be where we ultimately choose as a group. And I believe we'll have a parcel of land. And Jordan, I believe will have a parcel of land and Egypt. We may have someplace else, but I think when we finish our talks, we'll have a place where they get to live very happily and very safe," he said.

When asked if Jordan agrees with the plan of parceling out land for Palestinians, Jordan's King Abdullah said he needs to look for “the best interests of [his] country.”

In regards to King Abdullah's overall opinion of Trump's Gaza plan, the king of Jordan said, "I think let's wait until the Egyptians can come and present it to the president and not get ahead of ourselves."

To those calling the relocation of Palestinian people ethnic cleansing, Trump responded, “we're moving them to a beautiful location where they have new homes, where they can live safely, where they'll have doctors and medical and all of those things. And I think it's going to be great.”

Feb 11, 2025, 1:18 PM EST

‘There's nothing to buy. We will have Gaza,’ Trump says

When asked about his plan to take over Gaza and redevelop the land, Trump repeatedly said, “There's nothing to buy. We will have Gaza.”

President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Jordan's King Abdullah attend a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, Feb. 11, 2025.
Nathan Howard/Reuters

“We're going to take it. We're going to hold it. We're going to cherish it. We're going to get it going eventually, where a lot of jobs are going to be created for the people in the Middle East,” Trump said, adding that this action will be an “absolute, tremendous asset for the Middle East.”

“There are no conditions anywhere in the world that are worse than the Gaza Strip right now,” Trump repeatedly said.

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