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Trump 2nd term live updates: Trump defends tariffs, declines to comment on Ukraine aid

Trump said tariffs will be the "greatest thing we've ever done as a country."

Last Updated: March 9, 2025, 8:31 PM EDT

President Donald Trump is defending his decision to pause some tariffs to Canada and Mexico for another month -- a notable reversal after imposing historic levies on the key U.S. trading partners earlier this week, causing markets to tumble.

On Friday, Trump signed more executive orders at the White House before he convened a first-ever cryptocurrency summit with industry leaders.

Mar 06, 2025, 10:57 AM EST

Lutnick says another tariff carve out could come Thursday

Commerce Sec. Howard Lutnick suggested Thursday that President Trump could decide Thursday if all USMCA-compliant products would be exempt from tariffs placed on Canada and Mexico for one month.

Lutnick told CNBC this comes in recognition of Canada and Mexico for their work on dealing with fentanyl, and said he and Trump are speaking to their Mexican counterparts later Thursday.

PHOTO: Trump Speech
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick arrives before President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Mar. 4, 2025.
Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP

"So we think this ... likely outcome, will be sort of in the middle, so USMCA-compliant goods and services will be excluded," he said later clarifying the reprieve is just for one month.

-ABC News' Justin Gomez, Molly Nagle and Oren Oppenheim

Mar 06, 2025, 10:07 AM EST

Judge issues nationwide injuction blocking Trump funding freeze

A federal judge issued a nationwide injunction on Thursday blocking the Trump administration from freezing federal funding without going through Congress, offering a scathing critique of what he said was the White House's attempt to disrupt the separation of powers.

When President Donald Trump attempted to unilaterally freeze billions in federal funding to states, local governments, and nonprofits during his first week in office, the president unlawfully attempted to undermine the balance of power that has defined American governance, U.S. District Judge John McConnell said.

President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, March 4, 2025.
Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP

"The interaction of the three co-equal branches of government is an intricate, delicate, and sophisticated balance—but it is crucial to our form of constitutional governance. Here, the Executive put itself above Congress," he wrote

The order prohibits the Trump administration from "reissuing, adopting, implementing, giving effect to, or reinstating under a different name" a short-lived directive issued by the Office of Management and Budget that froze billions in funds.

McConnell, an Obama appointee, noted that his order is "not limiting the Executive's discretion or micromanaging the administration of federal funds" but rather reiterating the limit of Trump's power.

-ABC News' Peter Charalambous

Mar 06, 2025, 9:14 AM EST

Trump admin sued 3 times a day on average since inauguration

With more than 100 federal lawsuits filed since the inauguration, President Donald Trump and his administration have effectively been sued three times for every business day he has occupied the Oval Office.

Approximately 30 of the 100 lawsuits relate to Trump's immigration policies, while more than 20 of the cases directly challenge the actions of Musk's DOGE.

With Trump signing more than 75 executive orders since taking office, the unprecedented flood of litigation has yielded mixed results in blocking the president's unilateral efforts to reshape the federal government.

-ABC News' Peter Charalambous

Mar 06, 2025, 8:57 AM EST

Trump to sign executive orders, Hegseth meets with UK counterpart

President Donald Trump has no public events on his schedule, but according to the White House, he will sign executive orders at 2 p.m. ET. It's unclear what he will be signing, though he is expected to take the extraordinary step this week of directing his secretary of education to dissolve the U.S. Department of Education by executive order, ABC News reports.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth leaves the House chamber after U.S. President Donald Trump addressed a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on March 04, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is meeting with United Kingdom Defense Secretary John Healey and Secretary of State Marco Rubio is delivering remarks at a U.S. hostage and wrongful detainee flag raising ceremony at the State Department.

On Capitol Hill, House Republicans are teeing up a vote to censure Democrat Al Green after his disruptions during Trump's Tuesday night address to a joint session of Congress.

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