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Trump admin live updates: Trump, Schumer trade barbs over Senate nominations

The Senate voted on some of Trump's nominations before the August recess.

Last Updated: August 3, 2025, 9:44 PM EDT

The Senate on Saturday considered some of President Donald Trump's nominations before the August recess.

Earlier this week, Trump issued an executive order slapping tariffs on many of America's trading partners but the new duties are set to go into effect in seven days.

Trump also continues to face questions over his administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files and his relationship with the accused sex trafficker.

Jul 29, 2025, 10:03 PM EDT

Senate confirms former Trump lawyer Emil Bove to lifetime appeals court post

The Senate Tuesday night confirmed controversial nominee Emil Bove to a lifetime appointment on the powerful Third Circuit Court of Appeals, notching a win for President Donald Trump.

Bove was confirmed by a vote of 50-49. Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski voted with all Democrats to block his nomination, but Republicans were still able to put up the simple majority of votes needed to lock in his confirmation. Sen. Bill Hagerty was absent for the vote.

PHOTO: Senate Judges Bove
FILE - Emil Bove, attorney for former US President Donald Trump, sits Manhattan criminal court during Trump's sentencing in the hush money case in New York, Jan. 10, 2025.
Jeehah Moon/AP

Bove is Trump’s former personal lawyer turned Justice Department official. He is known, in part, for his purge of career law enforcement officials across the DOJ and FBI prior to the arrival of Senate-confirmed leaders, as well as his role in the DOJ's decision to drop the criminal corruption prosecution of New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

Trump nominated Bove to the post in late May. Since that time, three separate whistleblowers came forward to raise concerns about Bove ahead of Tuesday’s vote.

In floor remarks on Tuesday ahead of the vote, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley accused Democrats and the media of attempting an “11th hour smear campaign” against Bove.

-ABC News' Allison Pecorin, Katherine Faulders, Alexander Mallin and Isabella Murray

Jul 29, 2025, 2:17 PM EDT

Trump says Russia has '10 days from today' to agree to ceasefire or face sanctions

President Trump said on Air Force One that he will give Russia's Vladimir Putin "10 days from today" to reach a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine.

"And then you know we're going to put on tariffs and stuff. And I don't know if it's going to affect Russia because he wants to obviously probably keep the war going," Trump said. "But we're going to put on tariffs and the various things that you put on them, it may or may not affect them, but it could."

Later, Trump was asked if he's gotten any feedback that the new deadline prompted a response from Russia.

"I haven't had any response," Trump responded. "It's a shame."

Jul 29, 2025, 1:46 PM EDT

Trump says he could be using new Air Force One as soon as February

President Trump was asked on Tuesday when he expected to be flying on the "new Air Force One" as a luxury jet gifted from Qatar is being retrofitted for the president's use.

"They say February, maybe. Much sooner than the others. The others are being built," Trump responded. Asked how much it will cost to retrofit the plane, Trump said he didn't know and that was up to the military.

ABC News reported on Monday that the administration has accepted the "unconditional donation" of the jet with no stipulation on what should happen to the aircraft after President Trump leaves office. The cost of refurbishing the plane is classified, although lawmakers have speculated that it could cost as much as $1 billion.

Jul 29, 2025, 12:46 PM EDT

Schumer wants FBI to assess risks of adversary getting Epstein files

Minority Leader Chuck Schumer Tuesday called on the FBI to conduct a counterintelligence threat assessment on the risks posed by potential foreign access to the Epstein files.

"Whatever may be in the Epstein files is clearly troubling enough that Donald Trump doesn't want to touch this issue with a 10 foot pole so it is natural to ask what happens if America's adversaries use cyberattack or other means to access investigative material into Jeffrey Epstein that are embarrassing or worse for the president and or the people around him," Schumer said in floor remarks.

Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer gives a statement after a policy luncheon with Democratic senators at the Capitol, July 15, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Schumer said he's asking the FBI to assess whether foreign intelligence agencies could gain access to the Epstein files via "cyberintrusion," and to "identify any vulnerabilities that could be exploited foreign intelligence agencies with access to non-public information in the Epstein files, including being able to gain leverage over Donald Trump, his family or other senior government officials." He's also asking the FBI to show it’s developing strategies to counter any threat.

He pointed to hacks that occurred last week at the departments of Health and Human Services and Homeland Security as cause for concern.

"Hacks like this could very well be an attempt to exploit federal systems to get access to Epstein files and potentially use it to influence those named in the files. Whatever is in the Epstein files is concerning enough that Donald Trump is running scared. If that is, in fact, the case, our adversaries could certainly be interested in trying to use this information to hurt America and Americans. We must ensure that that can never happen and that the FBI must immediately conduct a risk assessment, so we're not caught flat footed if our adversaries have already seen these files," Schumer said.

-ABC News’ Allison Pecorin

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