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.
South Korea gets a 15% tariff rate, Trump announces
Trump announced in a social media post a trade deal with South Korea in which it will receive a 15% tariff rate and have no duty on U.S. goods and open their market to U.S. goods completely.
"Additionally, South Korea will purchase $100 Billion Dollars of LNG, or other Energy products and, further, South Korea has agreed to invest a large sum of money for their Investment purposes. This sum will be announced within the next two weeks when the President of South Korea, Lee Jae Myung, comes to the White House for a Bilateral Meeting," Trump wrote in the post on his Truth Social social media platform.
-ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart
Jul 30, 2025, 8:16 PM EDT
Trump slaps tariffs on Brazil, sanctions Brazilian judge over Bolsonaro charges
President Trump is slapping tariffs on Brazil and sanctions on a Brazilian judge over what the White House says is a "politically motivated persecution" of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro.
Trump signed an executive order slapping another 40% tariff on Brazil, bringing its total tariff rate to 50% when combined with the 10% baseline tariff. Trump took the action to "deal with recent policies, practices, and actions by the Government of Brazil that constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States," according to a White House fact sheet about the move.
President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at RAF Lossiemouth, Scotland, July 29, 2025.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
The fact sheet said that the criminal charges against Bolsonaro's "politically motivated persecution, intimidation, harassment, censorship, and prosecution of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and thousands of his supporters are serious human rights abuses" have undermined Brazil's rule of law.
The tariffs do have carve-outs for some key imports. There are exemptions on goods including orange juice, aircraft and energy, which could reduce the impact of the duties.
That comes as the Treasury Department announced today sanctions on Alexandre de Moraes, a Brazilian Supreme Federal Court justice, who they claim has "used his position to authorize arbitrary pre-trial detentions and suppress freedom of expression."
"Alexandre de Moraes has taken it upon himself to be judge and jury in an unlawful witch hunt against U.S. and Brazilian citizens and companies,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a press release. "De Moraes is responsible for an oppressive campaign of censorship, arbitrary detentions that violate human rights, and politicized prosecutions—including against former President Jair Bolsonaro."
Bolsonaro has been charged in Brazil for an attempted coup d état. Trump and Bolsonaro have long been close, Bolsonaro attempted to travel to the U.S. for Trump's inauguration in January of this year, but that request was declined by de Moraes.
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle, Shannon Kingston and Michelle Stoddart
Jul 30, 2025, 6:38 PM EDT
Johnson says he and Trump are pushing for Epstein files release
House Speaker Mike Johnson said Wednesday he is “pushing for aggressively” a full release of the Epstein files during a CNN interview on Wednesday.
“And by the way, so is the president. He has said the same thing. We're using every mechanism within our power to do that and to do it as quickly as possible,” he said during an interview with CNN while standing in front of a crowd at an event in Louisiana.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson speaks with the press on Capitol Hill in Washington, July 23, 2025.
Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
“I want everything to come out about the Epstein evils that is possible to be released, because the people that were involved in those unspeakable evil acts should be punished with the great severity of the law, and it should have happened a long time ago. So, I'm fully in favor of that. We have to do it in a responsible manner,” he added.
Johnson pushed back on Rep. Thomas Massie’s bipartisan effort to force a House vote on releasing the Epstein files.
“I have no interest in getting into the back and forth with Thomas Massie. He's doing what he's doing. Everybody can judge the motivation for themselves. I don't know what he's talking about,” Johnson said.
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
Jul 30, 2025, 3:00 PM EDT
Trump to impose 50% copper tariff effective Aug. 1
President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Wednesday to put a 50% tariff on copper into effect on Aug. 1.
"The Proclamation imposes universal 50% tariffs on imports of semi-finished copper products (such as copper pipes, wires, rods, sheets, and tubes) and copper-intensive derivative products (such as pipe fittings, cables, connectors, and electrical components), effective August 1," according to the White House.
Trump previously announced this tariff would go into effect, but made it official on Wednesday with the signing of this proclamation.
Donald Trump speaks to reporters near the Rose Garden after returning to the White House on Marine One on July 29, 2025 in Washington, DC.
