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

A growing number of lawmakers, including 22 members of Congress and several key figures in the Congressional Black Caucus, called on Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to resign.

The letter, sent this week and spearheaded by Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-Calif, urges Gabbard "to resign immediately so that new leadership can begin the urgent work of restoring integrity, rebuilding trust, and upholding the nonpartisan mission of the Intelligence Community before even more damage is done."

The group criticized Gabbard’s remarks about former President Barack Obama and her claims that "his cabinet 'manufactured and politicized' evidence against President Trump related to Russia’s proven interference in the 2016 election."

"This is not only categorically false; it is a dangerous and deliberate distortion of reality," they wrote.

The group also criticized Gabbard for misusing her position as Director of National Intelligence, stating her "job is to safeguard truth, not spread propaganda. Instead, you have abused your position to promote a partisan narrative rooted in conspiracy and discredited claims."

-ABC News' Beatrice Peterson

President Donald Trump is escalating his attacks on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell after the Fed held interest rates steady this week.

Trump posted that the Federal Reserve Board "should assume control" if Powell continues to refuse to cut rates.

"Jerome 'Too Late' Powell, a stubborn MORON, must substantially lower interest rates, NOW. IF HE CONTINUES TO REFUSE, THE BOARD SHOULD ASSUME CONTROL, AND DO WHAT EVERYONE KNOWS HAS TO BE DONE!" the president wrote in a post on his conservative social media platform.

"STRONG DISSENTS ON FED BOARD. IT WILL ONLY GET STRONGER! "TOO LATE!" he wrote in another one ahead of the July jobs report release.

-ABC News' Lalee Ibssa

Asked about Russia's recent deadly drone attack on Kyiv, Trump immediately launched into criticizing Russia’s war on Ukraine, calling it a “disgrace,” and pointing out how many Russians have died as a result of Putin’s continued violence.

“I think it's disgusting. Russia? I think it's disgusting what they're doing. I think it's disgusting. This is Biden's war. It's not my war. But I said if I get in, I'll try and get the thing stopped. But I think what Russia is doing is very sad. A lot of Russians are dying,” Trump said.

“But I will tell you this, it should be stopped. It's a -- it's a disgrace,” Trump added.

While Trump said he was going to follow through on his promise of slapping sanctions on Russia if it didn’t broker a ceasefire in Ukraine by the deadline coming in eight days; however, he was unsure that those actions would have an impact on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Yeah, we're going to put sanctions. I don't know that sanctions bother him. You know, they -- they know about sanctions. I know better than anybody about sanctions and tariffs and everything else,” Trump said.

“I don't know if that has any effect, but we're going to do it. Europe is extremely upset, but this is a war that should have never happened,” Trump added.

Trump also said that special envoy Steve Witkoff is going to visit Russia. Witkoff is visiting Gaza on Friday, the White House said, and Trump said that after that "he's going to Russia, believe it or not."

-ABC News’ Lalee Ibsaa and Michelle Stoddart

Trump was asked if Canada’s plans to recognize a Palestinian state is a dealbreaker in trade talks.

“I didn't like what they said. But, you know, that's their opinion. I didn't like that,” he said.

Trump's comments came following an overnight social media post where he wrote that Canada backing statehood for Palestine “will make it very hard for us to make a Trade Deal.”

-ABC News' Lalee Ibssa