Trump 2nd term updates: Trump attends the Super Bowl

Trump becomes the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl.

Last Updated: February 9, 2025, 7:18 PM EST

President Donald Trump's second administration continued its swift recasting of the federal government, prompting pushback from Democrats and legal challenges.

The president said Sunday that he will announce tariffs on all imported steel and aluminum on Monday but didn't say when they'll take effect.

Trump, meanwhile, is at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Sunday night to take in the Super Bowl. Trump picked the Kansas City Chiefs to beat the Philadelphia Eagles in an interview aired before the game on Fox.

Key headlines:

Here's how the news is developing:
Feb 04, 2025, 11:05 PM EST

Federal buyout offer extends to CIA

The buyout offered to federal employees last week was extended to the Central Intelligence Agency on Tuesday, according to information first reported in the Washington Post and confirmed by ABC News.

The “deferred resignation” offer, as the White House calls it, had originally exempted federal employees in the national security sector.

However, a CIA spokesperson told ABC News that the newly installed director, John Ratcliffe, wanted to ensure his workforce was “responsive to the Administration's national security priorities" and said that “these moves are part of a holistic strategy to infuse the Agency with renewed energy, provide opportunities for rising leaders to emerge, and better position the CIA to deliver on its mission."

A U.S. official also told ABC News that the offer will not be open to everyone at the spy agency. The official explained that there will be a review process of applicants, and if an employee is working a "priority target," then they may not be able to take the buyout.

-ABC News' Cindy Smith

Feb 04, 2025, 10:55 PM EST

Federal unions sue over buyout offer, saying it "threatens employees" with layoffs

Three unions representing a combined 800,000 federal civil servants are suing the Trump administration over its plan to offer buyouts to federal employees, arguing that it "threatens employees" to take the "arbitrary" offer.

The three unions – the American Federation of Government Employees, the National Association of Government Employees and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees – argue that the Office of Personnel Management failed to provide a legal basis for the buyout offer, leaving open the possibility that the government might not follow through with the buyout once federal employees agree to resign.

People gather to protest outside the headquarters of the Office of Personnel Management after the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency was charged with oversight of OPM, in Washington, Feb. 2, 2025.
Kent Nishimura/Reuters

The lawsuit also argues the buyout’s promise of payments through September violates the law, because the current appropriation for federal agencies expires in March. Moreover, the buyout is unfair, the lawsuit argues, because it was made alongside a threat of future layoffs.

“To leverage employees into accepting the offer and resigning, the Fork Directive threatens employees with eventual job loss in the event that they refuse to resign,” the lawsuit said.

Overall, the lawsuit alleged that OPM rushed the offer with a questionable legal basis, largely mimicking Elon Musk’s management style following his takeover of Twitter.

The lawsuit comes as at least 20,000 federal workers -- roughly 1% of the civilian federal workforce -- have accepted the deferred resignation offer since last week, ABC News reported.

-ABC News' Peter Charalambous

Feb 04, 2025, 10:39 PM EST

Senate Democrats call Trump's plan to 'take over' Gaza 'horrifying'

Senate Democrats are beginning to weigh in on President Donald Trump's assertion on Tuesday that the United States should "take over" Gaza.

The earliest reactions are those of outrage, with Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota calling the suggestion "horrifying" during a CNN interview on Tuesday night.

"He seems to be completely ignoring the sovereignty and the self-determination of the Palestinian people who have lived in this place for generations, and he's got his eye on some real estate deal because he thinks the coastline of Gaza is going to be great for some new hotel," Smith said. "I mean it's just ridiculous right? It's just ridiculous."

PHOTO: U.S. Senators Hold Press Conference On Foreign Security Assistance
Democratic Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota spoke to reporters at the U.S. Capitol to celebrate a new policy that demands recipients of foreign military aid adhere to international humanitarian law on Feb. 9, 2024.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Some, including Smith, asserted that Trump's comments regarding Gaza were meant to distract from Elon Musk being given access to the Treasury's federal payment system.

"I have news for you - we aren’t taking over Gaza. But the media and the chattering class will focus on it for a few days and Trump will have succeeded in distracting everyone from the real story - the billionaires seizing government to steal from regular people," Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut wrote in a post on X.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut called the idea "crazy—but catastrophic" on X, while also noting that it was "deeply destructive" to even suggest it.

Arizona's Sen. Ruben Gallego went so far as to call the president a "warmonger" and asked in a social media post, "What happed to the 'anti war' President?"

No Republican senators have yet publicly issued comments on Trump's remarks concerning Gaza.

-ABC News' Allie Pecorin

Feb 04, 2025, 9:47 PM EST

Saudi Arabia says it will not normalize ties with Israel without Palestinian state

Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry released a statement Tuesday after President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's press conference discussing the future of Gaza.

The statement said Saudi Arabia would not normalize ties with Israel without a Palestinian state -- this after Trump sought normalization between the two countries.

PHOTO: G20 Summit in Argentina
30 November 2018, Argentina, Buenos Aires: Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince, is waiting for the family photo of all participants at the G20 Summit Conference Centre in Buenos Aires. From 30.11.-1.12.2018 the G20 summit will take place in Buenos Aires. The "Group of 20" unites the strongest industrial nations and emerging economies. Photo: Ralf Hirschberger/dpa (Photo by Ralf Hirschberger/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Picture Alliance/picture alliance via Getty Image

"The Foreign Ministry affirms that Saudi Arabia’s position on the establishment of a Palestinian state is firm and unwavering," the statement read.

The statement added that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has "clearly and unequivocally reaffirmed this stance."

Sponsored Content by Taboola