Trump admin live updates: White House drops NASA nominee with Musk ties

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, in an appearance on Fox News on Thursday night, said that trade negotiations between the United States and China are “a bit stalled” and that President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping may need to speak to each other to move forward.

“I would say that they are a bit stalled,” Bessent said when asked about the status of the trade talks with China. “I believe that we will be having more talks with them in the next few weeks, and I believe we may at some point have a call between the President and Party Chair Xi [Jinping]."

Bessent was pressed about Trump's insistence that the talks are moving forward, but the treasury secretary brushed off the contradiction.

“I think that, given the magnitude of the talks, given the complexity that it -- this is going to require both leaders to weigh in with each other. They have a very good relationship, and I am confident that the Chinese will come to the table when President Trump makes his preferences known,” Bessent said.

Earlier, Bessent had said positive progress had been made on trade deals and that discussions are continuing, and that he is set to meet Friday with a Japanese delegation.

He also criticized the back and forth rulings on tariffs more generally, echoing the White House message.

“It seems highly inappropriate for the judiciary to weigh it in here when the Senate had the opportunity to override the president and didn't, so, in terms of separation of powers, the Senate has chosen not to exercise their powers, and the president absolutely has the right to set the trade agenda for the US,” Bessent said. “This administration is committed to fair trade, and we are striking the best deals for the American people, and anything that the courts do to get in the way both harms the American people in terms of trade and in terms of tariff revenue.”

He claimed that the legal back and forth had not changed attitudes among any trading partners, and that some “very large deals” are close.

-ABC News' Oren Oppenheim

President Donald Trump announced on his social media platform Thursday that he will hold a press conference with Elon Musk in the Oval Office on Friday at 1:30 p.m.

This comes after the White House and Musk announced his departure from the administration on Wednesday. As a special government employee, Musk was limited to a 130-day appointment -- Friday marks 130 days since Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration.

"I am having a Press Conference tomorrow at 1:30 P.M. EST, with Elon Musk, at the Oval Office. This will be his last day, but not really, because he will, always, be with us, helping all the way. Elon is terrific! See you tomorrow at the White House," Trump wrote.

On Thursday, a senior administration official told ABC News that Musk will continue to serve as an unofficial adviser to the president and could potentially attend White House meetings.

-ABC News' Hannah Demissie

National Economic Adviser Kevin Hassett and White House Senior Counselor for Trade Peter Navarro spoke to reporters at the White House following a federal appeals court temporarily delaying Wednesday's court order that blocked Trump’s tariffs.

Pressed by ABC News’ Rachel Scott if all the back and forth on the legal challenges against the tariffs undermines negotiations, Hassett said, "No."

"Because the bottom line is that we are very, very confident that we're going to get this positive result, and we're even more confident that we're going to win at the end," he said.

As small businesses and the markets watch the pendulum swing of on-and-off tariffs, Scott asked Navarro if the administration will implement tariffs regardless of the circumstances.

“I think that's a fair assessment,” Navarro said.

-ABC News' Kelsey Walsh and Hannah Demissie

While Elon Musk is stepping away from the White House, a senior administration official says he will continue to serve as an unofficial adviser to the president and could potentially attend White House meetings in the future.

While officials at the White House insist Musk and Trump left on good terms, it's notable the president hasn't said a word about Musk's departure, especially after his outspoken comments about the president's agenda and policy.

Senior White House officials were frustrated by Musk's comments regarding what Trump calls his “big, beautiful bill,” which came a day before Musk announced he would be officially leaving the administration, sources familiar with the situation tell ABC News.

-ABC News’ Rachel Scott