×
×
homepage logo

Trudeau says Trump tariffs will be postponed by at least 30 days

By AP | Feb 3, 2025

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters next to Air Force One after arriving back at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

By The Associated Press

In separate negotiations, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum have agreed with U.S. President Donald Trump to pause planned tariffs for at least a month. Trump’s tariffs against China are still slated to go into effect on Tuesday.

Staffers of the U.S. Agency for International Development were instructed to stay out of the agency’s Washington headquarters after billionaire Elon Musk announced President Trump had agreed with him to shut the agency. Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has been given broad latitude to investigate the federal government.

Here’s the latest:

DOGE is putting Americans’ most sensitive information at risk, Schumer says

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Elon Musk’s DOGE “unlawful power grab” in accessing the Treasury payment system is putting Americans’ most private Social Security and taxpayer information at risk.

“Donald Trump basically handed DOGE the Social Security data of virtually every American citizen,” Schumer said.

“Trump gave DOGE access to America’s “personal tax refund data. He gave DOGE access to people’s Medicare and Medicaid benefits, disability payment data, veterans benefit data,” he said.

Schumer said, “Worst of all, we don’t know what DOGE intends to do with this.”

Schumer is calling on the Treasury Secretary to revoke the Musk team’s access to the Treasury department’s payment system.

“We must halt this unlawful and dangerous power grab,” Schumer said.

Trump administration ‘most corrupt’ ever, top Democrat says

Two weeks in, and the Trump administration is the “most corrupt” ever, a top Democrat said.

Sen. Patty Murray of Washington said the Trump-DOGE shutdown of already approved funds for USAID and other federal programs is putting “trust at the lowest level” seen in a lifetime,

“What funds will Elon target next? Lifesaving medica research? Housing assistance? Food banks?” Murray said.

She said Musk’s actions when he stands to profit from his own government contracts is making the Trump administration the “most corrupt” ever.

It all comes ahead of March 14 federal funding deadline and Murray pleaded with her Republican colleagues to stand up to Musk and Trump to avoid a government shutdown.

Rubio names hardliner from Trump’s first term to oversee USAID

In a letter to lawmakers obtained by The Associated Press, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has designated Peter Marocco to carry out administrative duties for the agency.

Marocco is a political appointee whose short stint at USAID in the first Trump administration generated unusual staff protests for pushing program cuts and investigations that ambassadors and other senior officials complained slowed work to a crawl.

Rubio said Monday that Marocco was now heading USAID after a purge of top officials there.

The Trump administration and billionaire Elon Musk are moving to dismantle the agency, setting up a constitutional battle with congressional Democrats.