White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt briefed reporters Tuesday afternoon after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth went on “Fox & Friends” to defend himself amid a new Signal chat scandal.
The New York Times on Sunday reported the Pentagon chief shared information in a Signal group chat with family members and his personal lawyer, just weeks after the revelation that a journalist was inadvertently added to a group chat in which Hegseth and other administration officials shared sensitive military information.
In the latest scandal, the Defense chief reportedly shared attack plans in a Signal chat that included his wife, brother and lawyer, along with others involved in Hegseth’s personal and professional life.
“Disgruntled former employees are peddling things to try to save their a‑‑, and ultimately, that is not going to work,” Hegseth told Brian Kilmeade on Fox News.
The latest Hegseth heartburn comes amid more bad news on the economic front.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) downgraded its projection for global gross domestic product growth to 2.8 percent growth in 2025, down from a forecast of 3.3 percent in January.
U.S. growth projections were marked down to 1.8 percent growth from 2.7 percent, and expectations for the output of advanced economies were pulled down to 1.4 percent from 1.9 percent.
The markdown reflects “tariff rates to levels not seen in a century and a highly unpredictable environment,” IMF economists said.
Leavitt told reporters Tuesday that the president is “setting the stage for a deal with China” amid this outlook after hitting the country with a 145 percent tariff.
“So we feel everyone involved wants to see a trade deal happen, and the ball is moving in the right direction,” she added.
Later Tuesday, President Trump is slated to swear in the new chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The ceremony is scheduled for 4 p.m. EDT.
Follow along for live updates below.
Stocks close with gains as White House signals trade progress with China
U.S. stock markets closed with solid gains Tuesday as traders bought into the idea that President Trump’s trade war with China could cool down.
Markets were up in the morning but momentum really picked up Tuesday afternoon after several media outlets revealed comments from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who told a private meeting of investors in Washington that he expects a “de-escalation” in the trade war between the U.S. and China.
Trump: ‘I have no intention to fire’ Powell
President Trump said he has no intention to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, after he has escalated his criticism over the independent agency’s decision to not lower interest rates.
“The press runs away with things. No, I have no intention of firing him. I would like to see him be a little more active in terms of his idea to lower interest rates. This is a perfect time to lower interest rates,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office Tuesday.
He added that he “never did” have an intention to dismiss Powell.
“If it doesn’t, is it the end? No, it’s not. But it would be good timing,” Trump said. “But no, I have no intention to fire him.”
Trump: Post-deal tariff on China will come down ‘substantially’ from 145 percent
Trump told reporters that the tariffs on China will significantly be reduced after he negotiates on trade with Chinese President Xi, expressing optimism that he will want to make a deal.
“It will come down substantially, but it won’t be zero,” Trump said.
The overall tariff level currently imposed on China is 145 percent, which remained in place after Trump lifted the hefty reciprocal tariffs on other trading partners for 90 days and kept 10 percent tariffs in place across the board.
The president said he won’t play hardball with Xi to get a deal after a reporter asked if he would use the COVID-19 pandemic as a negotiating tactic.
“We’re going to be very nice, they’re going to be very nice… but ultimately they’re going to have to make a deal,” Trump said.
“China was taking us for a ride and it’s not going to happen. We’re going to be very good to China, have a great relationship with President Xi… they’re going to do very well and I think they’re going to be happy…It’s at 145 percent, it’s not going to be anywhere near that,” Trump added.
Harvard takes lead in fight against Trump’s higher ed agenda
After weeks of higher education playing defense against an aggressive Trump administration, Harvard is now taking point on fighting back.
The university — the oldest in America and richest in the world — is offering a rallying point for other colleges with its Monday lawsuit against the administration, a sharp counterpoint to other schools, particularly fellow Ivy League institution Columbia University, that have sought to cut deals and work with President Trump.
Senate Democrats question Hegseth on Trump transgender military service ban
A group of Senate Democrats are asking Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth whether the Pentagon is complying with court orders temporarily blocking President Trump’s ban on transgender servicemembers from taking effect.
Trump signed the executive order, titled “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness,” in late January. It prohibits transgender individuals from enlisting or continuing to serve in the military.
Hegseth subsequently issued a memo announcing a “pause” on transgender enlistment and encouraging current transgender servicemembers “to elect to separate voluntarily no later than March 26, 2025.”
Ahead of that deadline, two federal judges issued preliminary injunctions halting the implementation of the executive order.
In a letter Tuesday, 14 senators wrote to Hegseth to “to express our expectation” that the Defense Department (DOD) comply with the injunctions issued in March and to request answers to a series of questions related to the policy.
Jury finds New York Times did not defame Sarah Palin
A jury in New York ruled Tuesday that the New York Times did not defame former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) with an editorial about gun violence in 2011.
Tuesday’s ruling comes nearly three years after a separate jury found the Times not liable for damages over the Op-Ed, which linked her to the deadly 2011 shooting in an Arizona parking lot that injured then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.).
Democratic state treasurers to Tesla: Musk is distracted as stock sinks
Eight Democratic state treasurers on Tuesday pressed the chair of Tesla’s board about the company’s faltering performance, raising questions about whether Musk is devoting enough time to his electric vehicle firm amid his work in the Trump administration.
In a letter to Tesla Chair Robyn Denholm, the treasurers voiced concerns that the company’s recent difficulties indicate “deeper governance and leadership challenges” that could ultimately impact their states.
“CEO Elon Musk continues to divide his attention across multiple companies and a high-profile advisory role within the federal government,” they wrote. “These external commitments raise serious questions about whether Tesla’s leadership is fully engaged in addressing the company’s core challenges.”
The added, “If Tesla falters, the effects won’t be confined to shareholders—they will ripple through regional economies, workforce pipelines, and public confidence in the energy transition.”
Luna says she’ll meet with El Salvador’s president
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) said she accepted an invitation to meet with El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele next month as the Central American nation plays an increased role in the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts.
Luna, in Tuesday post, shared a copy of the invitation and slammed Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who was the first member of Congress to meet with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador’s high-security CECOT prison.
Education secretary says she spoke to Columbia, Harvard presidents about ‘abiding by the law’
Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon said she has spoken with the presidents of both Harvard and Columbia University about “abiding by the law” as the administration looks to change the school’s policies.
“I talked to the president of Columbia, I’ve also talked to the president of Harvard, and to how we could make sure that the universities were abiding by the law,” McMahon said Tuesday on CNBC.
Judge orders Trump administration to restore Voice of America
A federal judge on Tuesday found the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle Voice of America (VOA) and affiliated news services were likely unlawful, indefinitely blocking the shuttering of the government-funded news outlet and affiliated news services.
U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ordered VOA’s parent agency, the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), to restore VOA and other outlets under USAGM’s umbrella and barred the agency from preventing them from serving as “consistently reliable and authoritative” news sources, as is required by law.
Rubio not attending Ukraine talks in London
Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not be attending peace talks with Ukrainian and European officials in London this week, the State Department announced, citing logistical issues.
“As we know, Secretary Rubio is a busy man,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said on Tuesday.
Watch live: Paul Atkins sworn in to lead SEC
Paul Atkins, President Trump’s pick to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), will be sworn in Tuesday at a White House ceremony.
Minnesota sues Trump administration over transgender executive orders
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D) sued President Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi Tuesday after the administration threatened the state’s federal funding over its refusal to implement an executive order banning transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports.
Bondi had warned the state to comply with Trump’s Feb. 4 order in a letter that month and said last week while announcing a civil lawsuit against Maine over its noncompliance that California and Minnesota are the “top two” states that should also “be on notice.”
Former Pentagon advisers may face charges in leak probe: Hegseth
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a Tuesday interview that his former top aides, who were fired last week amid a probe into leaks at the Pentagon, could face charges at the end of the investigation.
“We’re going to investigate, and when we investigate, we’ll take it anywhere it leads,” Hegseth said in an interview with Brian Kilmeade on Fox News’s “Fox & Friends,” which Hegseth formerly co-hosted on the weekends.
EPA firing 280 staffers who fought pollution in overburdened neighborhoods
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will fire 280 staffers who worked on tackling pollution in overburdened and underserved communities and will reassign another 175.
These staffers worked in an area known as “environmental justice,” which helps communities that face a disproportionate amount of pollution exposure, especially minority or low-income communities.
Rosie O’Donnell: RFK Jr. autism remarks ‘dehumanizing’
Rosie O’Donnell, a longtime critic of President Trump, sharply criticized Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “dehumanizing” remarks about people with autism.
O’Donnell joined CNN on Tuesday to share about more about her and her nonbinary child’s move to Ireland after the election and a new documentary about the role of therapy dogs in helping people with autism.
Rubio targets democracy and human rights bureau in major shake-up
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is eliminating his department’s main bureau focused on democracy and human rights as part of a reorganization of the agency’s operations announced Tuesday.
Rubio said the moves are aimed at reducing bloat at the State Department, consolidating operations and eliminating programs the administration sees as advancing a liberal agenda. Civil rights advocates say the programs are important to promoting U.S. values of freedom and democracy.
Read the full story here.
Watch live: RFK Jr. unveils new food dye bans
Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is expected to unveil a plan Tuesday to remove eight petroleum-based synthetic dies from the country’s food supply — the latest move in his pursuit to “Make America Healthy Again.”
Trump ordered to give some Venezuelans 21 days’ notice before deportations
A federal judge in Colorado ordered the Trump administration on Tuesday to provide Venezuelan migrants in the state 21 days’ notice before deporting them under the Alien Enemies Act.
The order only applies to migrants housed within Colorado but nonetheless deals a blow to the administration, which in some cases elsewhere was providing migrants 24 hours’ or less notice before seeking to remove them under a law it has used to transport migrants to a prison in El Salvador.
Watch live: Bondi convenes first meeting of Trump’s anti-Christian bias task force
Attorney General Pam Bondi will lead the first meeting of the White House task force assigned to “eradicate anti-Christan bias,” just days after the Easter holiday.
The panel will address what President Trump described during February’s National Prayer Breakfast as attacks on religious liberty and on Christians in particular.
White House: Trump has ‘the right’ to criticize Fed
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt argued President Trump has the right to criticize the Federal Reserve, after he has launched attacks on Chair Jerome Powell and pressured him to lower interest rates.
“I think the president made his position on the Fed and Powell quite clear. The president believes they have been making moves and taking action in the name of politics rather in the name of what is right for the American economy,” she said.
“The president has the right to express his displeasure with the Fed, and he has the right to say he believes interest rates should be lower. He believes Americans should be able to borrow money cheaper than they are right now,” Leavitt continued.
She also reiterated that Trump thinks interest rates should be lower, saying he has “made that quite clear.”
Supreme Court appears inclined to rule for parents seeking opt-outs for LGBTQ-themed instruction
The Supreme Court appeared inclined Tuesday to side with a group of parents objecting to their school district including books with LGBTQ themes in its elementary school curriculum.
Across 2.5 hours of arguments, a majority of the justices sympathized with the Montgomery County, Md., parents’ claims that the lack of an opt-out option substantially burdens their First Amendment rights to freely exercise their religion.
“What is the big deal about allowing them to opt out of this?” conservative Justice Samuel Alito asked.
Hegseth says chief of staff moving to new role amid DOD tumult
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a recent interview that his chief of staff Joe Kasper is moving to a new role within the Pentagon amid the ongoing tumult at the Department of Defense (DOD), which fired three of his top aides last week.
“Joe is a great guy, great American. He has done a fantastic job for us at the Defense Department, securing the southwest border, getting a beachhead here at the Pentagon,” Hegseth said during a Tuesday morning appearance on “Fox & Friends.”
White House ‘setting the stage’ for deal with China
The White House said Tuesday it was “setting the stage” for a potential trade deal with China as it seeks to signal negotiations could be ramping up between the world’s two largest economies.
“We’re doing very well in respect to a potential trade deal with China,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters, relaying comments from Trump.
“And the president and the administration are setting the stage for a deal with China,” she added. “So we feel everyone involved wants to see a trade deal happen, and the ball is moving in the right direction.”
Dates set for Trump’s Middle East trip
The dates for President Trump’s trip to the Middle East have been set.
During Tuesday’s press briefing, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said he would visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirate from May 13-16.
Trump told reporters on March 6 that he planned to visit Saudi Arabia “over the next month and a half.”
It was meant to be the president’s first foreign trip. However, Trump and first lady Melania Trump are now planning to travel to Rome for Pope Francis’s funeral.
Hegseth pulled strike information from secure military channel for Signal posts: Report
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pulled information he shared on Signal group chats from secure messages from a top American general in the Middle East, NBC News reported Tuesday.
The sensitive military details, which he shared using his personal phone, were initially sent to Hegseth by U.S. Central Command head Army Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla minutes before U.S. fighter jets took off for strikes against the Iranian-backed Houthis, three U.S. officials told NBC News.
Schumer demands details on DOGE savings claims
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is demanding proof of the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) savings claims, accusing DOGE and the linked Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in a letter of “stubbornly refus(ing) to release any information” about at least one of the canceled contracts that allegedly cut federal spending by millions.
“The lack of cooperation from both agencies is troubling,” Schumer wrote in the Tuesday letter to OPM Director Charles Ezell. “The public has a right to access documents concerning DOGE’s reported savings. Such documents must be readily available to ensure these claimed savings are real, legitimate and truly beneficial to taxpayers.”
Watch live: White House holds briefing amid Trump, Supreme Court immigration scuffle
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will brief reporters Tuesday afternoon as President Trump and the Supreme Court tango over his sweeping immigration agenda — including using the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to speed up deportations.
The nation’s highest court moved early Saturday to halt the administration’s ability to use the 18th-century law to fly migrants to El Salvador.
Watch live here.
EU chief: ‘Countries lining up to work with us’ amid Trump tariffs
Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said in a Politico report published Tuesday that “countries are lining up to work with us” amid economic anxiety around President Trump’s tariffs.
“In a more and more unpredictable global environment, countries are lining up to work with us,” von der Leyen told Politico, with the European leader saying countries were seeking “strong, reliable partners.”
Clooney predicts Democrats will win back House
George Clooney is predicting Democrats will regain control of the House in next year’s midterm elections, saying a win will serve as a “check and balance on power.”
“I think we’ll get the House back in a year and a half,” Clooney, the star of Broadway’s “Good Night, and Good Luck,” and one of Hollywood’s most prominent Democratic supporters and fundraisers, said in an interview with Variety published Tuesday.
The GOP currently has a razor-thin majority in the House, with 220 Republicans, 213 Democrats and two vacancies in districts previously held by Democrats.