Trump congratulates Tulsi Gabbard as she’s sworn in to be intelligence head: Live updates – UK Times

Brazil’s Vice President Geraldo Alckmin on Wednesday urged “caution” and stated that the South American nation would seek dialogue with the United States following President Donald Trump’s decision to impose a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports.

Speaking to reporters in Brasilia, Alckmin expressed that Brazil was open to dialogue and would reach out to the Trump administration, suggesting that quotas could serve as a viable alternative.

The South American country is one of the largest sources of U.S. steel imports; however, Alckmin noted that overall, the U.S. maintains a trade surplus with Brazil, emphasizing that this indicates that Latin America’s largest economy is “not the problem.”

With reporting from Reuters

President Donald Trump said that he may sign an order on Wednesday to impose reciprocal tariffs on every country that charges duties on U.S. imports.

“I may do it later on, or I may do it tomorrow morning, but we’ll be signing reciprocal tariffs,” Trump said to reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday.

At the White House briefing earlier in the day, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president could announce his plan before he meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“I do believe it will come before the prime minister’s visit tomorrow,” Leavitt told reporters.

She added, “I will let the president discuss the details on the reciprocal tariff front, but this is something he believes strongly in.”

We are witnessing in real time the magnitude of the changes radiating out of the United States – and the aftershocks will be felt across Europe.

Despite controlling both the Senate and House of Representatives, congressional Republicans are finding it difficult to advance President Donald Trump’s tax-cut agenda.

On Wednesday, House Republicans revealed a plan to cut taxes by $4.5 trillion over ten years, raise the debt ceiling by $4 trillion, and identify $2 trillion in mandatory spending cuts over 10 years. The plan did not specify which programs would be affected, but it may impact Medicaid, Social Security, and Medicare.

House Republicans hold a narrow majority of 218-215, divided among lawmakers from Democratic states who are pushing for a larger federal tax deduction for state and local tax payments, hardliners insisting on corresponding spending cuts, and centrists worried about the potential negative impacts of those cuts in their home districts.

These divisions may hinder the caucus’s ability to secure the near-unanimity needed to pass a measure extending the 2017 tax cuts, which were a significant legislative achievement of Trump’s first presidential term.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, who has frequently depended on Democratic support to pass legislation over the past year, expressed confidence in his ability to secure the votes.

With reporting from Reuters

The numbers reveal that following inflation’s steady decline in 2023 and for large parts of last year, it has been above the Federal Reserve’s goal of two percent for about the last six months.

After she was sworn by Attorney General Pam Bondi in the Oval Office before President Donald Trump, newly-minted director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard made brief remarks:

Mr. President, first and foremost, I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for the trust that you have placed in me to fulfill this critical position as director of national intelligence at any time, but specifically during this time.

Unfortunately, the American people have very little trust in the intelligence community, largely because they’ve seen the weaponization and politicization of an entity that is supposed to be purely focused on ensuring our national security.

So I look forward to being able to help fulfill that mandate that the American people delivered to you very clearly in this election to refocus our intelligence community by empowering the great patriots who have chosen to serve our country in this way and focus on ensuring the safety, security and freedom of the American people.

As you said, Mr. President, this is what I’ve dedicated my life to, and it is truly humbling to be in this position to serve in your administration help to rebuild that trust and ultimately to keep the American people safe.

Last thing I’ll mention is that in your National Prayer Breakfast speech, you made a statement about your legacy of wanting to be remembered as a peacemaker. I know that I can speak for many of my fellow service members who are here today, veterans, Medal of Honor recipients, how deeply that resonates with us.

For those who volunteer to put their lives on the line when duty calls, but to have a president, commander in chief, who recognizes the cost of that sacrifice and ensuring that war is the last resort, not the first. So thank you for your leadership. On behalf of my friends here and all who wear the uniform, we’re grateful.

Giving details of his phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump says they spoke for an hour and that Putin “wants peace,” almost three years after he invaded Ukraine.

“I think I could say with great confidence: he wants to see it end,” Trump said of the conflict.

The president added that a proposed meeting between him and Putin would likely take place in Saudi Arabia.

Asked about defense secretary Pete Hegseth’s comments in Brussels about it being unlikely that Ukraine becomes a member of NATO, Trump said: “I’m ok with that,” adding: “I don’t think it’s practical.”

The U.S. will still send aid to Ukraine, said Trump, “but we want it secured,” Trump said.

“There’s nobody like her for the job,” President Donald Trump says of Tulsi Gabbard before Attorney General Pam Bondi administers the oath of office, making Gabbard the director of national intelligence.