Trump expected to announce reciprocal tariffs
Trump is expected to speak to reporters about new reciprocal tariffs in a few minutes, at 1pm ET.
Though he hasn’t given much detail about these new tariffs, Trump has said he sees reciprocal tariffs being “where a country pays so much or charges us so much and we do the same”.
“They charge us, we charge them,” Trump said, during a press conference with Japanese prime minister Shigaru Ishiba.
A little refresher on the tariffs that Trump has already put in place: there is a new 10% tariff on all imports from China and a global 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports. Trump paused 25% tariffs that were supposed to apply to all Canadian and Mexican imports until 4 March.
Key events
Joan E Greve
Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican of South Carolina, defended his vote in support of Robert F Kennedy‘s nomination to lead the department of health and human services, as Democrats condemned the new cabinet member over his past anti-vaccine comments.
“Every president deserves their team,” Graham said in a statement. “I look forward to working with RFK Jr to improve our quality of life and health in America.”
Graham and 51 other Senate Republicans pushed Kennedy’s nomination across the finish line, as Mitch McConnell of Kentucky joined every Senate Democrat in opposing his confirmation.
We’re still waiting on Trump to announce his slate of new tariffs. Keep in mind that the announcement was originally promised for Tuesday or Wednesday, and had to be pushed back.
Trump said earlier today that “TODAY IS THE BIG ONE” and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed earlier this morning that Trump would be speaking at 1pm and said that “this is something he believes strongly in”.
But still, precise details on what these tariffs would be have been vague. Trump trade advisers Peter Navarro even told CNN that the announcement could be an investigation into how to implement reciprocal tariffs.
Trump expected to announce reciprocal tariffs
Trump is expected to speak to reporters about new reciprocal tariffs in a few minutes, at 1pm ET.
Though he hasn’t given much detail about these new tariffs, Trump has said he sees reciprocal tariffs being “where a country pays so much or charges us so much and we do the same”.
“They charge us, we charge them,” Trump said, during a press conference with Japanese prime minister Shigaru Ishiba.
A little refresher on the tariffs that Trump has already put in place: there is a new 10% tariff on all imports from China and a global 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports. Trump paused 25% tariffs that were supposed to apply to all Canadian and Mexican imports until 4 March.
Progressives blast House GOP plan for big spending cuts, bigger tax cuts
Joan E Greve
Progressive lawmakers are lambasting House Republicans’ newly released budget blueprint, which calls for slashing federal funding by $2tn and cutting taxes by $4.5tn.
On a press call hosted by the group Families Over Billionaires this morning, representative Greg Casar, a Democrat of Texas and chair of the congressional progressive caucus, described Republicans’ proposal as a “theft from working class Americans to hand our money over to the ultra-rich”.
“House Republicans will take health care and food from people who need it in order to give massive tax breaks to billionaires,” Casar said. “Republicans are picking a fight with working Americans, and that’s a fight I believe Republicans are doomed to lose.”
Given Republicans’ razor-thin majority, it remains very unclear whether they will be able to advance their budget proposal, as hard-right lawmakers are demanding more spending cuts and Democrats appear unified in their opposition to the plan.
The White House said it was targeting 5% to 10% of the federal workforce accepting a buyout, which would have amounted to hundreds of thousands of buyout acceptances.
Still, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt in brief comments to reporters on Thursday morning appeared to say that White House “hit the numbers we wanted” after the office of personnel management announced 75,000 federal employees accepted buyout offers.
“That’s going to save millions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and that’s exactly what we wanted,” Leavitt said.
On Wednesday, a federal judge lifted a pause to the program, nicknamed “Fork in the Road”, after the labor union representing federal employees sued the Trump administration for lack of standing.
The buyout offer was sent to the 2.3 million employees working for the federal government. Those working for the military or the US Postal Service were excluded from the program.
Joan E Greve
Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat of Massachusetts, attacked her Republican colleagues for confirming Robert F Kennedy Jr as the next secretary of health and human services.
“Putting Kennedy in charge of the nation’s public health is a huge mistake,” Warren said in a new statement.
“When dangerous diseases resurface and people can’t access lifesaving vaccines, all Americans will suffer. And thanks to his serious, unresolved conflicts of interest, RFK Jr’s family could continue getting richer from his anti-vaccine crusade while he’s in office.”
Warren raised serious concerns about Kennedy’s potential conflicts of interest during his confirmation hearings, but every Senate Republican, except for Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, still supported his nomination.
Polio survivor Mitch McConnell says he opposed Kennedy over vaccine views
Former Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell said he refused to vote for the confirmation of Robert F Kennedy Jr as health secretary over his skepticism of vaccines.
“I’m a survivor of childhood polio. In my lifetime, I’ve watched vaccines save millions of lives from devastating diseases across America and around the world. I will not condone the relitigation of proven cures, and neither will millions of Americans who credit their survival and quality of life to scientific miracles,” said McConnell, the lone Republican to vote against confirming Kennedy.
“Individuals, parents, and families have a right to push for a healthier nation and demand the best possible scientific guidance on preventing and treating illness. But a record of trafficking in dangerous conspiracy theories and eroding trust in public health institutions does not entitle Mr. Kennedy to lead these important efforts.”
This is the second time in as many days that McConnell has opposed one of Trump’s nominees. Yesterday, he voted against confirming Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence, again the sole Republican to do so.
Robert F Kennedy Jr confirmed as health secretary
The Senate has confirmed Robert F Kennedy Jr as secretary of health and human services, with Republican lawmakers ignoring Democrat’s objections over his embrace of conspiracy theories around vaccines and nutrition.
The vote broke nearly along party lines, with 52 Republicans in favor, and 48 Democrats opposed. Former GOP leader Mitch McConnell was the sole Republican to vote no.
Senate judiciary committee advances Kash Patel’s nomination to lead FBI
The Senate judiciary committee has voted advance Kash Patel’s nomination for FBI director, despite concerns from Democrats that he would use the bureau to investigate Donald Trump’s opponents.
The vote broke along party lines, with all 12 Republicans voting in favor, and all 10 Democrats against. Patel must now be confirmed by the full Senate.
Joan E Greve
Democratic senators held the floor from yesterday into the early hours of this morning to voice their outrage over the nomination of Robert F Kennedy Jr as the next secretary of health and human services.
In a floor speech delivered after midnight, Senator Adam Schiff, a Democrat of California, warned that Kennedy would not “make America healthy again,” as he and Donald Trump have promised.
“But his ignorance of science might make people sick again, might deprive them of the treatment they need again, might cause hospitals to close again, might discourage young people from entering the sciences again,” Schiff said.
“He just might. We cannot confirm a man who so willingly endeavors to be the enemy of the truth when it comes to our health. We need to vote like our lives depend on it because, for a great many Americans, it will.”
As she held the floor yesterday, Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat of Massachusetts, argued that Americans “didn’t vote to bring back measles,” attacking Kennedy over his past anti-vaccine comments.
“Kennedy’s actions speak louder than his latest words,” Warren said. “And time and time again, Kennedy has shown us who he is: an anti-science conspiracy peddler who is willing to gamble with American lives. We know who he is; we need to pay attention.”
Hegseth to hold press conference at meeting of Nato defense ministers
Defense secretary Pete Hegseth is set to take questions in a few minutes from Brussels, where he’s been meeting with his counterparts from Nato allies.
Hegseth is sure to be asked about Donald Trump’s announcement yesterday that he has agreed to negotiate with Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine. We have a separate live blog covering the press conference (and European news in general), and you can follow it here:
Senate begins voting to confirm Robert F Kennedy Jr as top US health administrator
The Senate has started voting on Robert F Kennedy’s nomination to lead the department of health and human services.
He is expected to be confirmed by a party line vote in the Republican-controlled chamber. Democrats have vowed to reject Kennedy for his embrace of conspiracy theories, including several dealing with the efficacy of vaccines:
