The Latest: Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump’s federal funding freeze
A federal judge has temporarily blocked a Trump administration freeze on federal grants and loans that could total trillions of dollars and cause disruptions in health care research, education programs and other initiatives.
The White House announced plans to enforce the pause on federal grants and loans Tuesday as President Donald Trump’s administration begins an across-the-board ideological review of its spending. The move was defended by Karoline Leavitt, the youngest person to serve as White House press secretary, who made her debut in the briefing room Tuesday.
Democrats were pushing back, with attorneys general announcing a lawsuit asking a federal judge to block the Republican president’s moves.
Here’s the latest:
Trump hamstrings anti-discrimination agency
Trump fired the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s Charlotte Burrows and Vice Chair Jocelyn Samuels late Monday night, according to Tuesday statements from both women.
The EEOC is comprised of five commissioners and enforces federal laws that prohibit discrimination in the workplace. With one existing vacancy, this move cuts the EEOC down to two commissioners, rendering it unable to reach a quorum.
Samuels, originally appointed by Trump in 2020 and then again nominated by Biden for a second term, said the move “violates the law, and represents a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of the EEOC as an independent agency.”
Burrows, who served under Presidents Obama, Trump, and Biden and whose term was set to expire in 2028, retained attorneys Lisa Banks and Debra Katz following her removal. Banks said Trump’s decision “will weaken the civil rights protections afforded American workers in workplaces across the country.”
Federal workers union head says Trump’s buyout offers will ‘cause chaos’
Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, says the number of civil servants hasn’t meaningfully changed since 1970, but there are more Americans than ever who rely on government services.
He says in a statement that purging the federal government of dedicated career federal employees will have “vast, unintended consequences.”
Kelley says the offer should not be viewed as voluntary. He says between the “flurry of anti-worker” executive orders and policies, it’s clear the Trump administration’s goal is to turn the federal government into “a toxic environment where workers cannot stay even if they want to.”
Rubio grants foreign aid suspension waiver for all life-saving assistance
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has signed a waiver to allow U.S. foreign aid to continue to be spent on “life-saving” humanitarian assistance while other programs are suspended pending a review.
Rubio’s order signed Tuesday allows the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development to at least temporarily keep spending money for programs that provide life-saving medicine, medical services, food, shelter and subsistence assistance, according to a copy obtained by The Associated Press.
It also allows for money to be spent on supplies and “reasonable” administrative costs. The waiver expands the exemptions from the freeze from what had previously been only emergency food aid.
Rubio’s waiver does not cover programs that deal with abortion, family planning, conferences or anything related to diversity, equity and inclusion or gender-affirming care.
Trump offers all federal workers a buyout with 8 months’ pay in effort to shrink size of government
The White House on Tuesday began offering buyouts worth eight months of salary to all federal employees who opt to leave their jobs by Feb. 6 — part of President Donald Trump’s unprecedented overhaul of the U.S. government.
A memo from the Office of Personnel Management, the government’s human resources agency, lists four directives that it says Trump is mandating for the federal workforce, including that most workers return to their offices full-time.
It includes a “deferred resignation letter” for federal employees wishing to participate.
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This item has been corrected to show that the offer is eight months’ salary, not seven.
Democratic state attorneys general bring lawsuit against Trump administration
Just minutes after a federal judge in Washington blocked the funding freeze, Democratic state attorneys generals brought their own lawsuit against the Trump administration.
The lawsuit, filed by 22 states and the District of Columbia in federal court in Rhode Island, criticized the administration for implementing the freeze before it was to take effect at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Cutting off federal funding and grants threatened states ability to provide “essential benefits for residents, pay public employees, satisfy obligations, and carry on the important business of government,” the lawsuit said.
Native American Rights Fund leader says federal funding freeze will negatively impact tribal nations
John Echohawk, executive director of the Native American Rights Fund, in a statement said tribal nations, “more so than almost any other community, will be negatively impacted” by a freeze on federal funding.
“Tribal Nations rely on federal funding to address essential needs, including public safety, healthcare, education, infrastructure, and the basic needs of our most vulnerable citizens,” he said. “The United States has a unique government-to-government obligation to Tribal Nations. Because of this unique relationship, Tribal Nations and Native people are especially and disproportionately affected by any federal actions like today’s funding freeze.
“The United States must fulfill its trust obligation to protect Tribal treaty rights, lands, assets, and resources. Withholding federal funding without consultation is a step in the wrong direction.”
He said the money being withheld is taxpayer dollars. “Through Congress, we, the people, have made decisions about how we want our money spent. To withhold our money from us without reason or warning is illegal and immoral.”
Echohawk said his group is investigating the impacts a pause could have and weighing possible legal action.
Walz slams Trump for the funding freeze, says he will join in suing for an injunction
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz slammed President Donald Trump for the funding freeze, while Attorney General Keith Ellison said he would be joining with other Democratic attorneys general in suing for an injunction to block the president’s action.
Walz, who was the Kamala Harris’ running mate in the 2024 election, said Trump did not get a mandate for such draconian action.
“I understand that the people voted and, Kamala Harris and I lost an election to Donald Trump,” he said. “Seventy-seven million people voted for him. That’s 23% of the population. That is not a mandate to squash the Constitution. It’s not a mandate to break the law. It’s not a mandate to throw out all of the things that we know make this country work well.”
Walz and Ellison spoke at a news conference at a St. Paul YMCA that depends on the kind of federal funding for children’s education programs that is now at risk.
Walz, a former congressman, also blasted “the sycophants in Congress” who are supporting Trump’s action.
Ellison, who’s also a former congressman, said Trump’s order is unconstitutional and oversteps his legal authority.
Scott Bessent is sworn into his role as treasury secretary
South Carolina investor Scott Bessent was sworn into his role as treasury secretary on Tuesday by Supreme Court Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh.
His first day of work included meetings with senior Treasury officials, according to a Treasury news release.
He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on a 68-to-29 vote, Monday, with 16 Democrats voting in favor of making him the nation’s 79th treasury secretary.
Bessent’s position puts him on a delicate balancing act of cutting taxes and curbing deficits while putting forward a plan on tariffs that doesn’t jeopardize growth.
The treasury secretary is responsible for serving as the president’s fiscal policy adviser and managing the public debt. He is also a member of the president’s National Economic Council.
Among his responsibilities will be investigating the feasibility of creating an External Revenue Service to collect tariff revenue from other nations.
Homeland Security secretary talks to agency staff for first time; no mention of immigration
The new Secretary of Homeland Security says the agency will “do everything we can to protect the American people” as she addresses the agency’s staff for the first time.
“We do have challenges. The world is a dangerous place. We’ve got dangerous people, foreign governments that want to take us down,” said Kristi Noem. She made no mention of the agency’s role in immigration or border security during her address to the agency’s 260,000 staff Tuesday.
Noem started out her day in New York to watch immigration enforcement operations.
The secretary oversees key agencies with responsibility for immigration and border security including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection.
Senate Democrats denounce Trump’s Jan. 6 assault pardons
Senate Democrats are pushing a resolution that condemns President Donald Trump for pardoning Jan. 6 rioters who were found guilty of assaulting police officers at the Capitol, but their effort was halted by Republican leadership.
Every Senate Democrat signed onto the resolution earlier this week, and the caucus tried Tuesday to speed it through the Senate through the unanimous consent process. However, Sen. John Barrasso, the no. 2 Senate Republican leader, objected to passage of the bill.
He said that instead Democrats should focus on former President Joe Biden’s “abuse of pardon powers” for granting pardons to family members and members of the congressional committee that investigated the Jan. 6 insurrection, as well as clemency for those convicted of crimes.
Still, Democrats took to the Senate floor with a series of speeches to decry Trump’s pardons.
Trump signs executive order aimed at curtailing gender transitions for kids
President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order aimed at curtailing gender transitions for people under age 19.
It’s the latest push by Trump to reverse policies set by the Biden administration to protect transgender people and their care. On Monday, Trump directed the Pentagon to conduct a review that is likely to lead to them being barred from military service.
The order directs that federally-run insurance programs, including TRICARE for military families and Medicaid, exclude coverage for such care, and calls on the Department of Justice to vigorously pursue litigation and legislation to oppose the practice.
Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump administration freeze on federal grants and loans
A federal judge has temporarily blocked a Trump administration freeze on federal grants and loans that could total trillions of dollars.
U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan blocked the action Tuesday afternoon, minutes before it was set to go into effect. The administrative stay pauses the freeze until Monday.
The White House had planned to start the pause as they begin an across-the-board ideological review of federal spending.
There are about 1,600 US active duty troops now at the border
As of Tuesday, the total number of U.S. active duty troops at the border is now about 1,600. That is a slight uptick from the 1,500 that was initially expected to go and just represents the total number that ended up deploying in order to meet the first deployment order and the required mission.
Officials said that there are still about 500 Marines, but the number of Army soldiers went up a little bit. No additional deployments have been ordered by the Pentagon so far.
Vance to sit down with Fox News’ Hannity
Vice President JD Vance will sit down with Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Wednesday. It comes one week after Hannity sat down in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump on his second full day on the job.
The interview will be taped earlier in the day in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, where Vance’s office is located, and will air at 9 p.m. Eastern.
White House confirms website for Medicaid payments is down
The website that states use to get Medicaid payments from the federal government is down, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a X social media post.
She said that states would still have their payments processed. The outage, which occurred just after the White House ordered a pause on federal grants, raises concerns that billions in Medicaid funding would be cut off.
Leavitt said “no payments have been affected” and “the portal will be back online shortly.”
Democrats begin to protest Trump nominees over federal freeze
Senate Democrats were scrambling Tuesday to respond to Trump’s federal assistance freeze, holding impromptu press conferences and media availability to get the word out about the “unconstitutionality” of what the administration was doing. Among the tactics being deployed is protesting the president’s Cabinet nominees.
Democratic Sens. Chris Coons and others voted against Transportation secretary nominee Sean Duffy on Tuesday after voting to proceed with his confirmation the day before.
“However, in light of President Trump’s disastrous and illegal order last night to freeze all federal aid, including millions for those very transportation investments, I could not support Mr. Duffy’s nomination or any of President Trump’s nominees for the duration this directive is in place,” the Delaware lawmaker wrote in a statement. “President Trump has tried to defy Congress’s constitutional appropriations role. He cannot defy our advice and consent role.”
New York AG says funding freeze already having an effect on vital programs
At a news conference announcing a lawsuit aimed at blocking the pause, Attorney General Letitia James said Head Start funding was frozen in Michigan, access to child development block grants was cut off in Maryland and at least 20 states have been unable to access Medicaid reimbursement systems, including New York.
“There is no question this policy is reckless, dangerous, illegal and unconstitutional,” said James, who was joined on the call by five other Democratic state attorneys general.
James said the lawsuit, being filed Tuesday in Manhattan federal court, will seek a temporary restraining order to restart the flow of federal funding.
GOP chairman questions Trump about inspector general firings in a bipartisan letter
In a rare joint letter, the top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee requested for President Trump to provide “substantive rationale” behind his decision Friday to dismiss inspectors general for 18 offices.
The move did not provide Congress the legally required 30-day notices about the removals.
“This is a matter of public and congressional accountability and ensuring the public’s confidence in the Inspector General community, a sentiment shared more broadly by other Members of Congress,” Sens. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Dick Durbin of Illinois wrote. “IGs are critical to rooting out waste, fraud, abuse, and misconduct within the Executive Branch bureaucracy, which you have publicly made clear you are also intent on doing.”
Trump’s voters wanted the government to do less
Trump’s voters in the November election were much more likely than voters overall to say that government was doing “too many things better left to businesses and individuals,” according to AP VoteCast.
About two-thirds of his supporters said that government was too involved, whereas only about one-third said “government should do more to solve problems.”
That was not a view shared by voters overall. Slightly more than half of voters, 53%, said the government should be doing more to address issues. Only 45% said the government was doing too many things that ought to be handled by individuals.
Caroline Kennedy warns against confirming her cousin Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to lead nation’s health department
On the eve of his first confirmation hearing, she said her cousin “lacks any relevant government, financial management or medical experience” for the job.
But in a letter to the Senate committee leaders obtained by the Associated Press, Caroline Kennedy outlined personal qualities that “for me, pose even greater concern.”
The letter was first reported by The Washington Post.
Caroline Kennedy said she tries not to speak for her father, the late former president John F. Kennedy, or his brothers, Robert F. Kennedy and Edward Kennedy, but she said she believes they “would be disgusted.”
Leavitt says a White House freeze on federal aid wouldn’t affect people directly receiving aid
But during her White House press briefing, she was much less clear about what will happen to those who get indirect aid — through their states, other organizations or many other ways.
And while Leavitt said beneficiaries of programs like Social Security and Medicare would not be affected, she did not say Medicaid wouldn’t be affected.
Pressed on Medicaid payments being cut off to individuals, Leavitt said “I’ll check back on that.”
The White House subsequently said Medicaid wouldn’t be affected.
House Democratic leader to hold ‘emergency’ meeting on Trump funding freeze
In a letter to House Democrats on Tuesday, Leader Hakeem Jeffries blasted the Trump administration’s federal assistance freeze as “ripping off hardworking Americans.”
“The Republican Rip Off will raise the cost of living for the working class, while hurting children, seniors, veterans, first responders, houses of worship and everyday Americans in need,” the New York lawmaker wrote. He added that Democrats will hold an emergency caucus meeting Wednesday to discuss a “comprehensive three-pronged counteroffensive.”
New White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has wrapped up her first briefing
Leavitt took questions from reporters for nearly 50 minutes and repeatedly defended President Donald Trump on scores of issues — including immigration crackdowns and a freezing of federal funding for a bevy of programs.
She noted that, at 27, she’s the youngest-ever press secretary and said she’d been in the Oval Office speaking to Trump just before the briefing.
Leavitt was at time cautious, saying she “didn’t want to get ahead” of Trump. She also swiped at former President Joe Biden, saying he might have been sleeping upstairs at the White House as inflation rose in recent years.
The drones over New Jersey were ‘authorized’ and ‘not the enemy,’ Trump administration says
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered an update from Trump during a briefing Tuesday, saying the Federal Aviation Administration approved the flights, which captured the public’s attention over a month ago.
“After research and study, the drones that were flying over New Jersey in large numbers were authorized to be flown by the FAA for research and various other reasons,” Leavitt said. “Many of these drones were also hobbyists, recreational and private individuals that enjoy flying drones.
She added: “It got worse due to curiosity. This was not the enemy.” She said the news came directly from the president.
The drones led to widespread curiosity as well as some confusion and worry last month. State and Biden administration officials had said there was no evidence of anything nefarious with the sightings.
Trump had said the “government knows” what was happening with the drones. He said at the time, “I can’t imagine it’s the enemy because if it’s the enemy they’d blast it out.”
Meals on Wheels says the confusion over the federal aid pause puts its programs at risk
“The lack of clarity and uncertainty right now is creating chaos for local Meals on Wheels providers not knowing whether they’re going to be reimbursed for meals served today, tomorrow, who knows how long this could go on,” spokeswoman Jenny Young wrote in an email. “Which unfortunately means seniors may panic not knowing where their next meals will come from.”
The main funding for Meals on Wheels, which feeds more than 2 million seniors annually, and other senior nutrition programs is a grant distributed by the federal Administration on Aging to state governments that then send the money to individual providers.
“We need clarity now,” Young added.
State health departments are scrambling to understand effects of the Trump administration’s grant-funding memo
Spokespeople for South Carolina, Maine and Washington’s agencies said they’re still trying to determine how the federal document will affect them, including their funding.
Maine Gov. Janet Mills said in a statement that she was “deeply concerned” by the directive, which she added is “causing entirely needless chaos and confusion across Maine and the nation that will turn into real and serious harm if it continues.”
Senate Republicans are mostly offering little resistance to Trump’s pause on federal grants and loans
But they acknowledged it was a test of his power over Congressionally-approved programs and could affect their states.
Many GOP senators emphasized that the freeze was so far temporary and that they were trying to find out more about how far it would reach. Others said it was the right move.
“It makes sense to me,” said Sen. Jim Banks, a Republican from Indiana.
Still, some cautioned that backlash could grow if the freeze is prolonged or if it affects programs like disaster aid.
Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican whose state of North Carolina is recovering from tropical storms, said, “I can’t imagine that the president would knowingly cut off housing assistance for people displaced from their homes so we’ve just got to sort through it and see how they ultimately implement it.”
Trump White House adds seats for ‘new media voices’ in the briefing room
During her first media briefing Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration was opening up seats beside her podium, which had traditionally been occupied by administration staff, to “new media voices.”
Two of those seats were occupied Tuesday by Axios and Breitbart, a conservative news outlet.
Other traditional assigned seating in the room wasn’t changed.
Leavitt said more Americans are getting their news from nontraditional new sources, rather than legacy outlets who already have briefing room seats.
“I take great pride in opening up this room to new media voices,” she said.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt started the first news briefing of the new Trump presidency
She began by going through the recent arrests of unauthorized immigrants.
Dressed in a magenta pantsuit with a cross necklace, Leavitt went on Tuesday through the administration’s actions since Trump returned to the presidency last week. She said reporters have “access to the most transparent and accessible president in American history.”
Leavitt said the White House will talk much more broadly to new media outlets and will accept applications from podcasters and social media influencers to be in the briefing room. Leavitt also said people who lost their White House press passes during Joe Biden’s presidency will have their access returned.
The first question went to Mike Allen of Axios.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Trump has invited him to the White House on Feb. 4
This will make Netanyahu the first foreign leader to visit Washington in Trump’s second term.
The visit comes as the United States is pressuring Israel and Hamas to continue a ceasefire that has paused a devastating 15-month war in Gaza.
CNN’s Jim Acosta, an irritant to Trump, says he’s quitting rather than take a late-night time slot
Acosta announced his departure Tuesday at the end of his one-hour morning show on the network, telling viewers: “Don’t give in to the lies. Don’t give in to the fear.”
He didn’t specifically tie those sentiments to President Trump, but the implication was clear. CNN says its decision to move Acosta out of the daylight and into a time slot to begin at midnight Eastern time had nothing to do with politics.
Less than a half hour before Acosta’s announcement, Trump posted on social media that rumors that the anchor was leaving were good news. “Jim is a major loser who will fail no matter where he ends up,” Trump said on Truth Social.
CNN announced last week — Trump’s first week back in office — that it was shuffling its daytime lineup to move Wolf Blitzer into Acosta’s 10 a.m. ET time slot, paired with Pamela Brown. The network said it had offered Acosta a job at midnight and would move him to Los Angeles, where his show would air at 9 p.m., and also simulcast the program on CNN International.
But Acosta, who has been at CNN for 18 years, said Tuesday he had turned that down.
▶ Read more about Jim Acosta’s departure from CNN
Sean Duffy is confirmed by the Senate to lead the Transportation Department
It gives him a key role in helping President Donald Trump cut regulations and fix the nation’s infrastructure.
The former Wisconsin congressman has promised safer Boeing planes, less regulation and help for U.S. companies developing self-driving cars — while not giving any breaks to Elon Musk, a key player in that technology.
Duffy, a 53-year-old former reality TV star, was approved with bipartisan support on a 77-22 vote in the Senate.
He takes over the Department of Transportation at a crucial time at the agency, a massive employer of more than 55,000 that spends tens of billions of dollars annually, oversees the nation’s highways, railroads and airspace and sets safety standards for trains, cars and trucks.
▶ Read more about Sean Duffy
West Virginia’s GOP governor says Trump’s funding pause ‘generally is correct’
As of midday Tuesday, West Virginia Republican Gov. Patrick Morrisey said he didn’t yet have much insight into how the White House freeze on federal grants and loans would affect the state or its residents. Almost half of the state’s annual budget is made up of federal funds.
“What we’re going to do is we’re going to try to unpack that and talk with the Trump administration about that,” he said.
He then on to say “President Trump is going to be an amazing president.”
“Look, I do think what President Trump is trying to do generally is correct,” he said. “The federal government and quite frankly, the state government, has operated way beyond its means. Right? So you finally have leadership in Washington, you have leadership here in Charleston. I’m going to work just like President Trump to tackle the issues and be transparent.”
Will billions for Medicaid be halted?
Medicaid is notably not exempt from a White House directive to pause all federal grants and loans by the end of day Tuesday. Medicare and Social Security, however, were spared in the memo.
The U.S. Health and Human Services agency doles out over a half trillion dollars to states in a joint partnership to run Medicaid, the nation’s health care coverage for about 80 million of the poorest of Americans, including millions of children.
A spokesman for Illinois Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office said the state’s agencies have reported issues accessing the website used to request disbursement for Medicaid payments.
HHS did not immediately respond to questions about the spending freeze and whether Medicaid payments would continue.
By The Associated Press
