IRS workforce ‘could halve’ after Trump hails cuts to federal staffing in marathon Congress speech – US politics stay

A day after Donald Trump imposed economically disruptive tariffs on Canada and Mexico, commerce secretary Howard Lutnick instructed Bloomberg Tv the president will decide in regards to the levies this afternoon.

Lutnick’s feedback have been unclear, however appeared to indicate the president might supply some reduction to merchandise impacted by the duties, which many economists concern will disrupt commerce and lift costs for American customers.

“The president is thinking about it. He’s thinking about autos. He’s thinking about USMCA,” Lutnick mentioned, referring to the free commerce settlement with Mexico and Canada negotiated throughout his first time period. “He’s going to come up with a plan this afternoon. We’re going to announce that plan.”

Right here’s extra on the potential impacts of the tariffs:

Democrats panned Donald Trump’s first prime-time speech to Congress since returning to the White Home as response to the deal with revealed a rustic nonetheless deeply break up on political traces and an opposition get together uncertain of tips on how to take care of his radical agenda.

The Democrats’ exclusion from the corridors of powers – Democrats are within the minority in each the Senate and Home of Representatives – has left them with restricted choices on tips on how to successfully reply to Trump’s hardline 1hr 40min oration that amounted to a celebration of his purported achievements throughout his six weeks again in workplace.

A few of the get together’s rising stars, together with Chris Murphy, a vocal senator from Connecticut, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the progressive consultant from New York, protested by staying away.

Those that attended confirmed their displeasure by turning their backs on Trump as he spoke and holding up placards with messages like “No kings”, “Save Medicaid” and “Musk steals” in reference to the main authorities cost-cutting position being performed by the billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk.

The protest was disparagingly in comparison with bingo indicators by one usually sympathetic commentator, Symne Sanders-Townsend, a bunch on the MSNBC channel.

“Why are democrats just sitting there? The signs are not landing. It is giving bingo! Sigh,” she posted on X.

The viewers of silent, grim-faced Democrats – a few of them holding Ukrainian flags or sporting clothes within the nation’s colors – offered Trump with the proper prop to troll them in actual time.

Michigan senator Elissa Slotkin adopted Donald Trump’s record-long joint congressional deal with on Tuesday by specializing in the chance of a declining democracy, instantly difficult residents to take an lively position in holding elected officers accountable – herself included.

The primary-term Democratic senator, who represents a state gained by the president, defined how preserving democracy requires fixed, lively participation from voters.

“Our democracy, our very system of government, has been the aspiration of the world, and right now it’s at risk,” Slotkin mentioned within the official Democratic response. “It’s at risk when the president decides you can pick and choose what rules you want to follow, when he ignores court orders and the constitution itself, or when elected leaders stand by and just let it happen.”

The primary-term senator outlined a three-step method for residents: staying knowledgeable, monitoring elected representatives’ voting data, and actively organizing round points that matter to any given particular person. She framed citizen oversight as “American as apple pie”.

Robert Mackey

Donald Trump’s marathon deal with to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday was plagued by false claims, a lot of them falsehoods he has beforehand acknowledged, been corrected on, and continued to repeat regardless.

Listed below are among the principal statements he made which are simply not true:

The Trump administration has listed over 300 buildings on the market in an additional transfer to intestine the federal authorities. It describes the properties as “not core to government operations”.

In a posting to US normal companies administration web site, the administration says the 320 properties throughout a number of states are “designated for disposal”.

It says:

We’re figuring out buildings and services that aren’t core to authorities operations, or non-core properties for disposal. Promoting ensures that taxpayer {dollars} are now not spent on vacant or underutilized federal areas. Disposing of those belongings helps get rid of pricey upkeep and permits us to reinvest in high-quality work environments that assist company missions.

There was some early response on Wednesday morning from Denmark to the portion of Donald Trump’s deal with to Congress on Tuesday which addressed his need to broaden the US to incorporate Greenland.

The Danish overseas minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, talking in Helsinki, mentioned that “the most important part of that speech” was when the US president mentioned his nation will “respect the right to Greenlandic self-determination”.

Acknowledging that Denmark and the US have a standard curiosity with america with reference to safety within the Arctic, he mentioned: “We are ready to work with our American friends on achieving that, but of course it would be based on the fact that we have a kingdom of Denmark.”

Denmark has mentioned Greenland will not be on the market. Opinion polls counsel that the majority Greenlanders oppose becoming a member of the US, but in addition want finally to achieve independence from Denmark.

In his deal with to Congress, Trump mentioned:

I even have a message tonight for the unimaginable folks of Greenland. We strongly assist your proper to find out your personal future. And for those who select, we welcome you into the US.

We’d like Greenland for nationwide safety and even worldwide safety. And we’re working with all people concerned to try to get it. However we’d like it actually for worldwide world safety. And I feel we’re going to get it – come what may, we’re going to get it.

We are going to maintain you protected. We are going to make you wealthy. And collectively, we’ll take Greenland to heights like you may have by no means thought potential earlier than. It’s a really small inhabitants however very, very giant piece of land and really, crucial for navy safety.

French president Emmanuel Macron is contemplating travelling once more to Washington together with Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and UK prime minister Keir Starmer to fulfill US president Donald Trump, authorities spokesperson Sophie Primas mentioned on Wednesday.

Primas was chatting with reporters after the weekly assembly of the French cupboard.

Our video staff has put collectively this set of clips from Donald Trump’s deal with to Congress.

Welcome to the Guardian’s stay protection of US politics and the Donald Trump administration. I’m Tom Ambrose.

We begin with information that the Inside Income Service (IRS) is contemplating lowering its workforce by as a lot as 50%, in accordance with experiences. The company has already laid off about 7,000 of its 90,000 workers since Donald Trump got here to energy.

Federal companies have been given till 13 March to formulate price and workers discount plans and submit them to the White Home.

Related Press experiences that, in accordance with two nameless sources conversant in IRS plans, it’s proposing “a mix of layoffs, attrition and incentivized buyouts” will ship the large lower in headcount.

John Koskinen, a former IRS commissioner, has mentioned that cuts on this scale would render the IRS “dysfunctional”.

In his marathon deal with to Congress final night time, a jocular Donald Trump touted his administration’s “swift and unrelenting action” and praised the work of his billionaire adviser Elon Musk, who has led his administration’s efforts to dramatically downsize the federal authorities by way of his so-called “department of government efficiency”. Democratic lawmakers protested with placards that learn “lies” and “false” by way of the speech, which lasted an hour and 40 minutes.

You may learn our story right here

• The president’s speech was plagued by false claims he has beforehand been corrected on however continues to repeat – listed below are a few of these “facts” checked

• He doubled down on his expansionist rhetoric, saying the administration was within the means of “reclaiming the Panama canal” and repeating his risk to take management of Greenland: “One way or the other, we’re going to get it”. The president has additionally not too long ago acknowledged that the US will “own” the Gaza Strip

• The greenback has fallen to the bottom degree since November, after Trump mentioned his new tariffs will trigger “a little disturbance” in his Congress speech

• Responding to Trump’s speech, Sen Elissa Slotkin of Michigan mentioned that Ronald Reagan “must be rolling in his grave” after final week’s Oval Workplace spat with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Trump “cozying up to dictators like Vladimir Putin”, and asserted that Trump would have “lost” the chilly conflict

• Democratic Rep Al Inexperienced of Texas was ejected for an outburst throughout Trump’s speech. He later instructed the media “It’s worth it to let people know that there are some of us who are going to stand up against this president”

• The Trump administration has listed over 300 federal buildings on the market. It describes the properties as “not core to government operations”