April 20, 2025 - Donald Trump presidency news

Our live coverage of Donald Trump’s presidency has ended for the day. Follow the latest updates or read through the posts below.

A view of the Pentagon on December 13, 2024, in Washington, DC.

The revelation of a second Signal chat leak involving Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth follows days of turmoil within the Pentagon.

The secretary last week fired his top adviser Dan Caldwell, deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick, and chief of staff to the deputy secretary of defense Colin Carroll, with the Pentagon citing issues with leaked security information. Hegseth also reassigned his chief of staff, Joe Kasper, who subsequently resigned.

A series of leaks about military planning for the Panama Canal and the Middle East, about a possible consolidation of the combatant commands, and about a classified China briefing for Elon Musk at the Pentagon had deeply rattled Hegseth by mid-March, sources told CNN. So he and Kasper launched a leak probe, complete with polygraph tests.

Following the press reports, Hegseth began to lash out and grew suspicious that senior military officials, as well as some of his closest advisers, were leaking to undermine him, the sources added.

Caldwell, Selnick and Carroll have denied leaking information, and Ullyot said it’s “not true” that the three men were fired for leaking sensitive information.

The recent turmoil at the agency is raising concerns among current and former Pentagon officials about Hegseth’s judgment. The secretary has not publicly commented on the recent firings or the tumult inside his office.

“Even strong backers of the secretary like me must admit: The last month has been a full-blown meltdown at the Pentagon — and it’s becoming a real problem for the administration,” Ullyot said.

Beijing has warned its trading partners against succumbing to US pressure to restrict trade with China in exchange for exemption from President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs.

Commenting on recent media reports about US plans to use tariff negotiations to isolate China’s economy, a spokesperson for China’s Commerce Ministry said on Monday: “Appeasement does not bring peace, and compromise does not earn respect.”

“Seeking temporary self-interest at the expense of others — in exchange for so-called exemptions — is like asking a tiger for its skin. In the end, it will achieve nothing and harm both others and oneself,” the spokesperson said.

On April 9, Trump paused his “reciprocal” tariffs on most countries for 90 days while narrowing the focus of his trade war squarely on China, raising levies on Chinese imports to a staggering 145%.

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that the Trump administration planned to use tariff negotiations to pressure US trading partners to limit their dealings with China, citing unnamed sources with knowledge of the conversations.

The idea is to extract commitments from US trading partners to isolate China’s economy in exchange for reductions in trade and tariff barriers imposed by the White House, including asking nations to disallow China to ship goods through their countries, prevent Chinese firms from setting up in their territories to avoid US tariffs and not absorb China’s cheap industrial goods into their economies, the WSJ reported.

A State Department official on Sunday told the federal judge overseeing the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case that the mistakenly deported man has been transferred out of El Salvador’s notorious CECOT prison, citing recent comments he made to Sen. Chris Van Hollen.

“Abrego García told Sen. Van Hollen that he had been placed in the administrative building of Centro Industrial, in a room of his own with a bed and furniture, and that he was not in a cell,” Kozak wrote.

The official’s filing comes after Van Hollen said Friday that Abrego Garcia told him he had been moved to another detention center and described being “traumatized” by his time in CECOT. Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, had traveled to the Central American nation to push for Abrego Garcia’s release.

Some context: Xinis has ordered the Trump administration to submit daily sworn statements to determine whether it is complying with her order to “facilitate” Abrego Garcia’s return.

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele proposed a prisoner exchange with Venezuela on Sunday, offering to repatriate hundreds of Venezuelans who were deported from the United States in exchange for “political prisoners.”

Bukele offered to exchange 252 Venezuelans detained in El Salvador’s mega-prison for “an identical number (252) of the thousands of political prisoners” he says Venezuela holds, including family members of opposition leaders.

While the US and El Salvador say most of the deportees held in the prison are members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and some are members of the MS-13 Salvadoran gang, officials have provided scant evidence.

Venezuela’s leader has described the deportation of more than 200 mostly Venezuelan migrants by the US as a “kidnapping” and has denied they are criminals while calling for their return.

CNN has reached out to the Venezuelan government for comment on the proposed exchange.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared detailed plans about a military operation against the Houthis in Yemen on a second Signal group chat that included his wife, lawyer and brother, three people familiar with the chat told CNN.

The revelation comes as some of Hegseth’s closest advisers have begun sounding the alarm about the secretary’s judgment, including his former press secretary John Ullyot and three former senior officials Hegseth fired last week — his top adviser Dan Caldwell, deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick, and Colin Carroll, who served as chief of staff to the deputy secretary of defense.

The second Signal chat is in addition to the one Hegseth used to communicate with Cabinet officials last month about military plans, which is now under investigation by the Defense Department’s acting inspector general. The chat was set up during the confirmation hearing process as a way for Hegseth’s closest allies to strategize, two of the people familiar with the matter said.

But Hegseth continued using the chat, which was on his personal phone, to communicate with them after he was confirmed, the people said. Similar to the first Signal chat, which was revealed publicly by The Atlantic after its editor was mistakenly included by national security adviser Mike Waltz, the military plans Hegseth shared in the second Signal chat were about strike plans against the Houthis, the people said.

Hegseth’s brother, Phil, and his lawyer, Tim Parlatore, both have jobs at the Department of Defense. But his wife, Jennifer, does not, despite Hegseth regularly including her in meetings with foreign leaders in the beginning of his tenure. It is not clear whether everyone in the second Signal chat has a security clearance.

President Donald Trump walks on the south lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on April 14.

President Donald Trump is voicing hope that Russia and Ukraine will strike an agreement ending their war this week, but uncertainty surrounds his administration’s involvement in peace efforts moving forward.

“HOPEFULLY RUSSIA AMD UKRAINE WILL MAKE A DEAL THIS WEEK. BOTH WILL THEN START TO DO BIG BUSINESS WITH THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WHICH IS THRIVING, AND MAKE A FORTUNE!” Trump wrote today on Truth Social, as he returned from a golf course he owns outside Washington.

Here’s where things stand on Ukraine peace talks:

Trump could walk away: The president warned last week he could be ready to give up on mediating a peace between the two countries, saying if either side resisted US efforts it may be time to “just take a pass.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that the US could end its involvement in peace talks within “days” if there were no signs of progress, though Trump later said there was no specific timetable for Washington pulling out of the process.

Fighting continues despite call for truce: Russian President Vladimir Putin called for a brief Easter ceasefire this weekend, but each side has accused the other of violating the truce. The Russian president’s motives for making the announcement have been sharply called into question by Kyiv and experts on the region.

Key sticking point: The Trump administration has presented a broad framework for a ceasefire deal to both countries. That plan indicates the administration’s readiness to recognize Russian control of Crimea, according to an official familiar with the framework. That would be a win for Putin, who in 2014 annexed the territory in violation of international law.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in March that his government would not recognize any occupied territories as Russian, calling that a “red line.”

The Supreme Court is seen in Washington, DC on March 17.

In recent months, President Donald Trump has invoked an 18th century wartime authority to bypass the regular process for removing people who are in the country illegally. The act is called the Alien Enemies Act.

It’s become the center of greater public attention after a Supreme Court ruling temporarily blocked deportations under the act this weekend.

What is it? The Alien Enemies Act is designed to be invoked if the US is at war with another country or at threat of invasion. It allows the government to bypass the immigration court system, deporting people without giving them a chance to make their case to stay.

The Trump administration argues that members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua have “unlawfully infiltrated the United States and are conducting irregular warfare” in the country, therefore allowing it to deport Venezuelan migrants using the act. That case has been met with skepticism by legal experts and lawsuits by rights groups.

Legal back-and-forth: Less than two weeks ago, the Supreme Court said it would allow Trump to carry out the deportations while legal challenges unfolded.

But this week, the issue bounced right back to the high court, with immigrant rights groups seeking to block the deportation of a group of Venezuelan detainees in Texas who were not covered by any previous orders.

This time — in a rare overnight order that came down early yesterday morning — the Supreme Court temporarily blocked the deportations, with conservative Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissenting.

The administration swiftly responded, saying it wanted permission to pursue other legal avenues to deport certain migrants while the challenge plays out. It also asked the court to deny the rights group’s request altogether.

What comes next: The ball remains with the Supreme Court, which said it would provide more clarity before the administration can proceed.

The high court has signaled it’s likely to say more in coming days or weeks about what will happen to the migrants at the center of several fast-moving court cases over the Alien Enemies Act playing out in courtrooms in New York, Colorado and Texas.

Just under 100 days since President Donald Trump returned to the White House, the Democratic Party is still grasping for a path forward in a Washington under unified Republican control.

The 2026 midterm elections represent an opportunity for Democrats to seize back some power in Congress and mount greater resistance to the Trump administration’s policies.

Push for Senate candidates: Next year’s midterms will bring the toughest set of Senate races Democrats have faced in decades, but party operatives and candidates across the country who spoke with CNN in recent days voiced optimism, saying strong internal poll numbers portend a major backlash to Trump.

While strategists draft preliminary plans to blast Trump on the economy and thrash Republicans as pushovers, Democratic Senate leadership has been feeling out the strength of prospective candidates and working with local leaders to find more.

Senate leaders are not alone in that recruitment effort. Sen. Bernie Sanders is using his status as a progressive icon to boost prospective candidates, and smaller groups of operatives and activists are forming quiet partnerships, eager to blow past whatever decisions come out of Washington.

Messy House debate: David Hogg, a gun safety advocate and vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, launched a push to primary “ineffective” Democratic incumbents in safe districts last week, reflecting complaints from frustrated activists but putting him at odds with party leaders.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said today that he remains focused on flipping GOP seats, telling ABC’s “This Week” that he looks forward to standing behind “every single Democratic incumbent, from the most progressive to the most centrist.”

Rep. Jason Crow, who plays a significant role in recruiting Democratic House candidates, also brushed off Hogg’s call in an interview with CNN’s Manu Raju, saying the party needs to focus on flipping Republican seats.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, on April 4.

Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick says he discussed the peace agreement the US is trying to broker in Ukraine with President Volodymyr Zelensky during his recent trip to the country.

Fitzpatrick noted that Zelensky signed a memorandum of intent on a minerals deal, designed to increase US economic and security interests in Ukraine, while he was in the country. The Republican said his talks with the Ukrainian leader focused on security guarantees that Zelensky was “rightfully concerned” about.

A now-infamous Oval Office blow-up broke out between Trump and Zelensky earlier this year as the president accused the Ukrainian leader of not being grateful for US assistance as the pair had been preparing to sign the minerals deal.

The Pennsylvania Republican, who visited Kyiv even as his party remains split over continuing aid to Ukraine, said the likelihood of a ceasefire is “entirely up to” Russian President Vladimir Putin, and cast doubt on the Russian leader’s trustworthiness in negotiations.

Asked about Trump’s warnings that he needs to see “enthusiasm” in order to continue facilitating peace talks to end the war, Fitzpatrick said, “I hope it’s directed to Russia. I think it is directed to Russia.”

Meanwhile, in Ukraine: While Putin called for a brief Easter ceasefire this weekend, each side has accused the other of violating the truce, and the Russian president’s motives for making the announcement have been sharply called into question in light of the Trump administration’s latest comments.

Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar said she believes courts should hold Trump administration officials in contempt if they defy orders, including in the case of a Salvadoran national who the administration said it mistakenly deported in March.

US District Judge Paula Xinis ruled on April 4 that the US government had to “facilitate” Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s return. The Supreme Court unanimously backed her ruling on April 10. But President Donald Trump and the Salvadoran government have said he will not be returned to the US.

And Judge James Boasberg — who ruled last week that the Trump administration showed “willful disregard” for a mid-March order temporarily halting deportation flights — was the first judge to find “probable cause exists” to hold administration officials in criminal contempt.

When asked by CNN’s Dana Bash today if she believed the courts should “hold key administration officials in contempt if they continue to defy this the Supreme Court,” Klobuchar said “yes.”

The Minnesota lawmaker accused the administration of selectively following the law to keep Abrego Garcia’s case in the news.

The Supreme Court building is seen in Washington, DC on April 4.

Conservative Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito used a scathing weekend dissent to criticize his colleagues for a temporary order issued hours earlier that halted President Donald Trump from deporting a group of Venezuelans under the Alien Enemies Act.

Alito and Thomas, who is also a member of the court’s conservative wing, made note of their dissent initially with a single line in the early Saturday morning order from the high court, which temporarily blocked the administration from moving ahead with its controversial use of the sweeping 1798 wartime law to remove the Venezuelans, who are detained in Texas.

In his full opinion, Alito wrote that the high court had acted “hastily and prematurely” to grant “unprecedented” emergency relief to the migrants.

What comes next: The writing from Alito is the latest development in a winding legal saga over Trump’s use of the wartime authority.

In asking the high court for emergency intervention, immigrant rights groups had said they were concerned the Venezuelans were in danger of being removed imminently. Trump is attempting to use the act to speed deportations and bypass the usual review processes.

The Supreme Court is now expected to issue a more formal order in the coming days about whether to allow the administration to proceed.

This post has been updated with additional background on the ruling.

Vice President JD Vance meets with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Sunday.

Pope Francis briefly met with Vice President JD Vance today before giving the traditional Easter blessing from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, which marked his highest-profile appearance yet since being discharged from hospital.

The Pope had a brief private meeting with Vance, a devout Catholic, which “provided an opportunity to exchange Easter greetings,” according to the Vatican.

The pope gifted the vice president a tie, rosaries and three chocolate Easter eggs for Vance’s three children, video released by EWTN TV, a Catholic television network, showed.

“So good to see you … You’ve not been feeling great, but it’s good to see you in better health,” the vice president can be heard saying to the Pope during their meeting. “I pray for you every day.”

A statement from the vice president’s office later expressed gratitude “for the hospitality the Vatican has extended to his family.”

Recent tensions: Today’s meeting followed discussions between the vice president and senior Vatican officials yesterday, during which an “exchange of opinions” took place concerning migrants, refugees and prisoners, according to a Vatican statement.

The vice president’s office described the meeting with Cardinal Pietro Parolin as having centered on “their shared religious faith, Catholicism in the United States, the plight of persecuted Christian communities around the world, and President Trump’s commitment to restoring world peace.”

Just before he was hospitalized in mid-February, Francis issued a rebuke of the Trump administration’s immigration policy and refuted the vice president’s use of a theological concept, the “ordo amoris” (“order of love” or “order of charity”), to defend the administration’s approach.

And after Catholic bishops criticized the Trump administration’s actions earlier this year, Vance suggested they were motivated by their “bottom line,” as the Catholic Church receives government money to help resettle immigrants.

Parolin told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica ahead of yesterday’s talks with Vance that the Trump administration is “very different from what we are used to and, especially in the West, from what we have relied on for many years.”

This post has been updated with additional details on the meeting.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum speaks at a cabinet meeting on March 24, in Washington, DC.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum compared cuts at the Department of the Interior to “emptying out the barn and deciding what should go back in” as he defended the actions of the Department of Government Efficiency today.

“And what should go back in is the stuff that actually serves the American people,” Burgum said on “Fox News Sunday.”

Burgum was defending an order that he signed earlier this week announcing a sweeping effort aimed at “unifying and consolidating” many of his department’s functions.

The interior secretary was also asked about President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, and specifically if he believes the White House can reach an agreement with China.

He told Fox’s Shannon Bream that he has a “lot of confidence” in the president’s ability to negotiate deals.

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer attends the Republican Issues Conference in Doral, Florida, on January 27.

GOP Rep. Tom Emmer, the House majority whip, declined to say today whether he supports President Donald Trump’s suggestion that US citizens convicted of crimes could be deported and imprisoned in El Salvador.

Emmer told CNN’s Dana Bash he’s focused on “what’s actually happening,” saying Trump is following through on his campaign promise of “deporting terrorists, cartel members, rapists, murderers — the worst of the worst.”

During an Oval Office meeting with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele on Monday, Trump raised the idea of sending “homegrown” criminals to El Salvador, home of a mega-prison that has raised human rights concerns. Experts have told CNN the president lacks the legal authority to deport US citizens.

Pressed again by Bash on whether he would be OK with the Trump administration attempting such a move, Emmer deflected.

“The issue that we’re dealing with is we’ve got a president who wants to protect US citizens from violence, from crime, at having their children solicited and murdered etc, versus Democrats who seem to want to protect illegal aliens in this country for whatever reason,” the Minnesota lawmaker said

Emmer also repeatedly defended the Trump administration’s handling of the case of a Maryland man mistakenly deported to El Salvador, again pointing to Trump’s broader immigration campaign promises.

President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown remains a focal point this week, including the case of a man wrongfully deported to El Salvador and the legal battle surrounding Trump’s use of a controversial 18th century wartime authority to remove migrants from the country.

If you’re catching up this morning, we’ve collected some of the other major storylines to note.

Click on the links below to read more:

• Nationwide protests: Dozens of protests were held at state capitols, courthouses and city halls in several states yesterday, with demonstrators condemning Trump’s deportations, dismantling of federal agencies and threats to higher education.

• Harvard letter sent in error: Harvard University has been in an escalating battle with the Trump administration over a letter outlining a slew of demands tied to federal funding. But the letter should not have been sent and was “unauthorized,” The New York Times reported, citing two unnamed people familiar with the matter.

• Ukraine war: Russian President Vladimir Putin called for a brief Easter ceasefire in his war with Ukraine, but each side has accused each other of violating the truce. Putin’s motives for making the announcement have been sharply called into question, given the Trump administration’s threat to abandon peace efforts if there aren’t tangible signs of progress.

• “Chaotic” tariff regime: For many small business owners, years of hard work has unraveled seemingly overnight due to Trump’s whiplash trade policy, despite their companies representing exactly what an “America First” trade agenda seems intended to protect.

• How Dems can counter Trump: Democrats face their toughest set of Senate races in decades, and their soul-searching over how to counter Trump and compete in 2026 is evident in the rush to recruit strong candidates.

President Donald Trump posted an Easter message to his Truth Social site sending wishes to “all of the people who CHEATED in the 2020 Presidential Election,” among a wide swath of others.

The message centered on “Radical Left Lunatics” and other perceived enemies, including former President Joe Biden.

“To all of the people who CHEATED in the 2020 Presidential Election in order to get this highly destructive Moron Elected, I wish you, with great love, sincerity, and affection, a very Happy Easter!!!” the president wrote.

Trump, who is at the White House this Easter Sunday, posted that message minutes after posting a message with a different tone.

“Melania and I would like to wish everyone a very Happy Easter! Whether you are heading out to Church or, watching Service from home, may this day be full of Peace and Joy for all who celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. HE IS RISEN!!” the president wrote on Truth Social.

Democratic Rep. Maxine Dexter of Oregon announced Friday that she plans to travel to El Salvador to demand the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia.

Dexter said she will release details of her trip soon.

Remember: Abrego Garcia, a citizen of El Salvador who was living with his wife and children in Maryland, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers on March 12 and deported to his home country three days later, despite a court having previously ordered that he could not be sent to El Salvador due to risk for his safety.

The Trump administration initially acknowledged Abrego Garcia was sent to the Central American country due to an “administrative error,” but has since dug in its heels in refusing to push for his return.

The announcement comes on the heels of Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland traveling to El Salvador to meet with Abrego Garcia and push for his release. Van Hollen said the man was “traumatized” by his time in El Salvador’s notorious CECOT maximum-security prison and was moved to a different facility.

A national day of action against President Donald Trump and his administration united protesters across the country yesterday, who rallied against what organizers describe as a relentless assault on democratic institutions and civil liberties.

Over 80 protests were held at state capitols, courthouses and city halls in several states as part of the “50501” demonstrations — short for 50 protests, 50 states, one movement — condemning what they describe as Trump’s executive overreach, including deportations without due process, the dismantling of federal agencies and threats to higher education.

In addition to protests, yesterday’s events saw organized food drives and donation campaigns, offering support to those most affected by the administration’s policies.

“The administration’s continued targeting of marginalized communities, the criminalization of dissent, and the erosion of civil liberties demand a response — and this is ours.”

CNN has reached out to the White House for a comment.

In Washington, DC, protesters assembled outside the White House and the residence of Vice President JD Vance, who is currently in Rome. Trump was at his golf club in Virginia.

Read more about the protests here.

The exterior of the White House is seen from the North Lawn in March.

Tomorrow’s White House Easter Egg Roll will feature high-dollar partnerships with YouTube, Meta and Amazon, among others, underscoring the close relationships the leaders of those tech companies have sought to cultivate with the Trump administration.

The White House, through an outside production company called Harbinger, solicited corporate sponsors for the traditional springtime event on Monday ranging from $75,000 to $200,000, with the promise of logo and branding opportunities, according to a nine-page document sent to potential sponsors and first reported by CNN last month.

Several major American tech companies and associations have signed up, according to an official White House press release on the event sent by the office of the first lady Friday.

The Egg Roll has been privately funded without taxpayer dollars for many years. All money raised by Harbinger will go to the White House Historical Association.

Tomorrow’s planned activities include a “Reading Nook, courtesy of Amazon”; the “Bunny Hop Stage, courtesy of YouTube”; an “AI-Powered Experience and Photo Opportunity, courtesy of Meta”; and a “Ringing of the Bell Photo Opportunity, courtesy of the New York Stock Exchange.”

Those sponsorships come as those Silicon Valley leaders, who donated to President Donald Trump’s inaugural fund, have lost billions in value as markets — from the NYSE to others across the globe — have experienced volatility as a result of Trump’s tariffs.