Highlights from May 8, 2025
- President Donald Trump announced that his administration struck a trade deal with the United Kingdom — the first agreement the United States has reached since he imposed sweeping tariffs on trading partners.
- Under the deal, the U.K. will reduce nontariff barriers on U.S. products, including beef, ethanol fuel, machinery and chemicals, Trump said. The 10% baseline tariff the United States has placed on dozens of countries will remain, while duties on British vehicles will fall from 25% to 10% to match that baseline, the U.S. commerce secretary said.
- On Capitol Hill, the House passed a bill this morning that would codify Trump's order that the Gulf of Mexico be renamed the Gulf of America.
- Trump said tonight he will appoint Fox News host Jeanine Pirro as interim U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C.
Coverage of this live blog has ended. For the latest news, click here.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor urges lawyers to ‘stand up’ amid Trump tumult
Liberal Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor urged lawyers tonight to “stand up” at a time when the profession is under attack from the Trump administration.
Speaking at a meeting hosted by the American Bar Association, the nation’s biggest legal group, she said it was an “act of solidarity” to appear at the event in Washington.
“In all of the uncertainty that exists at this moment, this is our time to stand up and be heard,” Sotomayor said.
“Right now we can’t lose the battles we are facing,” she added.
Stablecoins are back in focus as Senate Democrats reject legislation approving their use
Stablecoins have come into focus today, as Democrats opposed legislation aimed at creating a legal pathway for the digital tokens.
Stablecoins are privately issued digital currencies. Proponents like to refer to them as “digital dollars” that are akin to in-store credits a consumer might find at a retailer.
Unlike other forms of crypto, like Bitcoin, whose values fluctuate, most stablecoins’ values are “pegged,” or set at equivalent to, real-world currencies like the U.S. dollar.
Stablecoins are in an early stage of evolution and, for now, most consumers don‘t interact directly with them.
Instead, they are primarily used by large crypto exchanges and a growing group of traditional financial institutions as part of “back-end” functions that involve converting crypto into regular currencies, and vice-versa.
Trump announces new roles for Ed Martin following his replacement as interim U.S. attorney for D.C.
Right-wing activist Ed Martin, who was replaced today by Jeanine Pirro as the interim U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., will serve in the Justice Department as the director of the "Weaponization Working Group," associate deputy attorney general and pardon attorney, Trump announced this evening on Truth Social.
"In these highly important roles, Ed will make sure we finally investigate the Weaponization of our Government under the Biden Regime, and provide much needed Justice for its victims. Congratulations Ed," he wrote.
It is the second time this week Trump has withdrawn a candidate for a position that requires Senate confirmation and reassigned them elsewhere in his administration.
Yesterday, Trump withdrew his nominee for surgeon general, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, but said she will continue to work "in another capacity" at the Department of Health and Human Services.
Judge appears skeptical of Trump executive order targeting Susman Godfrey firm
A federal judge challenged the basis for Trump's executive order targeting law firm Susman Godfrey at a hearing this afternoon to decide whether to strike it down as unconstitutional.
Donald Verrilli, arguing on behalf of Susman, said the "pernicious" executive order is designed to prevent lawyers from challenging executive power and silence any legal arguments against the president.
“That’s why it’s such an existential threat to the independence of the judiciary,” he said, calling it “one of the most brazen efforts by a president ever to muzzle” dissent.
Verrilli argued the government couldn’t possibly justify its allegation of “unlawful discrimination” based solely on the Susman Prize scholarship for students of color and broad statements on the firm’s website related to commitment to diversity and gender parity.
U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan seemed inclined to agree, repeatedly pressing Deputy Associate Attorney General Richard Lawson about the difference between presidential preference and discretion vs. viewpoint discrimination and punishment.
“The key issue of the hiring decisions are the real concern,” Lawson said, to which AliKhan replied, “But that’s not what’s in the order.”
Verrilli said that while the government may have some official latitude, “they don’t have discretion to blatantly disobey the Constitution.”
“These executive orders are designed to intimidate law firms,” he concluded. “This is as serious as it gets. This is a serious abuse of executive power.”
Last week, a federal judge struck down a similar executive order targeting law firm Perkins Coie, calling the action "unconstitutional retaliation and viewpoint discrimination, plain and simple."
AliKhan said she would issue a decision “in due course."
Trump plans to appoint Judge Jeanine Pirro interim U.S. Attorney for D.C.
Trump today said he plans to appoint Judge Jeanine Pirro interim U.S. Attorney for D.C., continuing a trend of awarding top Fox News talent high-profile official positions.
"Jeanine was Assistant District Attorney for Westchester County, New York, and then went on to serve as County Judge, and District Attorney, where she was the first woman ever to be elected to those positions," Trump said in a post announcing the appointment.
"In addition to her Legal career, Jeanine previously hosted her own Fox News Show, Justice with Judge Jeanine, for ten years, and is currently Co-Host of The Five, one of the Highest Rated Shows on Television," he added.
Pirro is the latest Fox News fixture to receive an appointment from Trump, following the likes of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, a former Fox Business cohost, and DNI Tulsi Gabbard, a former Congresswoman and Fox News pundit.
A spokesperson for Fox News called Pirro "a longtime beloved host across Fox News Media who contributed greatly to our success throughout her 14-year tenure."
"We wish her all the best in her new role in Washington,” the spokesperson added.
Pirro's appointment came hours after Trump confirmed he would replace right-wing activist Ed Martin as his nominee for the position amid opposition from a key Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Thom Tillis, R-N.C.
While serving as interim U.S. Attorney for D.C., Martin, who has no prosecutorial experience, oversaw the firings of Jan. 6 prosecutors, and opened an investigation into the department's handling of the Capitol riot investigation.
Ohio Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel confirms he’s considering a run for governor
Ohio Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel, a Republican and a former Ohio State football coach, confirmed today that he is considering a run for governor in 2026.
Tressel, who previously said he was not thinking about a bid but stopped short of ruling one out, indicated in a statement first shared with NBC News that his thinking has changed.
“What has been a surprise, and it has been humbling, is how many people are encouraging me to run for Governor,” Tressel said after emphasizing how much he was enjoying his current job.
“I have not decided yet, but when I became Lieutenant Governor in February, Ellen told me that it seemed like God had more work for me to do, and she was right,” Tressel added, referring to his wife. “While I have not ruled out a run for Governor — and there will be a time in the future for those conversations — for now, I will remain focused on helping Ohioans get off the sidelines and into our workforce so they can reach their full potential.”
Trump calls for 'ideally a 30-day unconditional ceasefire' between Russia and Ukraine with threat of sanctions
Trump called for a 30-day "unconditional ceasefire" today between Russia and Ukraine and threatened "further sanctions" if the truce isn't respected.
"The U.S. calls for, ideally, a 30-day unconditional ceasefire. Hopefully, an acceptable ceasefire will be observed, and both Countries will be held accountable for respecting the sanctity of these direct negotiations," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
"If the ceasefire is not respected, the U.S. and its partners will impose further sanctions," Trump added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted on X that Ukraine was ready to commit to a ceasefire as early as today, and that he had spoken with Trump, whom he said supported a ceasefire and end to the war.
Trump reaffirmed his desire bring a swift end to the war in his post today, saying that as president he "will stay committed to securing Peace between Russia and Ukraine, together with the Europeans," and that the ceasefire "must ultimately build toward a Peace Agreement."
Trump added that it "can all be done very quickly." More than 100 days into his second term, Trump has not yet delivered on his pledge to end the war, which he said he would do on his first day in office.
Trump asks Supreme Court to revoke legal status of 500,000 immigrants
The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court today to allow it to revoke temporary legal status to more than 500,000 immigrants to whom the Biden administration granted it.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is seeking to end the Biden program that allowed 532,000 people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela to live and work in the United States for up to two years.
Trump weighs naming Fox News host Jeanine Pirro as D.C.’s top federal prosecutor
Trump is strongly considering naming Fox News host Jeanine Pirro as interim U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., a source familiar with his thinking told NBC News today.
Trump announced earlier in the day that he was withdrawing the nomination of conservative activist Ed Martin to stay on as the top federal prosecutor in Washington on a permanent basis.
ABC News first reported Trump was considering Pirro to take over the job on an interim basis. Martin’s role as acting U.S. attorney is set to end May 20.
FBI director backtracks after suggesting White House budget request is insufficient
FBI Director Kash Patel undercut his own call for additional funding for the bureau after telling the a Senate Appropriations subcommittee today that he supports a White House budget proposal that would slash its funding by hundreds of millions of dollars.
Yesterday, Patel told a House Appropriations subcommittee that his department needed $1 billion more than what the White House requested in its most recent budget proposal, framing the bureau's allocation as insufficient to support its operations.
"In order to achieve the mission of the FBI, if we continue on the current trajectory outlined, we will have to not only eliminate 1,100 vacancies currently at the FBI, I'll have to fire 1,300 more," Patel told House lawmakers yesterday.
The testimony put Patel at odds with the White House, which had recommended slashing the FBI's budget by $545 million.
One day later, Patel changed his tune.
The FBI director told senators today that he backs the White House's budget, cuts included, and said he would "make the mission work on whatever budget we're given."
“My view is that we will make and agree with this budget as it stands, and make it work for the operational necessity of the FBI,” Patel said. “As the head of the FBI, I was simply asking for more funds because I can do more with more money.”
A representative for the FBI did not immediately return a request for comment.
