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President heats up trade war threatening 200 percent tariffs on European wines and champagnes if tax is upped on U.S. whiskey
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A federal judge ruled on Thursday that the Trump administration must immediately rehire tens of thousands of probationary federal employees who were terminated from multiple agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Energy, Agriculture, Interior, and Treasury.
California District Court Judge William Alsup stated that the Trump administration had “unlawfully” executed a mass firing of probationary workers through a directive issued by the Office of Personnel Management, describing the actions as a “gimmick” and a “sham.”
It’s the latest legal blow dealt to Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s attempt to drastically reduce the federal workforce.
Meanwhile, in the latest salvo in the president’s trade war against U.S. allies, Trump threatened a 200 percent tariff on European alcohol, singling out wines and champagnes from France, if the EU taxed American whiskey.
The president told reporters on Thursday: “I’m not going to bend at all.”
On Capitol Hill, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has said that Democrats cannot support the Republican spending bill passed by the House of Representatives earlier this week as a government shutdown looms on Friday.
The White House is gloating over what they see as an inevitable victory in the funding bill battle, according to reporting by Politico.
“They’re 100 percent gonna swallow it,” one White House official told the outlet.
Vice President JD Vance sat down for an interview with Fox News’s Laura Ingraham, which will air tonight at 7 p.m. ET.
Follow along for live updates from The Independent.
Two days before voters elected Donald Trump for his second term, Elon Musk claimed on X that “all government data should be default public for maximum transparency.”
Now, Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency is obscuring the data of the programs and contracts they cut, leaving it impossible for independent organizations to fact-check their savings claims, The New York Times reports.
Keep reading:
A Canadian entrepreneur who was arrested in the United States by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents over an incomplete visa is being held in “inhumane” conditions in an Arizona detention center, according to her family, who have now gone public in an attempt to secure her release.
Joe Sommerlad has the details.
Dr Mehmet Oz “significantly underpaid” his taxes for some of the programs he intends to oversee, Democrats claimed ahead of his Senate confirmation hearing Friday.
A memo from Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee reportedly claims that Oz, 64, underpaid Medicare and Social Security taxes in 2022 and 2023, NBC News reports.
Keep reading:
The Trump administration is reportedly planning to use a wartime law to speed up the number of deportations, four people familiar with the talks told CNN.
The Alien Enemies Act of 1798 would give the president broad authority to remove undocumented immigrants, but it’s only ever been invoked during actual wartime, and legal experts have said that President Trump would likely face pushback in the courts if he were to use it.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
The New York Police Department has made multiple arrests after dozens of activists swarmed Trump Tower to protest the immigration detention of a Columbia University activist.
Chaotic scenes showed NYPD officers dragging out members of the group Jewish Voice for Peace on Thursday.
Mahmoud Khalil, a permanent U.S. resident who is married to an American citizen and who hasn’t been charged with breaking any laws, was arrested outside his New York City apartment on Saturday and faces deportation.
Mike Bedigan has the story.
Representative Raúl Grijalva, a Democrat from Arizona, has died at 77 due to complications from cancer treatment.
“The Office of the 7th District of Arizona is saddened to announce the passing of Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva. Rep. Grijalva fought a long and brave battle,” his office said in a statement. “He passed away this morning due to complications of his cancer treatments.”
At least 10 people working with Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency are embedded within the Social Security Administration to bolster claims from Donald Trump and the world’s wealthiest man that millions of dead people are receiving benefits, according to court documents.
Seven DOGE employees “have been granted access” to Americans’ Social Security data or “personally identifiable information,” government lawyers said.
Alex Woodward reports.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, revealed she met with President Donald Trump earlier today.
“I had a productive meeting at the White House today with President Trump where we discussed bringing good paying jobs to Michigan,” Whitmer said. “We also discussed tariffs, the importance of keeping our great lakes clean and safe, and additional defense investments in the state. I’m grateful for his time today and I’ll always work as hard as I can with anyone for the the state of Michigan and its people.”
Red states may be hardest hit when the European Union retaliates against U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum.
The E.U. has said it will issue retaliatory tariffs in two phases, with the first wave taking effect on April 1, affecting 8 billion euros worth of goods. A 99-page list of products that may be taxed by the second wave of tariffs — which goes into effect on April 13 and targets 18 billion euros worth of goods — has already been made public. In total, over the two phases, the E.U. will impose 26 billion euros worth of additional tariffs.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
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