Trump news at a glance: sweeping tariffs announced; Musk could be nearing end of role

Trump launches trade onslaught with celebratory air

For the start of what appears to be a dramatic shift in American trade policy, one that could cause ricochets in the global economy, Trump tried to sell the tariffs with a celebratory tone.

Nine giant US flags flanked Trump on stage in the Rose Garden, as the president spoke in front of his cabinet and a crowd of union workers wearing hard hats and fluorescent construction worker vests. Before Trump came on stage, a marine band played celebratory music to excite the crowd.

At one point, Trump paused his speech to throw a Maga hat into the crowd. In the next breath, he announced the 10% universal baseline tariff.

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Canada exemption ‘like dodging a bullet into the path of a tank’

Canada’s exemption from Donald Trump’s global tariffs was “like dodging a bullet into the path of a tank”, said one business leader as other levies are poised to hit key industries that drive the country’s economy.

Speaking speaking to reporters on Parliament Hill, prime minister Mark Carney said 25% tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, as well as on automobiles, will come into effect within hours.

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Republicans join Democrats in symbolic Senate vote to rescind Canada tariffs

Several Republican senators joined Democrats to pass a resolution that would block Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada, a rare rebuke of the president’s trade policy just hours after he announced plans for sweeping import taxes on some of the country’s largest trading partners.

In a 51-48 vote, four Republicans – Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and both Kentucky senators, the former majority leader Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul – defied Trump’s pressure campaign and supported the measure. Democrats used a procedural maneuver to force a vote on the resolution, which would terminate the national emergency on fentanyl Trump is using to justify tariffs on Canada.

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Musk to soon step down from Trump administration - report

Elon Musk’s polarizing stint slashing and bashing federal bureaucracy will probably soon end, with the world’s richest man’s government service hitting its legal limit in the coming weeks. Insiders reportedly told Politico that Musk will leave when 130-day cap on government service expires.

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Gloating at Musk after liberal judge wins Wisconsin race

Democrats were tasting unfamiliar triumphalism on Wednesday after the election for a vacant Wisconsin supreme court seat turned into an emphatic repudiation of Elon Musk, Donald Trump’s richest supporter and key ally.

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Waltz’s team set up at least 20 Signal chats – report

Donald Trump’s national security adviser, Mike Waltz, and his team have created at least 20 different group chats on the encrypted messaging app Signal to coordinate sensitive national security work, sources tell Politico.

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US health secretary and agency sued by 23 states over $11bn funding cut

Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia are suing the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, alleging the abrupt terminations of $11bn in public health funding were “harmful” and “unlawful”.

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Head of DC’s African American museum on leave

Kevin Young, the director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) in Washington DC, is not currently in charge of the museum and has been on leave since 14 March, as Donald Trump targets the Smithsonian museum network for its content.

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Joe Rogan breaks with Trump on Venezuelan deportations

Joe Rogan, the influential podcast host and prominent supporter of Donald Trump, has criticized the president’s administration over the deportation of a professional makeup artist and hairdresser to a prison in El Salvador, calling it “horrific”.

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What else happened today:

• Joe Biden’s former White House chief of staff paints a devastating picture of the then-US president’s mental and physical state before the debate with Donald Trump that sent his 2024 campaign into a tailspin.

• A judge dismissed the corruption case against New York City mayor Eric Adams weeks he bowed to Trump administration pressure cooperate on immigration crackdowns.

• Former Biden administration health secretary Xavier Becerra became the latest Democrat to join the crowded field seeking to become California’s next governor.