The Latest: Trump agrees to cut tariffs on UK autos, steel and aluminum in a trade deal
May 8, 2025, 5:13 AM
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters outside the West Wing of the White House, Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
President Donald Trump said from the White House on Thursday that his government has reached a trade agreement with the United Kingdom.
Trump said the deal increases access for U.S. agricultural products, though he added that the final details were still being written up. Britain said the agreement will cut tariffs on U.K. cars from 27.5% to 10% and eliminate tariffs on steel and aluminum.
Here’s the latest:
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will no longer track the cost of climate change-fueled weather disasters, including floods, heat waves, wildfires and more. It is the latest example of changes to the agency and the Trump administration limiting federal government resources on climate change.
NOAA falls under the U.S. Department of Commerce and is tasked with daily weather forecasts, severe storm warnings and climate monitoring. It is also parent to the National Weather Service.
The agency said its National Centers for Environmental Information would no longer update its Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters database beyond 2024 its information — going as far back as 1980 — would be archived.
NOAA Communications Director Kim Doster said in a statement that the change was “in alignment with evolving priorities, statutory mandates, and staffing changes.”
The president says he plans to end the $2.75 billion Digital Equity Act, which was part of the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure investments signed into law by then-President Joe Biden.
The aim of the program was to help rural and urban communities on the wrong side of the digital divide, as well as veterans and people with disabilities.
Trump said in a social media post that he spoke with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and agreed that the program “is totally UNCONSTITUTIONAL.”
“No more woke handouts based on race!” Trump said. “I am ending this IMMEDIATELY, and saving Taxpayers BILLIONS OF DOLLARS!”
Reports of plans to deport migrants from the U.S. to Libya, a country with a documented history of serious human rights violations and abuse of migrants, have spotlighted the difficulties they face in the lawless North African nation.
Migrants there are routinely arbitrarily detained and placed in squalid detention centers where they are subjected to extortion, abuse, rape and killings.
A U.N.-backed independent fact-finding mission found evidence that crimes against humanity have been committed against migrants in Libya. Victims were subjected to enslavement, forced disappearance, torture and murder, among other crimes, the investigators found. Dead migrants have been found in mass graves, while tens of thousands of others have drowned trying to escape Libya on smugglers’ boats.
“It’s hell on earth for migrants,” said Tarek Megerisi, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.
▶ Read more about abuses of migrants in Libya
First lady Melania Trump and members of the Bush family gathered in the East Room to introduce the U.S postage stamp bearing the portrait of the former first lady.
The image is Barbara Bush’s official White House portrait, which hangs in the entrance to the East Wing. She is depicted in a black suit and purple blouse, wearing her hallmark triple strand of pearls.
The stamp is set to go on sale a month from now, on Bush’s birthdate of June 8, first in Kennebunkport, Maine, where the family compound is located.
Trump said she appreciated how Bush inspired people to pursue their dreams.
Barbara Bush died in 2018 at 92. She was married to former President George H. W. Bush and was the mother of former President George W. Bush.
Director Kash Patel pledged to make the bureau’s mission “work on whatever budget we’re given,” striking a different tone from comments a day earlier in which he called for funding at far higher levels than what the Trump administration had proposed.
The 2026 budget proposal released Friday calls for a cut of about $545 million for the FBI as part of what the White House said was a desire to “reform and streamline” the bureau and reduce “non-law enforcement missions that do not align” with the president’s priorities.
Patel told a House subcommittee Wednesday that the FBI needs more and “can’t do the mission on those 2011 budget levels.”
But on Thursday during a Senate committee hearing, he said: “My view is that we agree with this budget as it stands and (will) make it work for the operational necessity of the FBI, and as the head of the FBI, I was simply asking for more funds because I can do more with more money.”
The rise came after the United States and United Kingdom announced a trade deal that would lower some tariffs between the two countries, the first of what Wall Street hopes will be enough agreements to keep a recession from hitting the economy.
The S&P 500 climbed 0.6% for its 11th gain in the last 13 days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 254 points, or 0.6%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 1.1%.
It wasn’t just stocks. Bitcoin jumped back above $101,000, and crude oil prices climbed, while the price of gold eased back as investors felt less need for safety.
Treasury yields rose on bets that more trade deals with other countries may mean the Federal Reserve won’t need to cut interest rates as sharply as feared in order to prop up the economy.
The bank lowered its main interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 4.25% amid concerns over the potential shock to global growth emanating from the tariff policies of the Trump administration.
Thursday’s decision was widely expected, though there was an array of opinion on the nine-member Monetary Policy Committee, with two voting for a bigger half-point cut to 4% and two voting to hold rates.
Bank Gov. Andrew Bailey said inflationary pressures have continued to ease, paving the way for the fourth quarter-point rate cut since August.
“The past few weeks have shown how unpredictable the global economy can be,” he said. “That’s why we need to stick to a gradual and careful approach to further rate cuts.”
Chancellor Friedrich Merz spoke with Trump on his second full day in office about matters including the Ukraine war and trade disputes, according to the German leader’s office.
Trump congratulated the conservative leader after his victory in a parliamentary vote Tuesday, government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius said.
In a call that took place on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, Merz said the U.S. remains Germany’s “indispensable friend and partner,” Kornelius said.
The two leaders agreed to work closely to end the war in Ukraine, and Merz agreed with Trump’s call for the killing to end quickly, Kornelius said, adding that “Russia must now agree to a ceasefire to create space for negotiations.”
According to the German readout, Trump said he would support the efforts of Germany, as well as Britain, France, Poland and other European countries, to achieve “lasting peace.”
The leaders discussed making mutual visits to each others’ countries, but no dates were specified.
Senate Democrats have blocked legislation to regulate stablecoins, a form of cryptocurrency, after arguing that the bill needed stronger protections and airing concerns that it could help the president enrich himself.
The bill, which would regulate how stablecoin issuers operate in the U.S., had previously won some Democratic support. But it failed 49-48 on a procedural vote Thursday after Democrats said they needed to see more changes before they could back the legislation.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Republicans would work with Democrats if they allowed the bill to move forward, but they refused. All Democrats voted not to bring it up.
The vote is a blow to one of Trump’s top legislative priorities and a setback for the cryptocurrency industry, which spent heavily in last year’s election and has been emboldened to cement its influence in politics and the mainstream financial system.
Vice President JD Vance says he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio aren’t rivals, despite Trump mentioning both as possible successors.
Vance said during an interview with Fox News Channel on Thursday that Rubio “is probably my best friend in the administration.”
“The president’s not going to name a successor 110 days into his administration, nor should he,” Vance said. Asked if he could see himself as president, he said he would stay focused was on the current administration rather than the next one.
During a recent interview with NBC News, Trump was asked about a successor and responded, “You look at Marco, you look at JD Vance, who’s fantastic.”
Trump also has repeatedly flirted with suggestions that he could seek a third term — even though that is constitutionally barred.
Newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited the White House on Tuesday in search of common ground during an ongoing trade war that has shattered decades of trust between his country and the U.S. Although the conversation was civil, President Donald Trump repeated erroneous rhetoric about how the U.S. provides Canada with billions of dollars in subsidies.
Here’s a closer look at the facts.
CLAIM: The U.S. subsidizes Canada with subsidies of about $200 billion per year.
THE FACTS: This is false. According to the White House, the number is based on the U.S. trade deficit with Canada and higher military spending by the U.S., including expenditures associated with the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD. An exact total is difficult to discern because there is no publicly available data on NORAD spending. But even the most generous estimates do not put the total costs anywhere close to what Trump claims.
▶ Read more about the numbers behind the U.S.-Canada trade relationship
The Trump administration is halting some hiring at the crisis-plagued agency, where chronic understaffing has led to long overtime shifts and the use of prison nurses, teachers, cooks and other workers to guard inmates.
The move, which coincides with Trump’s aggressive campaign to cut the cost and size of the federal government, was announced Thursday by the agency’s newly appointed director, William K. Marshall III. Some union officials characterized it as a “hiring freeze,” though the agency denied that, saying some positions would continue to be filled.
The Bureau will maintain current staffing levels at least through the end of the fiscal year, Sept 30, Marshall wrote in an email to staff titled “Staffing and Hiring Decisions.” The agency will still work to fill critical positions, such as correctional officers and medical clinicians, and will honor job offers that are currently pending on an accelerated timeline.
▶ Read more about the freezing of some hires
FEMA’s leadership is changing hands at a moment of uncertainty over the agency’s future.
Trump has floated the idea of “ getting rid ” of FEMA, something Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has echoed.
Last month, Trump created a review council tasked with “reforming and streamlining the nation’s emergency management and disaster response system,” according to DHS.
It was not immediately clear why Hamilton was replaced, but his dismissal comes one day after he appeared before a House Appropriations subcommittee to discuss FEMA reforms. David Richardson will now serve as acting administrator.
The former marine corps officer was appointed in January as assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security’s Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office.
The president made a surprise appearance outside the West Wing to talk with reporters about the newly announced pope.
“It’s such an honor for our country” for the new pope to be American, Trump said. “What greater honor can there be?”
The president added that “we’re a little bit surprised and we’re happy.”
▶ Read more about how Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, overcame a taboo against a US pontiff
Recent deadly plane crashes and technical failures that have put a spotlight on the outdated U.S. air traffic control network are prompting the Trump administration to propose an overhaul.
The plan calls for six new air traffic control centers, along with technology and communications upgrades at all of the nation’s air traffic facilities over the next three years, said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. How much it will all cost wasn’t immediately revealed.
“Decades of neglect have left us with an outdated system that is showing its age,” Duffy said in prepared remarks. “Building this new system is an economic and national security necessity, and the time to fix it is now.”
The Trump administration wants to add fiber, wireless and satellite technology at more than 4,600 locations, replace 600 radars and increase the number of airports with systems designed to reduce near misses on runways.
▶ Read more about how the administration seeks to overhaul US air traffic control
The agency says it will launch a “Known Investor” portal as a pilot program under which a committee chaired by Treasury can collect information from foreign investors.
The U.S. “benefits from the strong and stable investments of our allies and partners,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. “Treasury is committed to maintaining and enhancing the open investment environment that benefits our economy, while making sure that process efficiencies do not diminish our ability to identify and address national security risks that can accompany foreign investment.”
Trump’s administration asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to allow it to end humanitarian parole for hundreds of thousands of immigrants from four countries.
The emergency appeal asks the justices to halt a lower-court order keeping in place legal protections for more than 500,000 people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
An order from U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani blocked the administration from putting an early end to the immigrants’ temporary legal status.
The Republican administration argues that the decision wrongly intrudes on the Department of Homeland Security’s authority.
The case comes as the Trump administration seeks to crack down on immigration and dismantle Biden-era policies that created new and expanded pathways for people to live in the United States, generally for two years with work authorization.
At the end of his Oval Office news conference, Trump turned a query from a reporter about the United States’ overwhelmed air traffic control system into an opportunity to throw a sharp broadside at the leader of the Department of Transportation during the Biden administration.
“You know, he drives to work on his bicycle, with his — which in all fairness — with his husband on the back, which is a nice, loving relationship. But, he didn’t have a clue,” Trump said of Buttigieg, who regularly rode his bike to work. He added, “And he’s actually a contender for president?”
Buttigieg made an unsuccessful 2020 run for the White House. He has been an outspoken critic of Trump during the early days of his second term.
The president and first lady Melania Trump have addressed an event with military mothers in the White House’s East Room.
“People now love our country and they’re proud of our country again,” the president said, before noting of his wife, “She’s loved by all.”
Melania Trump talked about motherhood, calling it “the life-changing event that makes women invincible and exposed at the same time.”
“All caring mothers understand this surreal feeling,” she said.
The first lady said that “caring for ourselves will empower the next generation” before wishing those gathered a happy Mothers Day.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke Thursday with the prime minister of Pakistan and India’s foreign minister as the Trump administration stepped up efforts to prevent the nuclear-armed South Asian rivals from going to war.
In separate calls with Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Rubio “emphasized the need for immediate de-escalation,” the State Department said.
Rubio also “expressed U.S. support for direct dialogue between India and Pakistan and encouraged continued efforts to improve communications,” according to readouts of the calls, which were identical except for specific references to recent developments that have brought the two countries to the brink of war.
In his call with Sharif, Rubio “expressed sorrow for the reported loss of civilian lives in the current conflict” without mentioning the Indian response to an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi has blamed on Islamabad.
In his call with Jaishankar, Rubio “reiterated his condolences for the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam and reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to work with India in the fight against terrorism,” the department said.
And he even suggested he was ready to announce one during his first term but couldn’t because he lost the 2020 election.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump called the current system “obsolete” and blamed the Biden administration for spending “tens of billions of dollars trying to take old, broken equipment and merging it into existing, new equipment with brand new equipment.”
The president said the U.S. was now in the market to buy a “gorgeous, brand new system.”
“The new equipment is unbelievable what it does,” Trump said. He started to add that it may even alleviate the need for pilots before adding, “In my opinion you always need pilots. But you wouldn’t even have to have pilots. This system is so incredible what they can do.”
He said the U.K. hasn’t lowered its food or animal-welfare standards to secure a trade deal with the U.S.
The deal includes increased access for U.S. beef, ethanol and other agricultural products to the British market.
There is strong public opposition in Britain to allowing in chlorine-rinsed American chicken or hormone-treated beef.
Starmer said “we said we had red lines on standards, particularly in agriculture. We’ve kept to those standards. The SPS (santitary and phytosanitary) red line is a red line that is written into the agreement.”
“I trusted him,” Biden said, saying the late pope often called to talk to him about world events.
Both Bidens attended Francis’ recent funeral, and both were referenced as “devout Catholics” by “The View” co-host Sunny Hostin as she led into a question.
“And by the way, Jill’s a devout Presbyterian,” Biden said, gripping his wife’s hand as she laughed.
That comes after a key Republican senator said he couldn’t support him for the job due to his defense of Jan. 6 rioters.
“We have somebody else that will be great,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday when asked about the status of Martin’s confirmation. He said it was disappointing, but “that’s the way it works sometime.”
Martin has served as acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia since Trump’s first week in office. But his hopes of keeping the job faded amid questions about his qualifications and background, including his support for rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol over four years ago.
▶ Read more about Ed Martin’s nomination for U.S. Attorney
The U.K. and U.S. have been negotiating a trade deal for months, but Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the timing of Thursday’s announcement came as a surprise.
Starmer, a huge fan of Premier League soccer team Arsenal, said Trump phoned him to finalize the deal Wednesday evening “halfway through the second half” of the team’s Champion’s League semi-final against Paris Saint Germain. Arsenal lost 2-1.
President Trump’s declaration on Truth Social that the U.S. and U.K. had struck a deal left the British government scrambling to arrange a short-notice announcement by Starmer.
Starmer’s office invited journalists to a speech by the prime minister at a car factory in central England — but sent them to the wrong city. Reporters were told to go to a Jaguar Land Rover plant in Coventry instead of one in Solihull, about 20 miles and a half-hour drive away. Once the mistake was realized, reporters had to rush to get to the real location in time for the announcement.
“I was in charge, and he won,” Biden said on “The View” in response to a question of his role in Trump’s return to the White House. “I take responsibility.”
Biden went on to note that some of what he accomplished during his four years in office took a long time to implement and get the word out to the Americans whose lives would be affected positively.
Trump says U.S. auto tariffs won’t force the iconic British automaker Rolls Royce to make its cars elsewhere.
But he also said similar exemptions won’t be offered to other foreign automakers “unless somebody shows me that there’s another kind of a car that’s comparable to a Rolls Royce.”
The president then added with a laugh that his comments were “a good commercial for Rolls Royce.”
That prompted a suggestion that Trump could perhaps buy a Rolls, and that even a “very modest discount” could be available.
“I’ve had many of them, actually,” Trump responded.
The president recently announced buying a Tesla to support the company’s CEO, Elon Musk, who has faced criticism for leading the Trump administration’s government-cutting efforts. He even held an event with new Teslas lined up outside the White House.
Asked whether the baseline 10% tariff on U.K. products would be a template for future trade deals with other nations, the U.S. president said “no.”
“That’s a low number” Trump says of the 10%. He added that the U.K. “made a good deal. Many, some will be much higher.”
Trump says it’s “good” that U.S. ports are seeing slowdowns amid his steep tariffs on Chinese imports.
Speaking to reporters as he announced a trade agreement with the United Kingdom, Trump dismissed concerns about the slowdown’s effects on dockworkers and truckers.
“That’s good,” Trump said, adding, “That means we lose less money.”
Trump is trying to close U.S. trade deficits but has acknowledged his tariffs can result in higher consumer prices and empty shelves.
Trump is suggesting that James Bond will benefit from the U.S.-U.K. trade deal he’s announcing.
The agreement is set to ease tariffs on cars, and Trump was asked if that was a positive development for the movie hero who drives British-made Aston Martins.
Trump referenced his previous threats to possibly impose tariffs on foreign movie-making interests but added, “James Bond has noting to worry about, that I can tell you.”
He also noted that Sean Connery — who played the first film version of James Bond in 1962’s “Dr. No” — was a friend.
He didn’t mention Bond’s penchant for Aston Martins, but said later that another famed British automaker, Rolls Royce, would continue to be made in Britain and “I wouldn’t even ask” the company to move its operations elsewhere.
The British prime minister has told autoworkers a trade deal with the U.S. will protect thousands of jobs in the sector.
Starmer said he chose to announce the agreement at a Jaguar Land Rover plant “as soon as I knew this deal was coming in today” because it was so important to the industry.
He told the workers “this is just the start,” saying “we are hammering out further details to reduce barriers to trade with the United States and across the world.”
Trump expressed optimism about upcoming trade talks between the U.S. and China. Officials from both countries are slated to meet in Switzerland for an initial round of conversations.
“I think we’re going to have a very good weekend,” the president said.
Trump left in place high tariffs on China, leading to a trade confrontation between the world’s two largest economies.
Asked if he’d encouraged Harris to mirror his priorities in her own campaign, Biden responded: “I did not advise her to say that.”
When she appeared on “The View” during her run last year, Harris said nothing “comes to mind” when asked what she would do differently than Biden.
“She was part of every success we had,” Biden said, adding that he and his vice president had differences of opinion on various issues.
“We argued like hell, by the way,” he said. “We worked it out.”
