12:30 Report — White House pauses Trump education order, some tariffs

12:30 REPORT

It’s Thursday. My social media feeds have been INUNDATED with Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex’s new Netflix show. People have such strong opinions about her. Have you seen it, and what do you think?

Today's forecast in DC: ⛅ 48° (Find your weather here)

In today's issue:

Trump delays most Mexico tariffs
White House pauses today’s Education Department order
Rep. Al Green censured for Trump protest
GOP wants Musk’s plan to be locked in through Congress
“Hamilton” cancels Kennedy Center run

Just now — April is the new March:

President Trump just announced that he will delay tariffs on some Mexican imports until April 2.

What about Canada?: Trump only mentioned Mexico in his announcement. But Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told CNBC that Canadian imports will also probably get a one-month delay.

What goods apply?: Mexican goods covered by a trade agreement Trump signed in 2020.

Read more on what this means

Trump puts the plan on ice:

President Trump is aiming to shut down the Education Department through executive order, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.

Timing: A draft order has been circulating and was expected to be signed as early as today. But a White House official told NewsNation that the order signing has been paused because the administration wants to continue to review the draft.

Can Trump unilaterally shutter the Education Department?: No, in fact the order acknowledges that a president doesn’t have the authority to abolish a department, only Congress can.

Then how would he do it?: Trump would direct Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Education Department” using “the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law.”

^ So, expect a big legal battle.

What it would take to fully shutter the department: It would require 60 “yes” votes in the Senate, which Republicans do not have.

Helpful read — So, how small can it get without Congress’s approval?: The Hill’s Lexi Lonas Cochran reported on how small the Education Department can get without Congress changing the law.

How does McMahon feel about this?: I mean, she would be putting herself out of a job. But she has said she “wholeheartedly” agrees with Trump’s plan, and when Trump nominated her, he even said he wanted her to put herself out of a job.

💡Closing the Education Department would be a very big deal: The department, which has been around since 1980, has a budget of roughly $268 billion and has approximately 4,440 employees.

What the Education Department does and doesn’t do: NPR has a helpful explainer on the department’s responsibilities. It sends money to public schools, manages financial aid and student loans. NPR notes that the department does *not* have power over what is taught in schools — that’s up to states.

➤ RELATED READS:

NewsNation: What school programs remain even if Department of Education is gutted?
The New York Times: As Trump Goes After Universities, Students Are Now on the Chopping Block
NorthJersey.com: What will happen to student loans if the federal Education Department is closed?

➤ MEANWHILE AT THE OTHER AGENCIES:

The Trump administration is planning to cut roughly 72,000 jobs at the Department of Veterans Affairs (that’s roughly 15 percent of its workforce) and reportedly slash half of the IRS’s workforce.

^Oh, but: The Centers for Disease Control is rehiring roughly 180 employees who were laid off last week, per AP.

❎ On Capitol Hill

The House censures Al Green:

The House voted to censure Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) for disrupting President Trump’s joint address Tuesday, which prompted his removal from the chamber.

The vote: 224-198-2, with 10 Democrats voting with Republicans in favor of the censure. 📝 List of the 10 Dems

What does it mean to be censured?: “A House censure is a formal reprimand taken by a vote of the House. It is considered a mark on the record of a lawmaker but does not typically carry consequences beyond having the member stand in the well of the House as the resolution detailing their transgressions is read aloud.”

➤ WHAT DID TRUMP HAVE TO SAY ABOUT IT?:

Trump blasted Green as “a fool and a clown” in an interview with Fox News Digital.

"He should be forced to pass an IQ test, because he is a low IQ individual and we don’t need low IQ individuals in Congress,” Trump said.

Will Elon Musk’s plan hold up in court?:

Tech billionaire and Trump ally Elon Musk attended a closed-door meeting with Senate Republicans on Wednesday.

What we know about the meeting: Lawmakers told Musk that his aggressive plan to shrink the government will need congressional approval. For example, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who is generally supportive of the Department of Government Efficiency’s plan, told Musk his moves won’t hold up in court unless Congress backs them.

How would Congress codify them?: They could pass a spending rescission package with a simple majority vote.

➤ HAPPENING TODAY:

President Trump’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) nominee Marty Makary is testifying before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

What to know about Makary: “Makary, a prominent Johns Hopkins surgeon, has espoused contrarian views about the COVID-19 pandemic, including pushing back against lockdowns and advocating for herd immunity, regularly appearing on Fox News.”

💻 Hearing livestream

What caught Republicans off guard during Trump’s address:

During President Trump’s Tuesday joint address, he called on Congress to “get rid of” the “horrible” CHIPS and Science Act, a popular semiconductor bill that easily passed both chambers in 2022.

Why this raised some eyebrows: This was a bipartisan bill that passed with the support of 17 Senate Republicans and 24 House Republicans.

Republican senators were a little confused: They argue the money has already been allocated, and there wouldn’t be anywhere near enough votes to repeal the law. The Hill’s Alexander Bolton spoke with Republicans yesterday, who said they’re willing to work with Trump to make tweaks to the law.

What the law does: It provided $52 billion to bolster the domestic semiconductor manufacturing industry.

Read Bolton’s reporting: ‘GOP lawmakers balk at Trump’s call to repeal CHIPS Act’

📱 Interesting Read

Inside the White House’s social media strategy:

The Washington Post’s Drew Harwell and Sarah Ellison report on how the White House’s digital strategy team has been effective in its social media strategy by prioritizing evolving media trends such as podcasts, TikToks and memes.

For example: Remember in January when actor Selena Gomez posted an Instagram video decrying deportations? The White House rebutted its own video that has been viewed more than 100 million times. Gomez deleted her post shortly after, but didn’t say why.

MAGA world’s social media strategy has changed: “After years of working to undermine mainstream outlets and neutralize critical reporting, Trump’s allies are now pushing a parallel information universe of social media feeds and right-wing firebrands to sell the country on his expansionist approach to presidential power.”

➤ MEANWHILE — GETTING TRACTION:

Several Democrats participated in a “choose your fighter” social media skit. 📹 Watch the 19-second video

Soooo, what do you think? Is this effective?

🐝 Internet Buzz

🥛 Celebrate: Today is National Oreo Day!

⭐ ‘Hamilton’ canceled its D.C. performances: Producers of the Broadway musical “Hamilton” canceled its scheduled run at Washington’s Kennedy Center in response to President Trump’s takeover of the institution.

🚩 Tbh, we could all use this: Google is rolling out a new tool that would flag potential scams in real time. Do you think it can even recognize when someone from your hometown reaches out about their latest MLM — I mean, ~be your own boss~ opportunity? 😉

🔥 What a world we live in: A Flamin’ Hot Cheeto that looks remarkably similar to a Pokémon character has sold for $87,840 (!) It’s been nicknamed “Cheetozard.”

📆 On The Agenda

The House and Senate are in. President Trump is in Washington. (all times Eastern)

1:45 p.m.: Three Senate votes, including a confirmation vote on Troy Edgar to be deputy secretary of Homeland Security. 📆 Today’s agenda
2 p.m.: Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office.
2 p.m.: State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce holds her first press briefing of Trump’s second term. 💻 C-SPAN livestream

👋 And Finally…

Because this made me laugh out loud, watch this full-blown debate between two golden retrievers.

Stay Engaged

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View past issues of 12:30 Report here and check out other newsletters from The Hill here. See you next time!

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