Trump administration updates: Schumer continues to face calls for new leadership

The Senate minority leader says he's not going anywhere.

ByKevin Shalvey, Alexandra Hutzler, William Mansell, and Ivan Pereira
Last Updated: March 23, 2025, 9:39 PM EDT

Sen. Chuck Schumer said Sunday he has no plans to step aside as Senate minority leader as criticism of Schumer and of Democrats' ineffectiveness in combatting President Donald Trump's agenda continues.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration sent another group of migrants to Guantanamo Bay, alleging many are members of the Venezuelan gang Tren De Aragua, an official with knowledge of the flight told ABC News. But deportation flights of Venezuelans to El Salvador remain on hold while the administration fights a judge's order to curtail those flights while their legality is decided.

Trump on Friday announced a new F-47 fighter jet with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and signed a series of presidential actions before departing the White House for his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. The actions included one rescinding the security clearances of several former Biden officials and political opponents.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing.
Mar 18, 2025, 1:43 PM EDT

Trump, Putin agree to work toward ceasefire on energy, infrastructure, White House says

The White House issued a readout of the call between Trump and Putin, saying "both leaders agreed this conflict needs to end with a lasting peace."

However, the readout does not include any specific reference to Putin agreeing to the 30-day ceasefire that Ukraine had agreed to without conditions.

According to the readout, Trump and Putin said "movement to peace will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire, as well as technical negotiations on implementation of a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, full ceasefire and permanent peace."

President Donald Trump in Washington, Mar. 17, 2025 and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Mar. 18, 2025.
Reuters/Getty Images

These negotiations will begin immediately in the Middle East, according to the readout.

In addition to discussion around the war, Trump and Putin "stressed the need for improved bilateral relations between the United States and Russia" and spoke more broadly about the Middle East.

-ABC News' Molly Nagle

Mar 18, 2025, 1:00 PM EDT

Call between Trump and Putin has ended

President Donald Trump's call with Russia's Vladimir Putin has ended. The two leaders were set to discuss the U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, though no details were immediately provided following their discussion.

The conversation lasted two and a half hours, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, according to TASS, Russian state media.

Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Mar. 18, 2025 and President Donald Trump in Washington, Mar. 13, 2025.
Reuters

-ABC News' Rachel Scott and Tanya Stuaklova

Mar 18, 2025, 12:48 PM EDT

Treasury secretary says White House prepared to increase sanctions on Russia if needed

Ahead of the president's phone conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the White House is willing to put a pressure campaign in terms of sanctions on Russia.

"President Trump has instructed me that, if we need to, we will go to a ten with sanctions to bring President Putin to the table. But I'm optimistic that he will be able to get him to the table without increasing the sanctions," Bessent said during an interview with Fox Business.

U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent speaks to reporters before walking into the White House in Washington, U.S., March 13, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters

Bessent also brushed off concerns of a recession, telling Fox while he "can't guarantee anything" there was "no reason we need to have a recession."

-ABC News' Kelsey Walsh

Mar 18, 2025, 12:30 PM EDT

Supreme Court's John Roberts pushes back on Trump's attacks on judges: 'Not an appropriate response'

In response to ABC News and other inquiries with the Supreme Court, Chief Justice John Roberts provided a statement calling President Donald Trump's calls to impeach judges whose rulings he disagrees with "not an appropriate response."

"For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose," Roberts said.

Trump earlier Tuesday called for the judge in the legal battle over his administration's deportation flights to be impeached.

U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts attends inauguration ceremonies in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

-ABC News' Devin Dwyer

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