Trump 2nd term live updates: Trump defends tariffs, declines to comment on Ukraine aid

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., said Americans will "have to suck it up" as President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency lay off hundreds of thousands of federal workers.

"There's going to be some tough times," Tuberville told ABC News' Diane Macedo when asked about DOGE's impact. "We have to cut the fat out of out of spending in this country."

Tuberville also addressed Trump's tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China, saying that "there's going to be a little bit of pain" as the move threatens to drive up prices on groceries, gas and more. "But at the end of the day, if we don't do this, it's going to be much, much worse."

He also voiced his support for Trump's pause on all U.S. military aid to Ukraine, saying he hasn't "voted for any money to go to it because Ukraine can't beat Russia."

-ABC News' Jim Vojtech and David Merrell

President Donald Trump will meet with a group of House Republican hard-liners Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the White House to discuss a path forward on government funding as the March 14 shutdown deadline approaches, two congressional sources and one White House official told ABC News.

Trump and top GOP leaders have endorsed a "clean" short-term bill to fund the government until the end of September 2025. However, hard-liners typically despise continuing resolutions, and 34 opposed the short-term measure that's currently funding the government.

-ABC News' Lauren Peller, Hannah Demissie and Katherine Faulders

The United States and Ukraine could sign the minerals deal as soon as Tuesday, according to two sources briefed on the discussions.

The deal was originally expected to be signed Friday at the White House, but talks quickly went downhill, and Trump kicked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy out of the White House without completing the agreement.

Sources caution that nothing is final. However, Trump has indicated to top advisers he would like to get the deal done before his joint address to Congress.

-ABC News' Katherine Faulders and Molly Nagle

Senate Democrats blasted President Donald Trump's first month in office ahead of his address to a joint session of Congress, gathering for a news conference on Tuesday while holding up photos of the guests they're bringing to the speech, including fired bureaucrats and others who have been negatively affected by the White House's moves to slash the federal workforce.

"We think one of the best ways to let the American people know how horrible Donald Trump's first 30 days have been is to bring those who have been affected, the victims of his malevolence, of his desire, the tax breaks for the billionaires and make Americans pay for it," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the Senate steps.

"Americans who voted for the president didn't sign up for this. They wanted lower costs. ... What is the State of the Union, we ask? Chaos is up, corruption is up, and costs are up for regular people," Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., added.

-ABC News' Isabella Murray