Bondi says Trump will 'probably' leave after second term

Changing the constitution would be a "heavy lift," the attorney general says.

Last Updated: April 7, 2025, 3:11 AM EDT

Pam Bondi, President Donald Trump's attorney general said Sunday the president would "probably" leave the White House after his second term is completed.

But she left the door slightly open toward him serving another four years, telling "Fox News Sunday," "I think he's going to be finished probably after this term," and saying it would be a "heavy lift" to change the Constitution to allow Trump to serve another four years.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Saturday that he was revoking all visas to South Sudanese passport holders "due to the failure of South Sudan's transitional government to accept the return of its repatriated citizens in a timely manner."

Apr 05, 2025, 5:27 PM EDT

DOJ puts government attorney on leave after judge rules in favor of deported migrant: Sources

The Justice Department has placed a government attorney on indefinite paid leave after he argued on behalf of the government on Friday in a lawsuit brought by a Maryland man who was deported to El Salvador in error, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.

Sources said Erez Reuveni, acting deputy director for the Office of Immigration Litigation, was told by officials at at the DOJ that he was being placed on leave over a "failure to zealously advocate" for the government's interests.

The government is seeking to appeal an order from the judge who presided over Friday's hearing and ordered the department to facilitate the return of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia by Monday.

In Friday's hearing, Reuveni repeatedly struggled when pressed by Judge Paula Xinis for details surrounding Abrego Garcia's deportation -- and why the administration claimed it could not facilitate his return to the United States.

At one point in the hearing, Reuvani was asked by Xinis under what authority law enforcement officers seized Abrego Garcia.

Reuveni said he was frustrated that he did not have those answers.

"Your honor, my answer to a lot of these questions is going to be frustrating, and I'm also frustrated that I have no answers for you on a lot of these questions," Reuvani said.

-ABC News' Alexander Mallin and Katherine Faulders

Apr 04, 2025, 6:55 PM EDT

Trump administration violated court order by 'covertly' pausing FEMA funding, judge says

The Trump administration "covertly" paused millions of dollars in FEMA funding in direct violation of a court order, a federal judge said on Friday.

U.S. District Judge John McConnell Jr. ordered the Trump administration to "immediately cease" its efforts to impede the disbursement of federal funds, finding the government directly violated his order.

In this March 29, 2025, file photo, a sign is seen outside the FEMA Disaster Recovery Center at the Fairview Public Library in Fairview, North Carolina.
Allison Joyce/Getty Images, FILE

Last month, a coalition of 22 attorneys general presented evidence that FEMA continued to restrict more than 215 federal grants despite a court order blocking Trump's unilateral funding freeze.

Lawyers with the DOJ pushed back, arguing that FEMA was "merely implementing a manual review process" of each grant.

McConnell disagreed, finding that the states presented "undisputed evidence" that FEMA "essentially [imposed] an indefinite categorical pause on payments" in direct violation of his preliminary injunction.

The court order marks another instance of the Trump administration allegedly skirting court orders, as a separate judge in Washington, D.C., now considers holding members of the Trump administration in contempt relating to deportation flights under the Alien Enemies Act.

-ABC News' Peter Charalambous and Katherine Faulders

Apr 04, 2025, 6:38 PM EDT

Trump administration declines to expand Medicare coverage for obesity drugs

The Trump administration's Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has chosen not to finalize a rule proposed by the Biden administration in November that would have allowed Medicare to cover weight loss drugs such as Wegovy and Zepbound for obesity alone for anyone insured by the federal programs.

The rule was expected to increase federal spending by $25 billion for Medicare and $15 billion for Medicaid over the next 10 years.

In a statement, the agency told ABC News extending coverage of anti-obesity medications under Medicare Part D and Medicaid "is not appropriate at this time."

State Medicaid programs can still decide if they will cover the medications.

Medicare, which provides health coverage for those over 65, currently covers these drugs to treat diabetes and to treat heart complications but not for weight loss alone.

-ABC News' Eric Strauss

Apr 04, 2025, 5:24 PM EDT

IRS begins layoffs with eliminating civil rights office

The IRS started a new round of layoffs on Friday, beginning with the agency's Office of Civil Rights and Compliance, according to an email obtained by ABC News.

Overall, the agency is planning to cut nearly a quarter of its workforce with the cuts, according to people familiar with the plans.

"This action is being taken to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the IRS in accordance with agency priorities," according to the email, which also said the layoffs will "result in staffing cuts across multiple offices and job categories."

The civil rights office will be effectively shuttered by the move, with the remaining staffers moved into the Office of Chief Counsel, according to the email.

The agency had previously drawn up plans to cut roughly 18% to 20% of the 100,000-person workforce by the middle of May.

The email sent to IRS employees on Friday said the reduction in force will "be implemented in phases" and noted that employees will be offered early retirement incentives starting next week.

-ABC News' Ben Siegel

Sponsored Content by Taboola