The week was full of major developments on both the domestic front and abroad.
President Donald Trump’s third week back in office was full of major developments on both the domestic front and abroad, with the end of a 60-year federal agency, deals brokered with key U.S. trading partners, and plans to incarcerate certain illegal immigrants overseas.
Beginning on Feb. 3 and ending with his attendance at Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, Trump’s third week also included tariffs on China with key exceptions, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) moving at breakneck speed in its stated goal of rooting out government waste, controversial plans for the Gaza Strip, rules baring transgender athletes from women’s sports, and other notable developments.
While many Republican lawmakers celebrated the executive branch’s efforts last week, some Democrats in Congress are increasingly accusing the Trump administration of breaking federal laws and overstepping congressional oversight, particularly with Elon Musk’s work at DOGE.
Here are 10 takeaways from the third week of the second Trump administration.
1. Deals Struck With Mexico, Canada
After Trump announced broad 25 percent tariffs on all Mexican and Canadian imports, he brokered deals with the two nations’ leaders on Feb. 3 to do their part to strengthen border security in exchange for a pause on those tariffs.
When he announced the tariffs on Feb. 1, Trump cited “the major threat of illegal aliens and deadly drugs killing our citizens, including fentanyl,” and said China, Mexico, and Canada weren’t doing enough to combat the flow of the synthetic opioid.
“Today’s tariff announcement is necessary to hold China, Mexico, and Canada accountable for their promises to halt the flood of poisonous drugs into the United States,” the White House said at the time.
Mexico announced that it would devise a plan to protect its interests, while Canada immediately retaliated with its own 25 percent tariffs on U.S. imports.
Before Trump’s imposed tariffs were due to take effect on Feb. 4, he reached a deal with Canada and Mexico, agreeing to pause the levies for 30 days. Mexico is permanently sending 10,000 troops to its border, and Canada is appointing a “fentanyl czar” to invest more than $100 million in targeting fentanyl trafficking.
By Jacob Burg and Joseph Lord
