President Donald Trump reaches tariff pause agreement with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio visits Panama to discuss possible U.S. action

Trump reaches deals with Mexico and Canada to pause tariffs for 30 days

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday that the 25% tariff U.S. President Donald Trump planned to impose is on hold for a month following a conversation between the neighboring countries’ leaders Monday morning.

Later in the day, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote on social media that tariffs on his country would also be paused for 30 days after multiple phone calls with Trump.

Both leaders agreed to send thousands of military and other personnel to help secure their respective borders with the United States and boost cooperation with U.S. border authorities.

Trump on Saturday had directed that 25% tariffs on most imports from the two American partners — and 10% on Canadian energy products — go into effect at midnight Tuesday. The two nations threatened retaliation of their own, raising the prospects of a broader regional trade war.

In a statement on X, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that on a call with Trump he pledged additional cooperation on border security. Trudeau also said that "nearly 10,000 frontline personnel are and will be working on protecting the border." In his social media post confirming the deal, Trump specifically highlighted Trudeau's commitment to spend $1.3 billion on border security and its immigration services, which was announced in December.

“Proposed tariffs will be paused for at least 30 days while we work together," Trudeau said.

In her statement, Sheinbaum thanked those Americans who opposed the tariffs for their support.

“When it was announced, the tariffs on our exports to the U.S., there was a whole wave of people, firms, chambers of trade and so on, communities which came out to defend Mexico,” Sheinbaum said. “And on the U.S. side, many people, many organizations voiced their opposition to these tariffs — politicians, senators, congressmen and also many firms in the states, saying that it didn’t suit them at all.”

Trump confirmed the agreements with Mexico and Canada in separate statements on Truth Social, calling his conversation with Sheinbaum "very friendly." 

"These soldiers will be specifically designated to stop the flow of fentanyl, and illegal migrants into our Country," Trump wrote of Mexico.

"As President, it is my responsibility to ensure the safety of ALL Americans, and I am doing just that. I am very pleased with this initial outcome, and the Tariffs announced on Saturday will be paused for a 30 day period to see whether or not a final Economic deal with Canada can be structured," Trump wrote of Canada. "FAIRNESS FOR ALL!"

He said Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick will hold talks with high-level representatives from Mexico about a longer-term deal.

Speaking on Monday afternoon from the Oval Office, Trump said, "We had a great talk with Mexico," adding that the deployment of 10,000 troops by Mexico to the border will be permanent but that tariffs are not totally off the table.

Rubio says Panama must reduce Chinese influence around the canal area or face possible U.S. action

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino on Sunday that the Central American ally must immediately reduce Chinese influence over the Panama Canal area or face potential retaliation from the Trump administration. Mulino said later that "there is no real threat of retaking the canal or the use of force.”

Rubio, on his first foreign trip as America's top diplomat, held face-to-face talks with Mulino, who has resisted pressure from the new U.S. government over Panama’s management of the waterway that is vital to global trade.

Speaking on behalf of President Donald Trump, who has demanded that the canal be returned to U.S. control, Rubio told Mulino that Trump had made a preliminary determination that China’s presence in the canal area violates a treaty that led to the United States turning the waterway over to Panama in 1999. That treaty calls for the permanent neutrality of the American-built canal.

“Secretary Rubio made clear that this status quo is unacceptable and that absent immediate changes, it would require the United States to take measures necessary to protect its rights under the treaty,” the State Department said in a summary of the meeting.

“I don’t feel like there’s a real threat against the treaty and its validity,” Mulino said.

The warning from Rubio comes as Trump has increased pressure on Washington's neighbors and allies, including the canal demand. On Saturday, Trump announced he was imposing major tariffs on Canada and Mexico, prompting retaliation from those countries.

Mulino called it a “good-faith meeting” that was “respectful” and “positive” and held ”to clear up doubts." He acknowledged that China’s role in the ports at either end of the canal has raised concerns with Washington. But the president said the consortium controlling them was being audited and that the canal authority would give Rubio a more detailed explanation.

Mulino did say Panama would not be renewing its agreement with China’s Belt and Road Initiative when it expires.

About 200 people marched in Panama City, carrying Panamanian flags and shouting “Marco Rubio out of Panama,” “Long live national sovereignty” and “One territory, one flag” while the meeting was going on. Some burned a banner with images of Trump and Rubio after being stopped short of the presidential palace by riot police.

Rubio later planned to tour the canal,

Mulino said he hoped Rubio’s visit would focus on shared interests such as migration and combating drug trafficking. Rubio’s trip, however, comes as a U.S. foreign aid funding freeze and stop-work orders have shut down U.S.-funded programs targeting illegal migration and crime in Central American countries.

As Trump’s DEI orders take effect, Americans navigate end of federal diversity initiatives

After campaigning on routing diversity initiatives from the federal government, President Donald Trump made clear his stance on diversity, equity, and inclusion during his inaugural address, proclaiming “we will forge a society that is color blind and merit based.”

Hours after taking office, Trump signed an order banning DEI programs across the federal government. He also ordered a review of federal grants to make sure they are not being used to finance any DEI initiatives. Trump also took aim at a nearly 60-year-old executive order, undoing anti-discrimination rules enacted by President Lyndon Johnson in the civil rights era.

But, as Americans work to understand the impact of the end of diversity initiatives, experts like Anuradha Hebbar of the Society for Human Resource Management insist that institutions promoting diversity and inclusion will not go away and argue that Republican opposition to DEI programs often conflate inclusivity efforts with affirmative action policies.  

“I think we're going to still see businesses tracking and measuring their initiatives to see if we make progress, because that's what you do in business,” said Hebbar. “But I think we are at the end of quotas and targets on either end.”

But taking a cue from the new president, a number of private companies have scaled back or ended DEI initiatives, including Target, Facebook and McDonald's. Other companies, like Delta and Costco, have said they will keep their DEI programs.

A foundation of many DEI programs is finding qualified people from diverse backgrounds to fill open positions. Critics have portrayed DEI as giving unqualified people a leg up in the hiring process, discriminating against those who are not from disadvantaged groups.

DEI policies are often confused with affirmative action, which Hebbar says can be “non-merit based,” a critique supported by conservative Florida Rep. Byron Donalds in late January: 

“It ignores merit, it ignores skill sets, it ignores the ability to actually do the job and puts your demographic criteria at the front of the line before your actual qualifications,” said Donalds “Look, I think at the end of the day everybody wants to make sure people who are getting jobs are qualified to do them, that is most important.”