He's optimistic about ending a war.

On Lisa Brady, Fox News.

During the first meeting of his new cabinet, President Trump taking questions on his efforts to broker a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia,

calling Russia's President Putin a smart guy and a cunning person.

He had no intention, in my opinion, of settling this war.

I think he wanted the whole thing.

When I got elected, we spoke, and I think we're going to have a deal.

Though the administration is emphasizing the goal is to bring both sides to the table and

that nothing has been conceded, President Trump says his number one goal is to end the killing.

He also says Ukraine's president plans to visit Washington Friday and sign a new rare earth

minerals deal with the U.S.

Elon Musk telling cabinet members his doge cuts are necessary to keep America from going bankrupt.

Federal agencies are being told in a memo from the president's

budget and personnel chiefs to prepare for large-scale eliminations of positions.

Freshman California, Congressman Derek Tran, who's also an army veteran, is proposing a bill that would reinstate

any former service member fired without cause as part of government job cuts.

Democrats that sit on the House Appropriations Committee say up to 6,000 veterans have lost

their government jobs, which many veterans have been encouraged to seek after their military

service is done. Congressman Tran says it isn't right that many who served the country are

being, in his words, kicked to the curb.

Republicans have a slim House majority.

Nearly all of them support President Trump's plans to cut government waste and many jobs along with it.

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