Donald Trump claims he would have prevented Ukraine war, October 7 attack on Israel in first presidential interview – live | Trump administration

Trump’s interview with conservative commentator Sean Hannity begins at the top of the hour. We will be watching and bring you any significant developments.

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Given Hannity’s reputation as Trump’s “shadow chief of staff” during his first term, it is unlikely to be challenging to Trump in any way. Here is a preview clip released by Fox, in which Trump claims that there would have been no inflation in the United States, no invasion of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin, no attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7, and no catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan had he been in office for the past four years.

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Three federal judges denounced Donald Trump’s pardons of January 6 rioters in stark terms in court orders formally dismissing cases before them.

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The US district judge Tanya Chutkan, who was set to preside over Trump’s own criminal prosecution for seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 election until the supreme court stepped in, wrote that “no pardon can change the tragic truth of what happened on January 6, 2021”. Trump’s action, forcing her to dismiss the case against John Banuelos, who was charged with firing a pistol into the air during the riot, Chutkan added, “cannot whitewash the blood, feces, and terror that the mob left in its wake … And it cannot repair the jagged breach in America’s sacred tradition of peacefully transitioning power.

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“In hundreds of cases like this one over the past four years, judges in this district have administered justice without fear or favor,” she added. “The historical record established by those proceedings must stand, unmoved by political winds, as a testament and as a warning.”

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Similarly, the US district judge Beryl Howell scoffed at Trump’s claim, in the pardon language, that his action “ends a grave national injustice that has been perpetrated upon the American people over the last four years and begins a process of national reconciliation”.

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In an order dismissing the case against two January 6 defendants who pleaded guilty to felonies, Howell wrote: “No ‘national injustice’ occurred here, just as no outcome-determinative election fraud occurred in the 2020 presidential election. No ‘process of national reconciliation’ can begin when poor losers, whose preferred candidate loses an election, are glorified for disrupting a constitutionally mandated proceeding in Congress and doing so with impunity”.

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The US district judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly agreed that Trump’s action could never change the reality of the crimes. “What occurred that day is preserved for the future through thousands of contemporaneous videos, transcripts of trials, jury verdicts and judicial opinions analyzing and recounting the evidence through a neutral lens. Those records are immutable and represent the truth, no matter how the events of January 6 are described by those charged or their allies.”

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Daniel Hodges, a serving Capitol police officer, and Harry Dunn, a former officer, who both defended the Capitol against the pro-Trump mob on January 6, just reacted to Donald Trump’s pardons for the rioters at an emotional news conference with Democratic lawmakers.

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Dunn, who said that it was difficult to speak about the pardons, given the violence he experienced that day, said that Trump made it clear four years ago, and during his campaign for the presidency last year, that he “was proud of the people who stormed the Capitol on Jan 6”. Even still, Dunn noted, many of the Capitol police officers “that Donald Trump sent a mob to attack are the same people who made sure he was safe on Monday”.

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Hodges, who was one of the officers who spent the previous several days protecting the Capitol for the inauguration of Trump, said that he had done so even though, “everything he is everything he stands for is anathema to me, but he is the president.” He seemed stunned when he noted that one of the first things Trump did after the inauguration at the Capitol was to pardon everyone “who tried to stop the transfer of power” in that same building four years earlier.

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Hodges added that while Trump “is going to leverage the power he has in terrible ways” the public still has the power to apply pressure to Republicans in Congress. “Those in Congress who enable him, still answer to you”, Hodges said.

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“The people who attacked us on Jan 6 are free now,” Hodges said. “They can try it again.”

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Mike Johnson, the House speaker, announced on Wednesday that he is setting up a new select subcommittee “to continue House Republicans’ investigation into all events leading up to and after January 6”.

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The new panel, Johnson said on social media, will be dedicated to “exposing the false narratives peddled by the politically motivated Jan 6 Select Committee”, that investigated the Capitol riot and issued its final report in 2022.

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Johnson said the new panel to investigate the previous panel, and search for evidence that the Capitol riot was, as Trump supporters have suggested, somehow orchestrated by federal agents, would be chaired by Representative Barry Loudermilk of Georgia.

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The House has passed a bill to require the detainment of unauthorized migrants accused of theft and violent crimes. It marks the first legislation that President Donald Trump can sign as Congress, with some bipartisan support, swiftly moved in line with his plans to crackdown on illegal immigration. The Laken Riley Act is named after a Georgia nursing student who was murdered last year by a Venezuelan man. Its passage shows just how sharply the political debate over immigration has shifted to the right following Trump’s election victory.

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Representative Tom Emmer, the House Republican whip, posted the final vote on X, showing that it passed with 263 votes in favor to 156 against, with 14 members not voting.

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In an impassioned floor speech against the bill before it passed, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez argued that the law would be a financial windfall for private prison companies, by mandating detention for minor offenses. “I want folks at home to look, look at what members of Congress are invested in private prisons companies, who receive this kind of money, and look at the votes on this bill. It is atrocious that people are lining their pockets with private prison profits in the name of a horrific tragedy and the victim of a crime. It is shameful.”

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The impacts of Donald Trump’s return to the White House are being felt across the United States, and the world. The president just ordered the southern border closed to migrants, the justice department has threatened to investigate state and local officials who do not cooperate with immigration enforcement efforts, while refugees approved for resettlement to the United States have been stranded globally by the new administration’s policies. Trump’s first interview since taking office, with conservative commentator Sean Hannity, will air at 9pm this evening, but the president took to Truth Social a few hours ago to warn Russia that he will impose sanctions and tariffs if they do not end their war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Democrats have launched a renewed plea not to confirm Pete Hegseth to lead the Pentagon, pointing to new details of his behavior during his second marriage.

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Here’s what else has happened today so far:

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  The US military plans to expand its troop numbers along the US border, with a deployment of 1,500 active duty soldiers.

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  Elon Musk and Sam Altman, both billionaires friendly with Trump, feuded on X over a big AI infrastructure project the president unveiled yesterday.

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  Mike Johnson said he was “looking forward” when asked about Trump’s blanket pardons to January 6 rioters – but had plenty to say when it came to Joe Biden’s pardons to his own family.

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  Deporting undocumented immigrants accused of crimes and securing the border are relatively popular with Americans, a new poll found, but Trump’s most extreme actions are less so.

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  Read the note Biden left for Donald Trump in the White House – a tradition for outgoing presidents to their successors.

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Donald Trump has just signed an executive order effectively closing the US-Mexico border to migrants, including people seeking asylum.

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“President Trump is authorizing and directing the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and the Department of State to take all necessary action to immediately repel, repatriate, and remove illegal aliens across the southern border of the United States,” the White House said.

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“Through the exercise of his authority, President Trump has further restricted access to the provisions of the immigration laws that would enable any illegal alien involved in an invasion across the southern border of the United States to remain in the United States, such as asylum.”

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The administration specifically blamed Joe Biden for border crossings, saying:

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States, such as the Great State of Texas, have asked the Federal Government for protection against invasion during the Biden Administration, but it failed to protect them from millions of illegal aliens entering the United States, invading their communities, and imposing billions of dollars of costs upon State and local governments.

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Democratic senators have called for the Senate to hold off on confirming Pete Hegseth as defense secretary, saying revelations about his behavior during his second marriage and excess drinking are cause for concern.

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In a joint statement, Elizabeth Warren, Tim Kaine, Mark Kelly, Mazie Hirono, Richard Blumenthal, Tammy Duckworth, Jeanne Shaheen and Kirsten Gillibrand demand meetings with Hegseth before the full Senate votes on his confirmation:

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In a sworn statement under the penalty of perjury, a new report shows U.S. Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth was ‘erratic and aggressive’ toward his second wife over many years, to the point that she feared for her safety. The report also details repeated instances of his drinking alcohol in excess, including the need to be dragged out of a strip club while in uniform. This affidavit is part of a disturbing pattern of behavior that has been documented through numerous public and private reports. The affidavit also raises additional questions about the thoroughness of his FBI background check during a rushed confirmation process.

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Despite repeated requests, Mr. Hegseth has refused to meet with the vast majority of Democratic members of the Senate Armed Services Committee. We request that Mr. Hegseth meet privately with every interested lawmaker on the committee before the Senate votes on his nomination so that we can have frank discussions about the new information that has come to light. It would be irresponsible and contrary to our constitutional duty for the Senate to vote to confirm this nomination before such meetings have occurred.

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On Monday, the Senate armed services committee approved Hegseth’s nomination, and he awaits confirmation by the full chamber.

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Stephen Miller, a top White House adviser to Donald Trump and an architect of his hardline immigration policies, said the administration is looking for a way to reimpose a federal rule allowing for the immediate expulsion of border crossers, even if they are seeking asylum.

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According to the Associated Press, Miller told Republican senators at a lunch today that the Trump administration is looking for a legal rationale to reinstate rule, known as Title 42. The president approved the rule during his first term in office as a measure against the Covid-19 pandemic, before Joe Biden allowed it to lapse.

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Here’s more about Title 42, and what it would do:

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Fox News obtained the text of the letter Joe Biden left to Donald Trump upon his return to the presidency.

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Leaving a letter for your successor is an American presidential tradition. Here’s what Biden wrote:

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Dear President Trump,

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As I take leave of this sacred office I wish you and your family all the best in the next four years. The American people – and people around the world – look to this house for steadiness in the inevitable storms of history, and my prayer is that in the coming years will be a time of prosperity, peace, and grace for our nation.

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May God bless you and guide you as He has blessed and guided our beloved country since our founding.

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Joe Biden

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1-20-25

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The military is planning to increase the number of active-duty troops deployed to the US-Mexico border as part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on migrants, Reuters reports.

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Here’s more:

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The U.S. military is preparing to send about 1,000 additional active-duty troops to the border with Mexico, a U.S. official said, just two days after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on immigration.

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The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, did not say when the troops would be deployed.

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They would be joining the roughly 2,200 active-duty and thousands of National Guard troops already on the border.

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During his first term, Trump ordered 5,200 troops to help secure the border with Mexico. Former President Joe Biden deployed active-duty troops to the border as well.

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Trump’s Jan. 20 executive order instructed the Pentagon to send as many troops as necessary to obtain “complete operational control of the southern border of the United States.”

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“Within 90 days, the heads of the Defense Department and Department of Homeland Security will need to recommend whether additional actions, including invoking the Insurrection Act of 1807, might be necessary,” it said.

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The Insurrection Act of 1807 allows the U.S. president to deploy the military to suppress domestic insurrection.

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As an exception to the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, which prohibits military forces being used for domestic law enforcement, the 1807 act has been used in the past to quell civil unrest. The last time was in 1992, when the acquittal of four Los Angeles police officers in the beating of Black motorist Rodney King led to deadly riots.

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The impacts of Donald Trump’s return to the White House are being felt across the United States, and the world. The justice department has threatened to investigate state and local officials who do not cooperate with immigration enforcement efforts, while refugees approved for resettlement to the United States have been stranded globally by the new administration’s policies. Trump’s first interview since taking office, with conservative commentator Sean Hannity, will air at 9pm this evening, but the president took to Truth Social a few hours ago to warn Russia that he will impose sanctions and tariffs if they do not end their war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Democrats have launched a renewed plea not to confirm Pete Hegseth to lead the Pentagon, pointing to new details of his behavior during his second marriage.

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Here’s what else has happened today so far:

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  Elon Musk and Sam Altman, both billionaires friendly with Trump, feuded on X over a big AI infrastructure project the president unveiled yesterday.

\n

• \n

  Mike Johnson said he was “looking forward”, when asked about Trump’s blanket pardons to January 6 rioters – but had plenty to say when it came to Joe Biden’s pardons to his own family.

\n

• \n

  Deporting undocumented immigrants accused of crimes and securing the border are relatively popular with Americans, a new poll found, but Trump’s most extreme actions are less so.

\n

“,”elementId”:”fcfc4ddd-c644-4dac-947e-5e0f1443aa14″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1737568330000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”12.52 EST”,”blockLastUpdated”:1737570205000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”13.23 EST”,”blockFirstPublished”:1737570205000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”13.23 EST”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”13.23″,”title”:”The day so far”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Wed 22 Jan 2025 21.25 EST”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Wed 22 Jan 2025 04.09 EST”},{“id”:”6791297b8f086e1515d8305c”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate committee considering Pete Hegseth’s appointment to lead the defense department, has released details of alleged abuse by the former Fox News host towards his second wife.

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In a statement, Reed, the ranking member on the Senate armed services committee, said he had received an affidavit from an unspecified individual detailing Hegseth’s behavior in his second marriage. Media outlets have earlier reported that the individual is Hegseth’s former sister-in-law.

“,”elementId”:”fab7ffc5-b8a9-444e-9134-fd95f0bec2d8″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

“As I have said for months, the reports of Mr Hegseth’s history of alleged sexual assault, alcohol abuse, and public misconduct necessitate an exhaustive background investigation. I have been concerned that the background check process has been inadequate, and this affidavit confirms that fact,” Reed said in a statement.

“,”elementId”:”befd1428-cdac-45b8-b85a-61c2427c58ca”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Here are the details of Hegseth’s alleged behavior, from Reed:

“,”elementId”:”5439ec58-960b-4bff-9098-4a95f20672d2″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

\n
• \n

  Mr Hegseth abused alcohol regularly and his volatile behavior caused family members to fear for their safety.

\n

• \n

  Mr Hegseth’s second spouse had an ‘escape plan’ that involved texting a ‘safe word’ to friends and family to urgently request assistance without putting herself in more danger with Mr Hegseth. This escape plan was executed on at least one occasion.

\n

• \n

  On at least one occasion, Mr Hegseth’s second spouse hid in her closet out of fear of him.

\n

• \n

  While drunk in his military uniform – a violation of military laws – Mr Hegseth was so inebriated that his brother had to carry him out of a Minneapolis strip club. This occurred during a drill weekend with the Minnesota national guard.

\n

• \n

  Mr Hegseth regularly became so drunk that he passed out, threw up, and had to be carried out of family events and public settings, sometimes shouting sexually and racially offensive statements.

\n

• \n

  Mr Hegseth said that women should not vote or work, and that Christians needed to have more children so they could overtake the Muslim population.

\n

• \n

  Several other accounts of abusive behavior and public drunkenness.

\n

“,”elementId”:”f6f39d88-3bc1-4178-bc6c-fd55deae77b2″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Here’s more on the new allegations against the defense secretary nominee, who currently appears on track to be confirmed by the Senate:

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In a post on Truth Social, Donald Trump has threatened to impose “high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions” on Russia and its allies if it does not stop its invasion of Ukraine.

“,”elementId”:”c84ab196-7490-498e-8c45-407e39203d0c”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The post comes after Trump failed to achieve his campaign promise of ending the war in the country within 24 hours of taking office. Here’s what the president wrote:

“,”elementId”:”4f1f0efd-4b81-4cb9-a59d-32877796a3ac”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement”,”html”:”

\n

I’m not looking to hurt Russia. I love the Russian people, and always had a very good relationship with President Putin – and this despite the Radical Left’s Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX. We must never forget that Russia helped us win the Second World War, losing almost 60,000,000 lives in the process. All of that being said, I’m going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. If we don’t make a “deal,” and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries. Let’s get this war, which never would have started if I were President, over with! We can do it the easy way, or the hard way – and the easy way is always better. It’s time to “MAKE A DEAL.” NO MORE LIVES SHOULD BE LOST!!!

\n

“,”elementId”:”4dfc3c9f-8fb2-4afa-ba41-959fffe7c1c6″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1737561584000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”10.59 EST”,”blockLastUpdated”:1737564097000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”11.41 EST”,”blockFirstPublished”:1737561781000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”11.03 EST”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”11.03″,”title”:”Trump threatens tariffs on Russia and allies unless they end war in Ukraine”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Wed 22 Jan 2025 21.25 EST”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Wed 22 Jan 2025 04.09 EST”},{“id”:”67910c788f08f5b54c497dc5″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Donald Trump’s first sit-down interview since being inaugurated president will be with conservative Fox News commentator Sean Hannity, the network announced.

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The (undoubtedly friendly) interview will air at 9pm today, and take place in the Oval Office.

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Among the many executive orders Donald Trump signed on Monday was one that has prevented refugees who have been cleared to resettle in the United States from reaching the country, the Associated Press reports.

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It’s a situation not unlike what played out at the start of his first term, when he signed a similar executive order to stop refugees from coming into the US. Here’s more on the latest move, from the AP:

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\n

Refugees who had been approved to travel to the United States before a Jan. 27 deadline suspending America’s refugee resettlement program have had their travel plans canceled by the Trump administration.

\n Thousands of refugees are now stranded at various locations around the globe.

\n The suspension was in an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on Monday. It left open the possibility that people who had undergone the lengthy process to be approved as refugees and permitted to come to the U.S., and had flights booked before that deadline, might still be able to get in under the wire.

\n But in an email reviewed Wednesday by The Associated Press, the U.S. agency overseeing refugee processing and arrival told staff and stakeholders that “refugee arrival to the United States have been suspended until further notice.”

\n Among those affected are the more than 1,600 Afghans cleared to resettle in the U.S. as part of the program that the Biden administration set up after the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. That number includes those who worked alongside American soldiers during the war as well as family members of active-duty U.S. military personnel.

\n Trump’s order had given the agency until Jan. 27 before it began to halt all processing and traveling. Now, however, it appears the timing in the order was moved up. It was not immediately clear what prompted the change.

\n

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Federal prosecutors could investigate state and local officials who do not cooperate with Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policies, the Associated Press reports, citing a justice department memo authored by an appointee of the new president.

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The policy marks an attempt by the new Trump administration to overcome local efforts to resist his plans for mass deportation of undocumented immigrants. Some cities and states have passed laws or approved policies that limit their cooperation with immigration authorities, and the memo from acting deputy attorney general Emil Bove signals prosecutors could be tasked with going after officials who follow those laws.

“,”elementId”:”974483e7-e314-4aa7-b353-e40dc3726209″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Here’s more, from the AP:

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\n

The Justice Department is directing its federal prosecutors to investigate any state or local officials who stand in the way of beefed-up enforcement of immigration laws under the Trump administration, according to a memo to the entire workforce obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday.

\n

Written by Emil Bove, the acting deputy attorney general, the memo also says the department will return to the principle of charging defendants with the most serious crime it can prove, a staple position of Republican-led departments meant to remove a prosecutor’s discretion to charge a lower-level offense.

\n

Much of the memo is centered on immigration enforcement. Bove wrote that prosecutors shall “take all steps necessary to protect the public and secure the American border by removing illegal aliens from the country and prosecuting illegal aliens for crimes” committed in U.S. jurisdiction.

\n

The memo also suggests state and local officials who stand in the way of federal immigration enforcement could themselves come under scrutiny. It directs prosecutors to investigate any episodes in which state and local officials obstruct or impede federal functions.

\n

“Federal law prohibits state and local actors from resisting, obstructing and otherwise failing to comply with lawful immigration-related commands and requests,” the memo says. “The U.S. Attorney’s Offices and litigating components of the Department of Justice shall investigate incidents involving any such misconduct for potential prosecution.”

\n

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Associated Press reports the Nielsen Company says an estimated 24.6 million people watched coverage of President Donald Trump’s second inauguration in the US.

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It says that is the lowest audience since 2013, when Barack Obama was sworn in for his second term. Nielsen says it is also down from the 33.8 million who saw Joe Biden’s inauguration, and the 30.6 million who saw Trump take office for the first time in 2017.

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Overnight on social media Donald Trump responded to Bishop Budde, the leader of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, calling on him to show mercy, by saying that “she brought her church into the world of politics in a very ungracious way.”

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In a post to his Truth Social network, Trump said:

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\n

She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart.

\n

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He added that “the so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater … she and her church owe the public an apology!”

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The Right Rev Mariann Budde had said “There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives. You have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy on the people in our country who are scared now.”

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One of the largest Arab American civil rights organisations in the US has spoken out against one of the executive orders issued by Donald Trump on Monday, warning that it lays the groundwork for a repeat of Trump’s so-called Muslim ban in 2017.

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Signed as part of Trump’s barrage of executive orders, the new order instructs top homeland security and national intelligence officials to jointly submit a report within 60 days identifying countries whose vetting and screening processes are deemed “deficient.”

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The list could then trigger either partial or full bans on nationals from these countries, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee said in a statement.

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The organisation also expressed concern that the new order is seemingly wider-reaching than the 2017 ban, in that it targets perceived ideologies. The new order would allow the government to be allowed to deny visas or entry based on perceived political opinions, religious beliefs or cultural background, it said.

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“Such practices echo some of the most troubling chapters in our nation’s history, when the government barred and scrutinized people solely for their viewpoints or associations rather than any credible security concern,” the committee noted.

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Others groups in the US have also expressed concerns about the order. On Tuesday the National Iranian American Council warned that the order sets the stage for a ban to be announced any day through March. As it instructs officials to report on visas issued in the past four years, the council worried that it could pave the way for the deportation of Iranians and other individuals who lawfully secured visas after Trump’s previous ban was repealed in 2021.

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On Tuesday, President Donald Trump was critical in public of Russian president Vladimir Putin, saying “He’s not doing so well” in the war on Ukraine. This morning there has been a response from Russia.

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Reuters reports Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Wednesday that Moscow sees a small window of opportunity to forge agreements with the new administration.

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Speaking at the Institute for US and Canadian Studies, a thinktank in Moscow, Ryabkov said:

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\n

We cannot say anything today about the degree of the incoming administration’s capacity to negotiate, but still, compared to the hopelessness in every aspect of the previous White House chief there is a window of opportunity today, albeit a small one.

\n

It is therefore important to understand with what and whom we will have to deal, how best to build relations with Washington, how best to maximise opportunities and minimise risks.

\n

“,”elementId”:”dc734ade-07c8-4315-8eee-05d7ae2f3741″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Russia has not had an ambassador in Washington since October when Anatoly Antonov left his post.

“,”elementId”:”8947d9a6-a6b9-4478-82a4-f555fc4e10aa”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Trump, who campaigned for election saying he would end the war in Ukraine, said on Tuesday of Putin and Russia:

“,”elementId”:”ed3deb77-2630-49ae-870e-8db30023a9bf”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement”,”html”:”

\n

He should make a deal. I think he’s destroying Russia by not making a deal. I think Russia is going to be in big trouble. You take a look at their economy. You take a look at their inflation in Russia. I got along with him great. I would hope he wants to make a deal.

\n

He can’t be thrilled. He’s not doing so well. He’s grinding it out. It’s not making him look very good. I think he would be well off to end that war.

\n

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On Tuesday Putin held a lengthy phone call with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, during which diplomats said they discussed Ukraine and the two countries’ relationships with Trump and the new US administration.

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The Trump administration is ordering federal employees in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) program roles to be put on paid leave by Wednesday evening, NBC is reporting.

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A new memo from the Office of Personnel Management also asks federal agencies to submit plans to dismiss all DEI program employees by 31 January. Websites and social media accounts for DEI programs are to be closed.

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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said it was a “promise kept”, and “another win for Americans of all races, religions, and creeds.”

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She added “President Trump campaigned on ending the scourge of DEI from our federal government and returning America to a merit based society.”

“,”elementId”:”5d9002f5-baf2-4d59-8e69-76f5d919bd17″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement”,”prefix”:”Related: “,”text”:”US federal diversity staff put on leave as Trump orders end to programmes”,”elementId”:”df741606-857c-4bf7-8eb2-694ece330243″,”role”:”thumbnail”,”url”:”https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/22/trump-orders-immediate-closure-of-all-us-federal-diversity-offices”}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1737536951000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”04.09 EST”,”blockLastUpdated”:1737549969000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”07.46 EST”,”blockFirstPublished”:1737537254000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”04.14 EST”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”04.14″,”title”:”Trump administration orders all federal DEI program workers to be placed on paid leave”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Wed 22 Jan 2025 21.25 EST”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Wed 22 Jan 2025 04.09 EST”},{“id”:”6790aee28f08d392158d6ba1″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Donald Trump has threatened to ignite a trade war with China after suggesting he intends to impose a 10% tariff on goods imported to the US from the country over the issue of fentanyl.

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Trump said “We’re talking about a tariff of 10 percent on China based on the fact that they’re sending fentanyl to Mexico and Canada.”

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In response, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday that “we always believe there is no winner in a tariff or trade war” and that her country would safeguard its interests.

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During his election campaign Trump suggested he would seek 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada.

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Welcome to the Guardian’s rolling coverage of US politics. Here are your headlines …

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  President Donald Trump has claimed he intends to impose a 10% tariff on goods imported from China from 1 February

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  He has also moved to put all federal staff working on DEI programs on paid leave

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  Trump says immigration authorities can arrest people at churches and schools

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  Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders are among January 6 prisoners released early after Trump pardon

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  The Episcopal bishop of Washington appealed directly to the president to “have mercy upon” communities across the country targeted by the new administration’s immigration and LGBTQ+ policies

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  The Trump administration is being sued over order making it easier to fire federal workers

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  Trump announced on his social media platform that he has pardoned Ross Ulbricht, who created and ran the Silk Road drug marketplace

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  The influence of the super rich on Donald Trump’s presidency is a threat to global stability, a new poll of millionaires has found

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Key events

Lauren Gambino

California attorney general Rob Bonta said Donald Trump “cannot bully” the state into carrying out the president’s mass deportation agenda.

He was responding to a new DoJ memo that directs federal prosecutors to investigate any state or local officials who stand in the way of beefed-up enforcement of immigration laws under the Trump administration.

“This is a scare tactic, plain and simple. The President is attempting to intimidate and bully state and local law enforcement into carrying out his mass deportation agenda for him,” Bonta said, adding that his office was reviewing the memo and was “prepared to take legal action if the Trump Administration’s vague threats turn to illegal action”.

California law limits how state and local law enforcement can assist federal immigration authorities. The state has the largest population of undocumented people in the country. Bonta said Trump already tried – and failed – to undermine the state law during his first term when the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals held that it “did not conflict with federal law or violate the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution”.

Bonta continued: “California law is clear – SB 54 prohibits state and local law enforcement from using taxpayer funds to enforce federal immigration law, subject to several narrow exceptions. SB 54 does not prevent state and local law enforcement from investigating and prosecuting crimes. Nor does it prevent federal agencies from conducting immigration enforcement themselves; what it says is that they cannot make us do their jobs for them.”

Trump and his team have also suggested using the threat of withholding federal disaster assistance as a way to force the state to cooperate.

The American Civil Liberties Union also announced that it is joining the legal effort to derail Trump’s deportation plans. “We’re suing to stop the Trump administration’s attempt to massively expand fast-tracked deportations without due process,” the ACLU declared in a Bluesky post. “This policy was illegal when Trump enacted it in his first term and it’s illegal now.”