Donald Trump has hit out at the Bishop of Washington, Mariann Budde, who conducted a Tuesday morning prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral he attended, calling her “a Radical Left hard line Trump hater” and saying she had been “ungracious” by calling upon him to show “mercy” towards LGBT+ children and migrants.
“Apart from her inappropriate statements, the service was a very boring and uninspiring one,” the president fumed, demanding an apology.
Trump has also advanced his “culture wars” agenda by ordering that all federal employees hired under diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs be put on paid leave with a view to their ultimate dismissal.
The president has further said that he would be open to his billionaire ally Elon Musk or Oracle boss Larry Ellison buying the US arm of Chinese social video app TikTok from parent company ByteDance after granting it a 75-day reprieve on being banned in the US.
In addition, he has moved to threaten China with a 10 percent tariff in retaliation for its alleged spread of fentanyl, pardon Ross Ulbricht, founder of the Silk Road illegal drugs marketplace, and announce a $500bn AI infrastructure project.
Key Points
- Angry Donald Trump demands apology from bishop over mercy appeal for ‘scared’ immigrants and trans youth
- Trump orders federal ‘DEI staff' be put on paid leave
- President says he’s open to Elon Musk buying TikTok ‘if he wants to’
- Trump threatens China with 10% tariff over fentanyl claims
- President pardons imprisoned Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht
Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio calls for retribution in chilling new Alex Jones interview
16:35
,
Joe Sommerlad
The now-former leader of the extremist gang who was just granted clemency by Trump, celebrated his release from prison on Tuesday by calling into conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’s show and calling for retribution.
Speaking to Jones, a Proud Boys sympathizer who was a key figure in planning the January 6 rally, Tarrio heaped praise on Trump for freeing him and other Proud Boy members from jail.
He also expressed no regrets about the Capitol riots, even though he previously apologized for his role in the events.
“I’d like to thank again President Donald J Trump for helping us through these difficult times and releasing me, Joe Biggs, Ethan Nordean, Zachary Rehl, and Dominic Pezzola. Right? And all the J6ers,” he declared.
“We went through hell, and I’m gonna tell you, it was worth it, because what we stood for and what those guys stood for was what we’ve been fighting for and what we saw yesterday on the inauguration stage.
“I can’t tell you it’s been easy, but I will tell you it’s been worth it.”
Here’s more from Justin Baragona.
Trump gives the OK for ICE agents to raid churches and schools looking for undocumented migrants
16:20
,
Joe Sommerlad
Donald Trump’s administration has rescinded long-standing policy that prohibits federal immigration authorities from enforcement actions in places like schools, daycare centers, hospitals, churches and other so-called “sensitive areas” as the president lays the groundwork for his “mass deportation” agenda.
“Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said in a statement.
“The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense.”
For more than a decade, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents had been restricted from arrests in “sensitive” sites without approval from more senior officials.
The latest directive under Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman rescinds previous guidance under Joe Biden’s administration, which further established “protected areas,” including places where “children gather, disaster or emergency relief sites, and social services establishments.”
The changes have drawn sharp rebukes and warnings from faith leaders, teachers unions, school districts and immigrant advocacy groups, with state and local leaders in so-called “sanctuary” policies pledging to defend their jurisdictions in court.
And speaking of ICE...
Scoop: ICE has directed employees to refer to foreign nationals as "aliens" in all "internal and external communications," per an internal memo
— Stef Kight (@StefWKight) January 22, 2025
Biden's team had changed it to "noncitizen" https://t.co/znyNSGaETy
Here’s more from Alex Woodward.
Trump urges Putin: ‘Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War!’
16:00
,
Joe Sommerlad
Here’s the president throwing down the gauntlet to Vladimir Putin, warning him he will target Russia with tariffs, taxes and sanctions if it does not agree a deal to end the war in Ukraine:
Trump threatens Russia with tariffs, taxes and sanctions if it doesn't make a deal to end the war in Ukraine pic.twitter.com/YItwGDBDy5
— Sam Stein (@samstein) January 22, 2025
‘F*** it, release ’em all’: Inside Trump’s decision to issue blanket Jan 6 pardons
15:55
,
Joe Sommerlad
In one of the first acts of his second administration, the new president pardoned nearly all of the 1,500 people charged over their roles in the attempted insurrection at the US Capitol four years ago.
Now, fresh details are emerging that reveal the spur-of-the-moment nature of the decision that led to the move.
“Trump just said: ‘F*** it: Release ’em all,’” an adviser familiar with the discussions told the Axios.
Meanwhile, it’s worth noting that the aforementioned Speaker Johnson has been making it abundantly clear just now that this is the president’s call and, ideally, not something he wants to be associated with:
Speaker Mike Johnson, asked how Republicans can claim to back the blue while supporting the pardons of Jan. 6 rioters who violently assaulted police, says:
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) January 22, 2025
"Everybody can describe this however they want. The president has the pardon and commutation authority. It's his decision.…
Here’s Kelly Rissman with the inside story behind a highly divisive act of clemency.
Trump celebrates 20th wedding anniversary with lazy reposts and AI lion meme
15:35
,
Joe Sommerlad
The president’s first social media activity of the morning finds him wishing the first lady a “Happy Anniversary!” by, er, reposting a load of old pictures and fan art from his supporters in pretty half-assed fashion.
He also threw up this AI lion meme because why not?
JUST IN: President Donald J. Trump posts an image of him roaring with a lion. pic.twitter.com/HB9NixMk7G
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 22, 2025
Also on MAGA social media, House Speaker Mike Johnson has posted this video of Vice President Vance, jaw agape, being shown the Oval Office for the first time by Trump.
“This is JD Vance’s first time to step into the Oval Office.”
— Philip Melanchthon Wegmann (@PhilipWegmann) January 22, 2025
pic.twitter.com/dmNvFZrLAi
Prominent Republican demands Trump deport bishop who preached mercy
15:15
,
Joe Sommerlad
The man was sworn in as president 46 hours ago and we’re already seeing headlines like the above... It is going to be a LONG four years.
Here’s the latest on bishop-gate from James Liddell.
Trump orders federal ‘DEI staff’ be put on paid leave
14:55
,
Joe Sommerlad
The president has been advancing his “culture wars” agenda by ordering that all federal employees hired under diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs be put on paid leave with a view to their ultimate dismissal.
It is not yet known precisely how many people the order applies to but agencies have been told to put relevant on leave “immediately,” according to an executive order signed by Trump on Tueday night.
Employers are instructed to notify their staff by 5pm Wednesday.
The order also asks federal agencies for a plan to be submitted by January 31 on dismissing its diversity hires.
Here’s more.
Sarah McBride laughs off Trump’s anti-trans executive order
14:35
,
Joe Sommerlad
The Delaware Representative, the first openly transgender person elected to Congress, brushed off Trump’s anti-transgender executive order Tuesday evening, which declared that there are only two genders and attempted to define them on a biological level.
Here’s Eric Garcia on her mockery of the flawed wording of the president’s order.
Musk furious after Wikipedia page calls his controversial gesture a ‘Nazi salute’
14:15
,
Joe Sommerlad
The Tesla, SpaceX and X boss been enraged by the internet encylopaedia’s characterization of his aforementioned gesture and called for the site’s “defunding”, inviting a wry response from its founder Jimmy Wales.
Here’s Madeline Sherratt with more.
Watch: Piers Morgan recalls bizarre phone call with Trump days before inauguration
13:55
,
Joe Sommerlad
Voices: ‘Yes, Trump 2.0 will reshape the world – but not in the ways you might think’
13:35
,
Joe Sommerlad
During his first term, the president didn’t know his way around Washington, writes Jon Sopel.
But this time is different.
This time, he knows exactly what he’s doing – and how to do it.
AOC rebukes Elon Musk: ‘In this country, we hate Nazis’
13:15
,
Joe Sommerlad
The Democratic congresswoman has offered this pointed response to Musk’s “Roman” salute on Monday:
AOC: Elon Musk can do whatever he wants behind the presidential seal, but in this country we hate Nazis. Two of the foundational things in American history are that we beat the confederates and we beat the Nazis. pic.twitter.com/dBlK9W4Jpv
— Acyn (@Acyn) January 22, 2025
Musk has denied that his gesture really was a Nazi salute and some debate over the matter erupted on Capitol Hill yesterday at the confirmation hearing for Trump’s choice to be the US ambassador to the United Nations, Elise Stefanik, who hotly denied that it was and fell out with Democratic Senator Chris Murphy on the subject.
For what it’s worth, this is what far-right agitator Nick Fuentes had to say about it:
If you want to know if something was a Nazi salute or not, just ask the experts.
— David Gilbert (@daithaigilbert) January 22, 2025
Nick Fuentes: "That was a straight up like 'Sieg Heil',' like loving Hitler energy."https://t.co/xBJliUGHcm pic.twitter.com/zOFmlL8tln
For more on the radicalization of the world’s richest man, here’s Anthony Cuthbertson.
India scrambles to appease Trump amid fears over worker visas
12:55
,
Joe Sommerlad
The South Asian superpower has expressed its readiness to collaborate with the US to identify and repatriate thousands of its citizens reportedly living illegally in America.
New Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar discussed “irregular migration” on Tuesday after Trump took office, according to the US State Department.
India has committed to helping repatriate as many as 18,000 of its citizens living illegally in the US, Bloomberg News reports, a move which is being interpreted as an attempt by India to placate the new American president and avoid a trade war.
Maroosha Muzaffar reports.
Watch: Trump reacts to bishop’s plea for mercy at prayer service
12:35
,
Joe Sommerlad
Cop who survived Capitol riot injuries condemns Trump’s pardons: ‘I feel betrayed’
12:15
,
Joe Sommerlad
Here’s the other side of the coin.
Graig Grazosi has this on former DC Metropolitan police officer Brian Fanone’s response to the pardons.
Watch: January 6 rioter thanks Trump for pardon and reveals first thing he’s going to do after release
11:55
,
Joe Sommerlad
Trump promotes crypto on social media from the White House
11:35
,
Joe Sommerlad
The president has wasted little time in raising conflict of interest concerns by cheerily promoting his latest business venture on Truth Social.
He’s selling crypto from the White House. https://t.co/eYy2lkEV57
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) January 22, 2025
This was his unconvincing justification for doing so when quizzed about it by reporters in the Oval Office yesterday.
Reporter: Do you intend to continue selling crypto products that benefit yourself while President?
— Acyn (@Acyn) January 21, 2025
Trump: I don’t know if it benefited. Where is it today?
Reporter: You made several billion dollars
Trump: That’s peanuts for these guys pic.twitter.com/eimGxhAZeA
Since we’re on the subject, here are a few more of his answers for the press yesterday, which saw him reveal that he removed the security detail for his former national security adviser John Bolton (despite credible threats against his life from Iran) because he is, in Trump’s opinion, “a very dumb person”.
REPORTER: Why did you remove John Bolton's security clearance?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 21, 2025
TRUMP: Because I think that was enough time. I thought he was a very dumb person but I used him well. pic.twitter.com/mDdrbGDkNl
He also failed to answer on why it was appropriate to pardon a Capitol rioter who assaulted a police officer, expressed sympathy for the super-rich preferring powerful showers and got his American economic history wildly wrong.
REPORTER: You would agree it's never acceptable to assault police officers?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 21, 2025
TRUMP: Sure
REPORTER: Among those you pardoned is a guy who used a stun gun on a police officer. Why does he deserve a pardon?
TRUMP: Well, I don't know pic.twitter.com/nGGqsHEg6C
Man of the people. https://t.co/bhMTnSLzNH
— Heather Thomas (@HeatherThomasAF) January 22, 2025
The longest period of economic contraction in the U.S. was from 1873 to 1896, known as the Long Depression. There were shorter recessions within this period, plus financial panics in 1893 and 1896 and recessions in 1899 and 1902. Good time if you were a Robber Baron maybe. https://t.co/PCOR81UrGj
— Paul Farhi (@farhip) January 22, 2025
Trump sued by 22 states and pregnant women over ‘flagrantly illegal’ birthright citizenship order
11:15
,
Joe Sommerlad
It’s only the early morning of the new president’s second full day in office and already his actions to tackle illegal immigration are facing strong legal challenges.
Here’s Alex Woodward with the very latest.
Trump announces up to $500bn investment in AI project
10:55
,
Joe Sommerlad
The president yesterday announced investments worth up to half a trillion dollars for infrastructure tied to artificial intelligence by a new partnership formed by OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank.
The new entity, Stargate, will start building out projects needed for the further development of the fast-evolving AI in Texas, according to the White House.
Here’s more.
Trump pardons imprisoned Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht
10:35
,
Joe Sommerlad
The president announced on Tuesday that he has pardoned Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road, an underground website for selling illegal drugs and other contraband goods like hacking equipment and stolen passports.
Ulbricht was sentenced to life in prison in 2015 after a high-profile prosecution that highlighted the role of the internet in black markets and ended with him being convicted on seven counts, including conspiracy and money laundering.
The president posted on his Truth Social platform that he had spoken to Ulbricht’s mother on his first full day in office at the White House to deliver the news:
I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbright to let her know that in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross. The scum that worked to convict him were…
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) January 22, 2025
Here’s a little background on Trump’s latest controversial clemency gesture, following the mass pardoning of Capitol rioters.
Trump threatens China with 10% tariff over fentanyl claims
10:15
,
Joe Sommerlad
The president issued a fresh threat against the rival superpower on Tuesday, hinting he could hit Beijing with 10 per cent tariffs on all imports, which can come into force as soon as 1 February, a move coming despite his “very good” call with Chinese Premier Xi Jinping last Friday.
“We’re talking about a tariff of 10 per cent on China, based on the fact that they’re sending fentanyl to Mexico and Canada,” Trump said.
“Probably February 1 is the date we’re looking at.”
Here’s more from Shweta Sharma.
Who is the DC bishop that bravely stood up to Trump?
09:55
,
Joe Sommerlad
Here’s Bishop Budde explaining her decision to stand up to the new president during yesterday’s prayer service.
Graig Graziosi offers this profile of the Episcopalian who says Trump’s proposed actions are “antithetical” to the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Angry Trump demands apology from Bishop of Washington over appeal for mercy for ‘scared’ immigrants and trans youth
09:35
,
Joe Sommerlad
The new president has meanwhile hit out at the Bishop of Washington, Mariann Budde, who conducted a Tuesday morning prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral he attended, calling her “a Radical Left hard line Trump hater” and saying she had been “ungracious” by calling upon him to show mercy towards LGBT+ children and migrants.
“Apart from her inappropriate statements, the service was a very boring and uninspiring one,” Trump fumed, demanding an apology.
On Fox News last night, Trump cheerleaders Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham likewise attacked the bishop for issuing a “woke tirade” and forcing the president and his entourage to listen to the “rantings of a lunatic”.
Hannity: She goes on the far left woke tirade in front of Donald Trump and J.D. Vance, their families and young children. She made the service about her very own deranged political beliefs with a disgraceful prayer.. listen for yourself pic.twitter.com/8yB71rHqLB
— Acyn (@Acyn) January 22, 2025
Ingraham: But rather than a Christian service about God and country, they were forced to listen to the rantings of a lunatic. pic.twitter.com/rdevhNCU9E
— Acyn (@Acyn) January 22, 2025
Here’s Katie Hawkinson’s report.
Donald Trump says he’s open to Elon Musk buying TikTok ‘if he wants to’
09:16
,
Joe Sommerlad
Good morning!
Donald Trump has said that he would be open to his billionaire ally Elon Musk or Oracle boss Larry Ellison buying the US arm of Chinese social video app TikTok from parent company ByteDance after granting it a 75-day reprieve on being banned in the US.
Asked by reporters at the White House on Tuesday whether he would be happy for Musk to make the acquisition, he answered: “I would be, if he wanted to buy it. I’d like Larry to buy it, too.”
REPORTER: Are you open to Elon buying TikTok?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 21, 2025
TRUMP: I would be, yeah pic.twitter.com/E2CJJniX20
Vishwam Sankaran reports.
Trump has signed a slew of executive orders — can they be challenged?
08:45
,
Ariana Baio
President Donald Trump signed a batch of executive orders on inauguration day to begin implementing his conservative agenda but some of his most ambitious – revoking birthright citizenship and denying the identity of transgender people – are likely to face legal challenges.
Executive orders are mandatory declarations from the president to federal agencies or the military about how they should use resources given to them by Congress or operate within the limits of the U.S. Constitution. It is typical for presidents to sign executive orders upon taking office to display an eagerness to begin working.
But Trump has made it clear, he plans to utilize his presidential authority to carry out his agenda to the fullest extent possible. Already, he has set the record for most executive orders signed on the first day in office.
However, some of his executive orders face legal challenges with lawmakers disputing Trump’s scope of authority. Now, many are left wondering if there is any way to stop or challenge an executive order.
Read on...
Watch: Boebert tells pardoned Jan 6 rioters to come back to US Capitol for tour
08:15
,
Oliver O'Connell
Trump’s inauguration was a ratings dud
07:46
,
Josh Marcus
Fox News was the top destination for those who wanted to see President Donald Trump sworn into office for the second time, according to Nielsen’s early data ratings, which were released Tuesday afternoon. On the flip side, though, the early ratings show that Trump’s ceremony pulled in nearly 14 million fewer viewers than Joe Biden’s ceremony back in 2021.
Between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. ET, which encompassed Trump’s swearing-in ceremony and first address as president, Fox News drew 10.3 million total viewers, and 2 million in the coveted advertising demographic of adults aged 25-54. The total, if it stands, would be the second-highest-rated inauguration in the channel’s history.
CNN pulled in just 1.7 million viewers overall, and a demo audience of 534,000, which is the second-lowest inauguration in the network’s history if the numbers hold up. MSNBC, meanwhile, delivered its lowest-rated inauguration day, averaging just 848,000 total viewers and 104,000 in the key demographic group.
Among the broadcast networks, ABC led in total viewers with 4.7 million, while NBC pulled ahead in the demographic with 1.2 million. On Monday, 26.3 million viewers watched Trump take the oath of office across seven different networks, including Fox Business Network. Roughly 5.9 million tuned in from the key demographic group.
Justin Baragona has the story.
Trump looks awkward as bishop urges him to ‘have mercy’ on ‘scared’ immigrants and LGBT+ youth
07:45
,
Oliver O'Connell
As he celebrated the second day of his presidency, Donald Trump heard “one final plea” from the pulpit at the Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday.
Hours after the president signed a series of executive orders that upend immigration policy and seek to remove transgender Americans from public life, Episocal Bishop Mariann Budde urged the president to “have mercy” for the “scared” LGBT+ children and immigrant families across the country
Alex Woodward reports on the awkward moment.
ANALYSIS: Trump’s whirlwind first day
07:15
,
Oliver O'Connell
John Bowden writes:
Donald Trump is back in Washington. So is the Trump Show: a 24-hour, nonstop spectacle of governance and politicking that runs both his critics and the media (sometimes one and the same) ragged.
After taking the oath of office at noon on Monday, the new president sprinted through his first day. Issuing more than 200 executive orders and other actions, Trump began his administration’s assault on birthright citizenship, environmental protections, and parts of Joe Biden’s legacy with directives targeting a staggering scope of issues.
This was all carefully calculated: a “Day One” agenda that captured Americans’ attention in a way that Biden and his former running mate/replacement Kamala Harris never could.
Continue reading...
After giving TikTok a second chance, can Trump actually save the app from its ban?
05:45
,
Oliver O'Connell
On Sunday, the 170 million Americans who use TikTok saw the same message when they opened the app.
“As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.”
But can Trump really save the app?
Katie Hawkinson