Donald Trump touted his ability to make his political opponents “lose their mind” after striking an agreement with Colombia to accept flights of deported migrants from the U.S.
As White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt publicly declared that Colombia had “accepted all of President Trump’s terms” on Sunday evening, Trump shared an X post praising how he handles world leaders.
“I think Trump’s greatest superpower might be his absolutely insane ability to make everyone he has a fight with lose their mind,” the president shared on Truth Social. The post added that Colombian President Gustavo Petro was the latest person to “fall victim to that”.
Trump had threatened Colombia with “emergency 25 percent tariffs” and a number of “decisive retaliatory measures” after Petro blocked two repatriation flights from landing. As a potential trade war loomed, Petro took to X and vowed to “resist” Trump and claimed he was trying to carry out a coup by weaponizing the US’ strong economic position.
It comes as California Senator Adam Schiff condemned Trump’s firing of more than a dozen independent federal government watchdogs last week as a “clear violation of law”, he told MSNBC’s Meet The Press on Sunday.
Key Points
- Colombia backs down on deportation flights after Trump tarriff threats
- Trump threatens to foment a trade war with Colombia for turning away migrants
- ‘F**k around, find out’: Trump trolls Colombia with AI meme
- Kremlin awaits ‘signals' from US for Trump-Putin meeting
- Netanyahu and Trump ‘set for White House meet next week'
Trump’s new gender rules gut a key part of the Prison Rape Elimination Act
14:06
,
Josh Marcus
Donald Trump used an executive order on gender this week to gut a major federal law offering protections against the sky-high rate of sexual violence faced by the most vulnerable individuals inside the federal prison system.
On Monday, the president signed an order requiring the government only recognize a person’s gender as defined by whether their biological sex at birth is deemed male or female, effectively erasing transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people from federal law.
Buried in the fine print was a change to what the order called Part 115.41 of title 28, Code of Federal Regulations. That provision is better known by its more common name: the 2003 Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA).
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Trump touts his ability to make political opponents ‘lose their minds’
13:45
,
James Liddell
Ninety minutes before White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt publicly declared that “Colombia has agreed to all of President Trump’s terms,” finally accepting flights of deported migrants from the U.S., Trump shared a social media post touting his so-called “superpower”.
“I think Trump’s greatest superpower might be his absolutely insane ability to make everyone he has a fight with lose their mind,’ Trump posted on his Truth Social feed late on Sunday evening, sharing a supporter’s X post.
“The Colombian president was just the latest person to fall victim to that, but he wasn’t the first and won’t be the last.”
‘People around me are almost universally concerned’: Bishop who begged Trump to have ‘mercy’ talks threats
13:25
,
James Liddell
It’s been less than a week since Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde confronted President Donald Trump, but those in her inner circle are “universally concerned” about her wellbeing after she received a flood of “violent speech.”
At the National Prayer Service last Tuesday, Budde pleaded with the newly sworn-in president to “have mercy” on vulnerable communities, including LGBTQ+ youth and migrants as he steps into his second term. While some praised the bishop as “fearless” and “brave,” Trump took to Truth Social the following day to slam her as “nasty” and as a “Radical Left hard line Trump hater.”
His remarks seemed to have ignited his followers. One Republican Congressman even called for the bishop, a U.S. citizen, to be deported.
Budde told the New Yorker that she personally doesn’t pay much attention to the critics, but those around her have expressed concern.
Kelly Rissman has the full story.
Just in: Trump and Netanyahu set for White House meet next week, sources say
13:02
,
James Liddell
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is apparently due to fly to Washington next week for a meeting with Donald Trump at the White House, three unnamed Israeli and American sources told the Israeli news website, Walla News.
The meeting is allegedly a gesture from the U.S. president in light of the hostage deal and the ceasefire in Gaza, according to one source familiar with the details.
Netanyahu’s visit would mark the first foreign leader invited to the White House since Trump’s return to office last week.
More than 15,000 Americans illegally in Colombia, Petro says
12:43
,
James Liddell
Colombian President Gustavo Petro claims there are almost 16,000 Americans living in the South American nation without proper immigration status.
After initially attempting to block two flights of deported migrants from the U.S., Petro eventually ceded just hours after Donald Trump threatened imposing a “25 percent emergency tariff” on Colombian imports.
While embroiled in a war of words – and on the brink of a US-Colombia trade war – Petro noted that thousands of U.S. immigrants were living illegally in Colombia.
“American citizens who wish to do so can be in Colombia, I believe in human freedom. But more than 15,666 are illegal immigrants and under Colombian law they must regularize their stay,” he wrote on X on Sunday.
“You will never see me burning a US flag or carrying out a raid to return handcuffed illegal immigrants to the US. True libertarians will never attack human freedom. We are the opposite of the Nazis.”
ICE arrests almost 1,000 illegal migrants in one day
12:21
,
James Liddell
#Immigration #ICEERO pic.twitter.com/ee4zKKD6aT
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) January 27, 2025
Delegation representing Trump to attend 80th anniversary of Auschwitz liberation
12:00
,
James Liddell
Donald Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and nominated commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, are expected to lead a U.S. presidential delegation to the commemoration ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oświęcim, Poland.
Other members of the delegation include Trump’s nominee for ambassador to France Charles Kushner, Isaac Perlmutter, Laura Perlmutter, Allison Lutnik, Robert Book, Michael Friedman, Boris Epshteyn, US Chargé d’Affaires in Poland Daniel Lawton and US Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues Ellen Germain.
Longtime Trump backer Lindsey Graham says pardoning Jan. 6 defendants was a ‘mistake’
11:36
,
Gustaf Kilander
A longtime backer of President Donald Trump, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, said Sunday that he thinks the new president’s choice to pardon January 6 defendants was a “mistake.”
“Pardoning the people who went into the Capitol and beat up a police officer violently I think was a mistake, because it seems to suggest that’s an OK thing to do,” Graham said on NBC’s Meet the Press.
Graham went on to connect Trump’s pardons of violent criminals to former President Joe Biden’s choice to pardon a number of members of his family in the final hours of his presidency.
“You know, Biden pardoned half his family going out the door. I think most Americans, if this continues ... will revisit the pardon power of the president if this continues,” Graham added. “As to pardoning violent people who beat up cops, I think that’s a mistake.”
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Even Republicans are questioning Trump’s ‘illegal’ midnight purge of inspector generals
11:16
,
James Liddell
Some Republicans are concerned about President Donald Trump’s late-night firing Friday of more than a dozen inspectors general without giving the proper notification to Congress.
The new Trump administration fired about 17 inspectors general on Friday from a number of departments and agencies, including State, Defense and Transportation. The inspectors general are there to work against fraud, corruption and abuses of power.
Congressional Democrats were quick to slam the firings, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer saying that the action came in the “dark of night” and that it was a “chilling” indication of what the next four years would look like.
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AOC warned of surging coffee prices before Trump U-turn on Colombia threats
10:55
,
James Liddell
To “punish” Colombia, Trump is about to make every American pay even more for coffee.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 26, 2025
Remember: *WE* pay the tariffs, not Colombia.
Trump is all about making inflation WORSE for working class Americans, not better. He’s lining the pockets of himself and the billionaire class. https://t.co/gcAomtzmCb
ICYMI: Trump says he wants to ‘clean out’ Gaza
10:33
,
James Liddell
President Donald Trump said he would like to see Gaza “just cleaned out,” allowing a clean slate for the war-torn region on the back of the ceasefire deal.
Trump called for Jordan, Egypt and other Arab nations to increase the number of Palestinian refugees they are accepting. His hope is they take enough to allow the area to start anew.
Trump has built his political career around being unapologetically pro-Israel. On his larger vision for Gaza, Trump told reporters on Air Force One he had a call earlier in the day with King Abdullah II of Jordan and would speak Sunday with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt.
Alex Lang, Zeke Miller and Will Weissert have the full story.
Putin-Trump meet still unorganized as Kremlin awaits ‘signals’ from US
10:12
,
James Liddell
The Kremlin said it had not yet received any “signals” from the US about a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, after the leaders said last week they were ready to make contact.
“So far, we have not received any signals from the Americans. The readiness remains. The same readiness, as we have heard, remains on the American side,” Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesperson, told reporters on Monday.
‘Trump is cool now’: Bill Maher eviscerates Democrats for allowing Trump’s popularity rise
09:51
,
Gustaf Kilander
Comedian Bill Maher slammed Democrats for allowing President Donald Trump’s popularity to rise following his first week in office.
“Here’s how bad the Democrats f***** up: Trump is cool now,” Maher said on Real Time with Bill Maher. “He’s not just the most powerful guy in the world and just made himself like the richest, he’s actually kind of [cool] at 78!”
Maher pointed to rappers and athletes sharing their liking of the new president. Nelly, Rick Ross, and Snoop Dogg all performed at inaugural events, in addition to the Village People.
“I mean, rappers like him, the athletes are doing…” Maher added as he gestured Trump’s well-known rally dance.
Gustaf Kilander has the story.
Trump shares yet another messianic message about his presidential election win
09:32
,
James Liddell
Colombian president wants to have a whisky with teetotal Trump
09:11
,
James Liddell
After slamming Donald Trump’s forceful approach to policy, and more generally, Americana, Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro said he hopes to one day sit down with the U.S. president over a glass of whiskey.
But there’s a catch: Donald Trump is teetotal.
Prior to reversing course and agreeing to accept two military planes of migrants being repatriated from the U.S .– and doing so, avoiding hefty 25 percent tariffs on Colombian goods imported to the U.S. – Petro wrote a scathing social media post about Trump’s attitude towards Bogota.
“I don’t like your oil, Trump, you’re going to wipe out the human species because of greed. Maybe one day, over a glass of whiskey, which I accept, despite my gastritis, we can talk frankly about this, but it’s difficult because you consider me an inferior race and I’m not, nor is any Colombian,” Petro wrote on X in a post translated by Google.
“So if you know someone who is stubborn, that’s me, period. You can try to carry out a coup with your economic strength and your arrogance, like they did with Allende. But I will die in my law, I resisted torture and I resist you.”
ICYMI: Colombia agrees to accept deportation flights after Trump’s tarriff threats
09:07
,
James Liddell
The Government of Colombia has agreed to all of President Trump’s terms pic.twitter.com/mQocusSGOC
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) January 27, 2025
‘F**k around, find out’: Trump fired warning shots at Colombia with AI meme
08:50
,
James Liddell
Prior to Colombia agreeing to accept two military planes of migrants from the US on Sunday, Donald Trump posted an AI-generated photo of himself with a sign reading “FAFO” (f**k around, find out) on Truth Social.
The post came after Trump had threatened to impose “emergency 25 percent tariffs” and a number of “decisive retaliatory measures” on the nation after President Gustavo Petro blocked two repatriation flights from landing.
This is awesome https://t.co/WeWUeF17Gm
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 27, 2025
Watch: Immigration officers raid Colorado night club as Trump’s deportation plan gathers pace
08:31
,
James Liddell
Zelensky believes Trump could end Russia’s war but only if Ukraine included in peace talks
08:00
,
Tara Cobham
Volodymyr Zelensky has stated his belief that a deal to end Russia’s war in Ukraine could be made under Donald Trump’s presidency but demanded Kyiv be included in any peace talks.
The Ukrainian president also said on Saturday that the terms of any deal that might arise under the new US president were still unclear – and might not even be clear to Trump himself – because Vladimir Putin had no interest in ending the war.
However, the Russian president has emphasised that he is open for talks with Trump on a broad range of issues including his country’s war in Ukraine, telling a state TV journalist on Friday: “We believe the current president’s statements about his readiness to work together. We are always open to this and ready for negotiations.”
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Families of released Israeli hostages thank President Trump
07:00
,
Caspar Barnes
Two of the family members of the four female Israeli soldiers released on Saturday have thanked President Trump for his role in securing their loved ones’ release.
Family members of each of the freed hostages, Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy and Liri Albag, made statements on Sunday, 26 January, after their reunion at Beilinson Hospital.
Karina Ariev’s sister, Sasha, thanked Mr Trump for his “unwavering support” adding that her hope rested with him for the return of all remaining Israeli hostages.
Hamas handed over the four Israeli soldiers early on Saturday morning with 200 Palestinians released from Israeli prisons on the same day as the fragile ceasefire continues in Gaza.
Watch:
What does Trump and Starmer’s relationship look like a week into US presidency?
06:00
,
Millie Cooke
Keir Starmer and Donald Trump’s relationship has been far from smooth sailing, with the two having a turbulent dynamic since the Labour leader entered Downing Street. But now Trump is officially back in the White House for his second term – does it look like tensions might finally be thawing?
If Trump’s most recent comments are to be believed, the answer is yes. The president struck an astoundingly positive tone when speaking about Starmer in some comments made to the BBC on board Air Force One on Saturday – saying he has a “very good relationship” with his British counterpart, and adding the prime minister has done a “very good job thus far”.
But that doesn’t paint the whole picture. It comes amid the backdrop of an ongoing row with Trump’s ally Elon Musk, who has publicly criticised the UK PM, and anger over Labour helping Kamala Harris in the US election.
Read more:
Starmer and Trump stress ‘close and warm ties’ and agree to meet soon – No 10
05:00
,
Nina Lloyd
Sir Keir Starmer and Donald Trump “stressed the importance of the close and warm ties” between Britain and the US and “agreed to meet soon” in a call on Sunday, Downing Street has said.
The talks came hours after the US president praised the Prime Minister for having done “a very good job thus far” and confirmed the pair were due to speak soon.
In a readout of the call, a Number 10 spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister spoke to President Trump on Sunday.
“President Trump opened by sending his condolences to the Prime Minister on the loss of his brother. The Prime Minister thanked President Trump for his kind words and congratulated him on his inauguration.
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Trump puts tariffs on hold as Colombia agrees to take deported migrants
04:35
,
Mehraj D Lone
The U.S. and Colombia pulled back from the brink of a trade war on Sunday after the White House said the South American nation had agreed to accept military aircraft carrying deported migrants.
In a statement late on Sunday, the White House said Colombia had agreed to accept the migrants after all and Washington would not impose its threatened penalties.
“The Government of Colombia has agreed to all of President Trump’s terms, including the unrestricted acceptance of all illegal aliens from Colombia returned from the United States, including on U.S. military aircraft, without limitation or delay,” it said.
Draft orders imposing tariffs and sanctions on Colombia would be “held in reserve, and not signed, unless Colombia fails to honor this agreement”, it added.
In a statement late on Sunday, Colombian foreign minister Luis Gilberto Murillo said: “We have overcome the impasse with the U.S. government”.
The government of Colombia “has the presidential plane ready to facilitate the return of Colombians who were going to arrive in the country this morning on deportation flights”, he added.
04:10
,
Mehraj
US pauses Colombia tariffs and sanctions plan
Washington will not impose sanctions and tariffs on Colombia after the South American nation agreed to accept deported migrants from the US, the White House press secretary said in a statement late on Sunday.
Carrie Underwood sees streaming numbers tumble after performing at Trump inauguration
04:00
,
Kevin E G Perry
Carrie Underwood’s rendition of “America the Beautiful” at President Donald Trump’s 2025 inauguration went viral after being hit by technical difficulties, but all that extra attention failed to result in an increase in listenership for the American Idol winner.
In fact, her streaming numbers actually fell on Inauguration Day. According to entertainment data analysts Luminate, her music was streamed 1.46 million times on Monday January 20, down six percent from the previous Monday when it was streamed 1.55 million times.
Billboard reports that rapper Nelly, who performed at President Trump’s inaugural Liberty Ball on Monday, also saw a decline in listenership. His songs were streamed 1.54 million times on inauguration day, down from 1.63 million a week earlier.
Both artists did see a small increase in digital download sales, although neither managed to top the 1,000 downloads mark that day.
Read more:
VOICES: Trump’s suggestion to ‘clean out’ Gaza is extreme and dangerous
03:00
,
Sam Kiley
The lessons of Trump’s Presidency 2.0 are that if he says it, he probably means it. He said he’d stop US aid to Ukraine, and he has. In his latest comments on Gaza, he has thrown his weight behind a far-right Israeli-fringe idea to depopulate the enclave.
He told reporters flying with him on Air Force One that he’d just had a call with Jordan’s king, Abdullah II. “I said to him, ‘I’d love for you to take on more because I’m looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now, and it’s a mess,’” Trump told reporters.
He added that he would also like Egypt to take in more Palestinians and that he would speak to the country’s president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, on Sunday.
Read more:
Acting deputy AG visits Chicago to 'observe' immigration enforcement crackdown
02:00
,
Sophia Tareen, Alanna Durkin Richer
Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove visited Chicago on Sunday to witness the start of ramped-up immigration enforcementin the nation’s third-largest city promised by the Trump administration, though few details of the operation were made public.
Bove said he was in Chicago on Sunday morning and observed Department of Homeland Security agents, along with assisting federal agencies — including the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. He didn’t say where the operations took place in the city or detail any arrests.
“We will support everyone at the federal, state, and local levels who joins this critical mission to take back our communities,” Bove said in a statement. “We will use all available tools to address obstruction and other unlawful impediments to our efforts to protect the homeland. Most importantly, we will not rest until the work is done.”
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WATCH: President Trump’s ‘border czar’ says military flights will deport millions of illegal immigrants
01:00
,
Gustaf Kilander
Did Trump revoke the Equal Employment Opportunity Act? Here’s what to know
00:15
,
Ariana Baio
In keeping with his promise to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday that prohibits the the use of affirmative action or other diversity measures as well as revoked a batch of decades-old policies that protect federal employees from discrimination
The order “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity” rescinds guidance dating back to former president Lyndon Johnson’s administration that intended to protect and strengthen protections for federal workers.
Trump claimed it was necessary to backpedal DEI programs because they are “dangerous, demeaning, and immoral.”
Read more:
Trump’s new gender rules gut a key part of the Prison Rape Elimination Act
Sunday 26 January 2025 23:30
,
Josh Marcus
Donald Trump used an executive order on gender this week to gut a major federal law offering protections against the sky-high rate of sexual violence faced by the most vulnerable individuals inside the federal prison system.
On Monday, the president signed an order requiring the government only recognize a person’s gender as defined by whether their biological sex at birth is deemed male or female, effectively erasing transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people from federal law.
Buried in the fine print was a change to what the order called Part 115.41 of title 28, Code of Federal Regulations. That provision is better known by its more common name: the 2003 Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA).
Read more:
Israel and Lebanon have agreed to extend truce, White House says
Sunday 26 January 2025 22:48
,
Kelly Rissman
“The arrangement between Lebanon and Israel, monitored by the United States, will continue to be in effect until February 18, 2025,” the White House said Sunday evening. “The Government of Lebanon, the Government of Israel, and the Government of the United States will also begin negotiations for the return of Lebanese prisoners captured after October 7, 2023.”
Longtime Trump backer Lindsey Graham says pardoning Jan. 6 defendants was a ‘mistake’
Sunday 26 January 2025 22:45
,
Gustaf Kilander
A longtime backer of President Donald Trump, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, said Sunday that he thinks the new president’s choice to pardon January 6 defendants was a “mistake.”
“Pardoning the people who went into the Capitol and beat up a police officer violently I think was a mistake, because it seems to suggest that’s an OK thing to do,” Graham said on NBC’s Meet the Press.
Graham went on to connect Trump’s pardons of violent criminals to former President Joe Biden’s choice to pardon a number of members of his family in the final hours of his presidency.
“You know, Biden pardoned half his family going out the door. I think most Americans, if this continues ... will revisit the pardon power of the president if this continues,” Graham added. “As to pardoning violent people who beat up cops, I think that’s a mistake.”
Read more:
As Hegseth takes charge at the Pentagon, here's what changes could be in store
Sunday 26 January 2025 22:00
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Lolita C. Baldor, Tara Copp
When Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth starts his first official day on Monday morning, he will face a daunting array of issues to tackle — from global conflicts and border security to administrative tasks.
At the top of his list is addressing President Donald Trump‘s priority to strengthen the U.S. military presence along the southern border and reviewing whether active-duty forces should be used for law enforcement — something done rarely.
Dozens of other issues will compete for his attention, including developing the Pentagon‘s massive budget, decisions about aid to Ukraine, support for the ceasefire in Gaza, troop deployments in the Middle East. Not to mention Trump directives to rid the federal government of diversity programs and personnel as well as moves to cut waste and remove any lingering Biden administration backers.
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Trump expected to make decision on Lord Mandelson as ambassador this week
Sunday 26 January 2025 21:30
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