Trump threatens China sanctions and puts diversity staff on leave – US politics live

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Indian and US diplomats are trying to arrange a meeting in February between Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and US president Donald Trump in Washington, two Indian sources familiar with the discussions have told Reuters.

Trump calls bishop who asked him to show mercy 'ungracious'

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.”

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

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

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!”

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.”

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.

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.”

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.

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.

“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.

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.

The Wall Street Journal has spoken to some federal workers affected by the slew of executive orders signed by president Donald Trump at the outset of his second term as president, and reports “a sense of anxiety and confusion” among staff.

One person, a product-support manager for the US navy, said “It’s leaving a lot of uncertainty that folks have never really had to feel. It seems like there is a level of distrust with how things are working.”

Workers at the Food and Drug Administration White Oak campus in Maryland said it was unclear how they would accommodate a directive for all staff to return to in-person working, as the office does not have enough desk space and parking for everybody.

The Wall Street Journal reports that a federal worker at another agency said to the paper “I guess we will all be sitting cross-legged on the floor.”

Ruaridh Nicoll reports from Havana

The families of Cuban protesters jailed in anti-government demonstrations are waiting anxiously to see if the government will continue with a planned prisoner release after Donald Trump reneged on a deal made last week by Joe Biden.

Activists from the human rights group Justicia 11J believe about 150 prisoners have been released so far of the 553 agreed with the Catholic church.

Less than a week after it was taken off a US list of state sponsors of terror (SSOT), Cuba was returned to sit alongside Syria, North Korea and Iran – with grim implications for tourism and trade. Trump reversed Biden’s decision late on Monday, amid a flurry of executive orders overturning domestic and international policies of the previous administration.

Trump’s order was presaged by comments from Marco Rubio, Trump’s Cuban-American secretary of state, during confirmation hearings last week. “There is zero doubt in my mind that [Cuba] meets all the qualifications for being a state sponsor of terrorism,” he said. Outside the US, the designation is widely seen as baseless.

Read more from Ruaridh Nicoll in Havana here: Families fear for Cuban prisoners after Trump reneges on release deal

Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez has asserted this his country is a “reliable partner” in the Nato alliance after criticism from Donald Trump earlier in the week.

Reuters quotes Sánchez, the secretary-general of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ party, saying the Spanish army’s participation in Nato operations was “well above the average”, and arguing that “We are a reliable partner and I think you have to look more broadly to see if a country is committed or not with the security of Nato’s allies.”

Trump, who has been a highly vocal critic of defence spending levels among the alliance, on Monday said “Spain is very low” when asked about their contribution. Trump also confused Spain for being in the Brics grouping led by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

California’s attorney general, Rob Bonta, said the state would join a lawsuit against Donald Trump’s executive order that would end birthright citizenship in the US. Here is a video clip of him announcing the move.

Russia sees 'small window of opportunity' to make agreements with Trump administration

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Here is the video clip of the Episcopal bishop of Washington, Mariann Edgar Budde, pleading with Trump during a prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral to protect immigrants and respect gay rights.

If you would like something to listen to, today’s episode of our Today in Focus podcast features our senior political reporter Joan E Greve talking through the string of radical executive orders on immigration enacted by Donald Trump on his first day in office. You can listen to it here.

Trump administration orders all DEI program workers to be placed on paid leave

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.

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.

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

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

Trump threatens China with 10% tariff over fentanyl claims

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.

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.”

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.

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

Welcome and opening summary

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

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

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

• Trump says immigration authorities can arrest people at churches and schools

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

• 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

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

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

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