Summary

Media caption,

Trump: Canada could 'become a state' of the US to avoid tariffs

  1. What's in the diversity policy ban text?published at 08:58 Greenwich Mean Time 22 January

    We can now bring you more details about US President Donald Trump's latest executive order, which calls for an end to diversity policies within the federal government and in the private sector.

    In the order, the Trump administration describes initiatives under the Diversity Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and the Diversity, Equity Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) umbrella as policies that "violate the text and spirit of our longstanding federal civil rights laws".

    These policies, the document reads, undermine national unity as they "deny, discredit and undermine the traditional American values of hard work".

    The Trump-led White House used the order to instruct government agencies to "combat" DEI preferences, mandates, policies and activities in the private sector.

    The document goes on to give the attorney general 120 days to build a report advising the government on how best to encourage an end to DEI and DEIA in private workplaces, including a list of the "most egregious and discriminatory DEI practitioners" and steps that can be taken to deter them.

  2. Trump continues crackdown on 'immoral' diversity programmespublished at 08:16 Greenwich Mean Time 22 January

    Donald Trump, wearing a blue suit and red tie, looks off to the left and pulls a facial expression; there are a group of men standing behind him.Image source, EPA

    In other news this morning, the Trump administration is continuing its campaign against diversity and inclusion programmes.

    In a US Office of Personnel Management memo, issued late last night, federal agencies are told to prepare to lay off staff in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) programmes. It orders all employees working in such roles to be placed on paid leave by 17:00 local time (22:00 GMT) Wednesday, according to the memo - obtained by CBS, the BBC's US partner.

    It follows a new executive order, signed by the president earlier in the day on Tuesday, calling for an end to what he called "dangerous, demeaning and immoral" hiring practices.

    Trump's campaign against diversity programmes is in line with the promises he made on the the campaign trail, where he often said such practices discriminated against white people and pledged to get rid of them.

    Several large US companies have ended or scaled back their own DEI programmes since Trump was elected, including McDonald's, Walmart and Meta. Others, like Apple and retailers Target and Costco, publicly defended their existing programmes.

  3. What's a tariff and how does it work?published at 08:12 Greenwich Mean Time 22 January

    Sticking to one of his election promises, Donald Trump says he's considering imposing a 10% tariff on goods entering the US from China. Here's a look at what that would mean:

    • In practical terms, a tariff is a domestic tax levied on goods as they enter the country, proportional to the value of the import - so a car imported to the US with a value of $50,000 (£38,000) subject to a 25% tariff, would face a $12,500 charge
    • The charge is physically paid by the domestic company that imports the goods, not the foreign company that exports them
    • The question of where the final "economic" burden of tariffs falls, as opposed to the upfront bill, is more complicated though
    • If the US importing firm passes on the cost of the tariff to the person buying the product in the US in the form of higher retail prices, it would be the US consumer that bears the economic burden - but if the US importing firm absorbs the cost of the tariff itself and doesn’t pass it on, then that firm is said to bear the economic burden in the form of lower profits than it would otherwise have enjoyed
    • Alternatively, it is possible that foreign exporters might have to lower their wholesale prices by the value of the tariff in order to retain their US customers

    The US is the world's largest importer: China, Mexico and Canada account for about 40% of the $3.2tn (£2.6tn) of goods it imports each year.

  4. China warns US there are 'no winners in a trade war'published at 08:00 Greenwich Mean Time 22 January

    Mao Ning speaking at a lectern in front of a China flag at a press conferenceImage source, Getty Images

    A short while ago we heard from the Chinese foreign ministry, saying it will defend its "national interests" after US President Donald Trump told reporters he's considering a 10% tariff on Chinese goods.

    "We have always believed that there are no winners in a trade war or a tariff war," the department's spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a daily briefing.

    China's "firmly committed to safeguarding national interests," she's also quoted as saying.

    Trump says the tariff could come into effect as soon as 1 February (next weekend), and that it's based on China sending fentanyl to Mexico and Canada. China previously defended its efforts to stop the flow of illegal drugs.

    As we've been reporting, Trump has also threatened import taxes on Canada and Mexico, as well as the EU.

  5. Pardons suggest politics trump policing - US Capitol police chiefpublished at 07:32 Greenwich Mean Time 22 January

    The US Capitol police chief says he thinks President Trump pardoning those involved in the Capitol riots "sends the message that politics is more important than policing".

    In an interview with the BBC's US news partner CBS, Thomas Manger says he's now "concerned" for his officers - and "concerned about what message they get from these actions".

    The justice department, in its last update, said 1,583 people had been arrested or convicted of riot-related crimes over 6 January. More than 600 were charged with assaulting, resisting or obstructing police, including around 175 charged with using a weapon or causing serious injury to an officer.

    Trump's blanket pardon effectively freed all the rioters and erased the work of the largest criminal investigation in US history. The president says "these people have already served years in prison, and they've served them viciously".

    But Manger says many of his officers are angry with the decision to pardon them. "They're upset, and I don't blame them," he tells CBS.

  6. Self-styled 'QAnon Shaman' reacts to pardonpublished at 07:12 Greenwich Mean Time 22 January

    In our morning round-up, we mentioned Jacob Chansley - the self-styled QAnon Shaman who's been pardoned by Donald Trump for his role in the 6 January 2021 Capitol riots.

    Last night, he spoke to our Newsnight colleagues, telling them he screamed "freedom at the top of my lungs" having learnt the news from his lawyer.

    Chansley, who had pleaded guilty to unlawfully obstructing the certification of the 2020 presidential election, said: "I regret nothing".

    He also said that now his conviction has been wiped clean, he plans to exercise his right to buy guns again. Hear more from him in this clip:

    Media caption,

    'QAnon Shaman' says he screamed 'freedom' after Trump pardon

  7. Listen: Trump gets to work, releasing 6 January prisonerspublished at 06:56 Greenwich Mean Time 22 January

    The Americast logo: The word Americast appears across a US flag. Above it, on a blue background is the BBC logo

    As we've been reporting, Donald Trump has heavily defended his decision to release high-profile prisoners jailed over the Capitol riots - and to pardon nearly 1,600 people in connection with 6 January 2021.

    In the latest episode of the BBC's Americast, our team of presenters in DC discuss who has been released, what the reaction has been, and how Trump is changing the narrative over who was responsible for the riots.

    Also, Trump’s former advisor Bryan Lanza joins with an inside view on why the immigration raids are more about PR than deportation.

  8. What happened on Trump's first full day in office?published at 06:24 Greenwich Mean Time 22 January

    Trump speaks at the White HouseImage source, EPA

    Donald Trump was sworn into his second term as US president on Monday - and already there have been a lot of headlines about his first actions back in office. If you're just joining us, good morning, or if you need a recap - here's what you need to know:

    • Trump has told reporters in the White House he's considering imposing a 10% tariff on imports of Chinese-made goods as soon as 1 February - sticking to an election promise he made
    • The president previously threatened to also levy import taxes of 25% on Mexico and Canada, accusing them of allowing undocumented migrants and drugs to enter the US
    • Late on Tuesday, Trump defended his decision to pardon supporters who were convicted over the 6 January 2021 US capitol riots - one of the day's most-recognised faces, QAnon 'Shaman' Jacob Chansley, said he was off to buy guns after receiving his presidential pardon
    • Meanwhile, a total of 22 states have lodged lawsuits against the executive order signed yesterday that revoked birthright citizenship - the automatic American citizenship that is granted to anyone born in the country
    • Trump also rescinded guidelines that would have prevented schools or churches from being targeted in immigration raids, and reinstated the "Remain in Mexico" policy that kept asylum seekers out of the country while applications are processed
    • And at a multi-faith service earlier yesterday, a reverend asked Trump to "have mercy" on LGBT+ people and immigrants. He later called her "nasty" and a "Trump hater", in a post on his social media platform Truth Social, adding that she's "not very good at her job"
  9. Can Trump really rename the Gulf of Mexico?published at 06:11 Greenwich Mean Time 22 January

    Fresh from his inauguration, US President Donald Trump has wasted no time in signing off a suite of executive orders.

    Among them is a direction to rename the Gulf of Mexico the ''Gulf of America''. But can the president really do that?

    BBC Verify's Jake Horton takes a look:

  10. Chatter on Chinese internet over Marco Rubiopublished at 05:59 Greenwich Mean Time 22 January

    Kelly Ng
    BBC News

    US Secretary of State Marco RubioImage source, Reuters

    Internet users in China have been discussing Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was sworn into office yesterday.

    Rubio is considered by many as a foreign policy "hawk" or someone who takes hardline positions, in this case towards China as well as Iran.

    "That's good, he will have a lot more to do now, and will not be bothering us like a rabid dog, as before," wrote a user on Weibo, China's version of X.

    Beijing has sanctioned Rubio twice before, over his comments on Xinjiang and Hong Kong. Several Weibo users asked if those sanctions will be dropped.

    China's foreign ministry did not respond directly when asked about Rubio on Tuesday. Instead, it said that "China will firmly defend national interests".

    "In the meantime, it’s necessary for high-level Chinese and American officials to maintain contact in an appropriate way," said the ministry's spokesman Guo Jiakun.

  11. 'Accepting a pardon from Trump would be an insult,' says 6 Jan protesterpublished at 05:36 Greenwich Mean Time 22 January

    One of the people who served time in jail for participating in the 6 January riots has refused the pardon from Donald Trump, telling the BBC "we were wrong that day".

    Pam Hemphill, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 60 days in prison, told the BBC World Service Newsday programme that there should be no pardons.

    "Accepting a pardon would only insult the Capitol police officers, rule of law and, of course, our nation," she said.

    "I pleaded guilty because I was guilty, and accepting a pardon also would serve to contribute to their gaslighting and false narrative."

    She told the programme that she sees the Trump government as trying to "rewrite history and I don't want to be part of that".

    "We were wrong that day, we broke the law - there should be no pardons."

  12. Here's a recap of Trump's AI infrastructure announcementpublished at 05:11 Greenwich Mean Time 22 January

    Media caption,

    Watch: President Trump announces formation of Stargate AI company

    Trump earlier announced a new investment in AI. Here's a rundown:

    • Standing next to major tech executives Sam Altman and Larry Ellison, and Japanese tech tycoon Masayoshi Son, Donald Trump announced the formation of Stargate, a US-based artificial intelligence company
    • Trump said the company would invest $500bn (£404bn) in AI infrastructure, leading to the creation of roughly 100,000 jobs
    • Ellison of Oracle said data centres are already under construction in Texas, saying that there are 10 buildings under construction and will expand to 20
    • Altman from OpenAI said this was the "most important project of this era", adding that it wouldn't happen without Trump
    • Repeating Trump's words, Son said "this is the beginning of the golden age of America"
  13. More states challenge birthright citizenship orderpublished at 05:00 Greenwich Mean Time 22 January

    A person looks through a gap along the US-Mexico border wall in Tijuana, Mexico, 18 December 2024.Image source, EPA

    In another of his first acts as the 47th president of the United States, Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at ending "birthright citizenship" - the automatic American citizenship that is granted to anyone born in the country.

    It's something he's long promised, but most legal scholars say he cannot do so with an executive order, as we break down here.

    Eighteen states, along with the city of San Francisco and the District of Columbia, have launched a lawsuit aiming to dismantle the executive order, saying birthright citizenship is protected by the constitution.

    And later on Tuesday, a group of four more states - Illinois, Arizona, Washington and Oregon - filed a separate case in Washington state too.

  14. All government employees in diversity roles put on leavepublished at 04:38 Greenwich Mean Time 22 January

    One of Trump's first moves in office was signing an executive order to end what he calls "radical and wasteful" government Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) programmes.

    In a social media post, his press secretary confirmed staff in any of those roles will be placed on paid administrative leave "effective immediately", as government takes steps to end all DEIA initiatives, offices and programs.

    A memo issued by the Office of Personnel Management instructed agencies to notify affected employees no later than 17:00 EST (22:00 GMT) on Wednesday. It also directs agencies to remove the associated websites and social media accounts, and to cancel any DEI-related trainings.

  15. 'No choice but to go back'published at 04:05 Greenwich Mean Time 22 January

    Will Grant
    Reporting from Tijuana, Mexico

    A migrant woman cries
    Image caption,

    Trump's return to the Oval Office has caused despair in Mexico

    On the morning that the president took the oath of office, around 60 migrants gathered at the Chaparral crossing in Tijuana, waiting to speak to border guards about their asylum claims.

    But they never got the chance, as Mexican officials instead directed them towards buses that would take them back to shelters.

    Oralia has been living with her two youngest children for seven months in one of those shelters - a nylon tent just walking distance from the US border.

    She tells us she is fleeing cartel threats in Michoacán, and that her 10-year-old boy has epilepsy. She says her hope was to get him medical attention somewhere safe in the US.

    But from the Oval Office on Monday evening, hours after returning to the presidency, Trump signed a blizzard of orders aimed at delivering on one of his central campaign promises: to drastically reduce illegal migration and asylum claims at the US border.

    She says she now has little hope that her claim will ever be heard.

    "We have no choice but to go back and trust in God that nothing happens," she says.

    You can read more about how border communities are reacting to Trump's orders here.

  16. Details of Capitol riot wiped from FBI websitepublished at 04:01 Greenwich Mean Time 22 January

    Mentions of the FBI's investigation into the 6 January riot at the Capitol - the biggest probe in its history - appear to have been scrubbed from the agency's website.

    On his first evening in office, President Trump freed more than 1,500 people charged over the violent attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election, and also ordered all pending cases against suspects be dropped.

    Since then, general details on the FBI website about their investigation, news of arrested people, as well as appeals for information on outstanding suspects - accompanied by pictures and videos of them - have disappeared.

    An FBI spokesperson said the websites "are no longer active", according to NBC. Asked for comment, the FBI wouldn't say why they were taken down or who ordered the move.

    We accessed the old pages through an internet archive service, external, but now when a visitor navigates to them, they are redirected to the generic FBI home page.

    Searching the site for the term "Capitol violence" still turns up links to news releases issued by the FBI about individual cases, however.

  17. Xi and Putin hold video call after Trump inaugurationpublished at 03:44 Greenwich Mean Time 22 January

    Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (on screen) via video conference at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence, outside Moscow, Russia, 21 January 2025.Image source, EPA

    Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin held a video call hours after Trump was sworn in yesterday, pledging to bring bilateral relations "towards greater heights".

    Faced with "external uncertainties", Xi called on Putin to "continue deepening strategic coordination, firming up mutual support, and safeguarding the legitimate interests" of Beijing and Moscow, Chinese state media reported.

    Putin called Xi a "dear friend", and said Russia and China were building ties "on the basis of friendship, mutual trust and support".

    "Russia and China's joint work plays an important stabilising role in international affairs," he said.

  18. Info on changing gender listed on US passport disappearspublished at 03:31 Greenwich Mean Time 22 January

    An information page which helped people applying for or updating a US passport in answering questions about their gender appears to have been removed from US State Department's website.

    The page, which we've viewed through internet archives, external, previously said applicants could select "male (M), female (F), or unspecified or another gender identity (X)" as the gender marker on their passport.

    It also answered questions about the documentation needed to change the gender marker on a passport, and on how a gender transition may affect passport validity.

    The URL now redirects to a general information page about the passport application process.

    President Trump during his inaugural address said "there are only two genders, male and female", and signed an order making that government policy shortly after. The order also declares that gender cannot be changed.

    You can read more about his changes to gender and diversity policies here.

  19. Pardoned Capitol rioters thank Trumppublished at 03:15 Greenwich Mean Time 22 January

    Rachel Powell speaks to press after being released on January 21, 2025 outside the DC Central Detention Facility in Washington, DC.Image source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Rachel Powell is among 1,500 people who were charged during the January 6 attack on the US Capitol in 2001

    Several of the Capitol rioters freed after Trump's issued a blanket pardon have publicly thanked the president.

    "He is a bigger blessing to me than he can ever imagine," says Rachel Powell, who was earlier accused of instructing rioters and smashing windows on 6 January 2021.

    "He's brought my family back together and I am indebted. Thank you, President Trump," she says.

    "I regret nothing," self-styled QAnon shaman Jacob Chansley tells BBC Newsnight.

    Chansley says that now that his conviction has been wiped clean, he plans to exercise his right to buy guns again, and he believes that the attack at the Capitol was staged by the "deep state".

  20. Trump mulls imposing 10% tariff on China from Februarypublished at 02:55 Greenwich Mean Time 22 January

    Joao Da Silva
    Business reporter

    Donald Trump has said he is considering imposing a 10% tariff on imports of Chinese-made goods as soon as 1 February.

    In remarks to reporters at the White House earlier, he justified the measure by claiming China was sending fentanyl - an opioid fuelling drug crises around the world - to the US, via Mexico and Canada.

    It followed threats by Trump to levy import taxes of 25% on Mexico and Canada, accusing them of allowing undocumented migrants and drugs to come into America.

    Though he did not mention the US by name, the Vice Premier of China on Tuesday said his country was looking for a "win-win" solution to trade tensions and wanted to expand its imports.

    Sweeping tariffs were a key promise from Trump throughout his campaign, and he insisted they would help the US economy. However analysts say they are likely to lead to higher prices for Americans and pain for companies hit by foreign retaliation.

    You can read more about his economic plans here.