• New commander-in-chief spars with Washington bishop
• Warns Putin of sanctions sans deal to end Ukraine war; hints at high tariffs for China by Feb 1

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump ordered federal employees of diversity offices to be put on paid leave by Wednesday night, and called a Washington bishop “nasty” after she asked him to “have mercy” for migrants and LGBTQ children.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that US government workers in diversity offices must be put on paid leave by 5pm Wednesday as the new administration moved from day one to shutter programs intended to bolster minority groups.

The US Justice Department has also threatened to prosecute local and state authorities if they fail to cooperate with the new immigration policies, which include a pledge to deport millions of undocumented immigrants.

Trump also indicated he may impose fresh sanctions on Russia if President Vladimir Putin refuses to negotiate a deal to end the war in Ukraine.

The Republican also defended his sweeping pardons of US Capitol rioters, including key figures from the far-right Proud Boys and Oath Keepers groups who were released from jail a day earlier.

Trump promised retribution as part of what he says is a bid to overhaul Biden’s “deep state.”

His administration fired Coast Guard chief Linda Fagan — the first woman to lead a US military service — with an official blaming her “leadership deficiencies” and an “excessive focus” on diversity programs.

Trump also withdrew Secret Service protection for former US national security advisor John Bolton, the target of an alleged Iranian assassination plot, with whom he fell out.

But a Washington bishop pushed back, telling him from the pulpit that he was sowing fear among America’s immigrants and LGBTQ people.

In response, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: “The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater”.

Russia sanctions

“Sounds likely,” Trump told reporters at the White House, when asked if the United States would apply additional sanctions on Moscow if the Russian president did not come to the table.

Prior to his inauguration on Monday, Trump vowed to end the Ukraine war immediately upon taking office, raising expectations he would leverage aid to force Kyiv to make concessions to Russia, which invaded in February 2022.

In remarks unusually critical of Putin, Trump said on Monday that the Russian president “should make a deal.”

“I think he’s destroying Russia by not making a deal.” Trump added that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had told him that he wanted a peace agreement to end the war.

China trouble

Speaking to reporters at the White House a day after his inauguration, also warned the European Union it could face stiff levies, and warned China he would impose a 10 per cent duty over alleged Fentanyl trafficking.

When asked how soon the tariffs could be put in place, he said: “Probably February 1st is the date we’re looking at.”

That is the same date he had previously said he could impose 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico, having accused them of failing to stop illegal immigration and fentanyl trafficking into the United States.

In response, China on Wednesday vowed to defend its “national interests” against tariff threats. “We have always believed that there are no winners in a trade war or a tariff war,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said.

She added that Beijing was “willing to maintain communication with the US, properly handle differences, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, and promote the stable, healthy, and sustainable development of China-US relations”.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2025