Trump puts all US government diversity staff on paid leave, starting ‘immediately’

Donald Trump was sworn in as US president on Monday, and he’s already issued an avalanche of executive orders and announcements. For those of you just joining us, here’s a brief overview of President Trump’s first full day in office:

• Federal agencies were ordered to put staff working on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes on paid leave “immediately”, with a deadline of 17:00 EST (22:00 GMT) today, according to a memo from the US Office of Personnel Management, first seen by the BBC’s US partner, CBS
• The move followed an executive order issued by the Trump administration, which called for an end to “dangerous, demeaning, and immoral” (DEI) schemes
• DEI programmes include a combination of steps taken by organisations to support people from different backgrounds, namely those often underrepresented in the workplace
• On trade policy, Trump said he was considering imposing a 10% tariff on imports of Chinese-made goods as soon as 1 February
• In response, the Chinese foreign ministry says it will defend its “national interests”, adding: “there are no winners in a trade war”
• Late on Tuesday, Trump defended his decision to pardon supporters who were convicted over the 6 January 2021 US capitol riots. He also signeda full and unconditional pardon for Ross Ulbricht, , externalwho operated Silk Road, the dark web marketplace where illegal drugs were sold.

Panama has hit back at US President Donald Trump’s threats of taking “back” the Panama Canal, a key trade route.

“The Panama Canal was not a concession or a gift from the United States,” Panama’s President Jose Raul Mulino tells a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos in Switzerland.

In his inaugural speech, Trump said Panama had “broken” a promise to remain neutral, alleging that “China is operating the Panama Canal”. Trump also said “American ships are being severely overcharged and not treated fairly”.

The canal is one of the most important trade routes for the US. Around 5% of global maritime trade passes through the 51 mile (82 km) Panama Canal.

Mulino says Trump’s claims about the canal are “false”, adding that it belongs to the people of Panama.

The Trump administration has taken action on its election promise to cut funding to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) schemes being used across the government – here are the key updates you need to know.

In a memo from US government agency the Office of Personal Management (OPM), obtained by the BBC’s US news partner CBS, heads of DEI initiatives and programmes are told to follow this timeline:

• Put federal employees working in DEI programmes on paid leave by 17:00 local time (22:00 GMT) on Wednesday
• Report how they’ve complied with implementing the memo’s instructions by 12:00 local time tomorrow
• Submit a plan to the OPM, outlining “reduction-in-force action” by 17:00 local time on 31 January – next Friday

It also says employees must report any efforts by staff to “disguise” the programmes by using “coded or imprecise language”.

According to an executive order, signed by President Donald Trump on Tuesday, the US Justice Department should make recommendations to encourage any private sector “educational agencies” receiving federal funds to also end DEI programmes.

We don’t yet know how many members of staff this order will affect – but we’re working to find that out and will let you know when we do.

Back to the news that President Trump is putting all US government DEI staff on paid leave – you may well be wondering what DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) actually means. Let’s take a look.

DEI refers to a combination of steps and policies carried out by several organisations, both in the public and private sector, to support people from different backgrounds, namely those who are often underrepresented.

Different backgrounds and lived experiences include myriad characteristics, including someone’s gender, ethnicity, sexuality, religious beliefs or disabilities.

The idea behind these policies is to address systemic injustices, like historic sexism and racism, which have prevented some groups of individuals from having the same access to jobs and industries as their peers.

Another term that has been used a lot is DEIA, which extends to include accessibility policies. This means providing resources and support to help those with disabilities in the workplace.

We’re now hearing from the European Union’s foreign policy chief, who says she agrees with President Donald Trump that the bloc doesn’t spend enough on defence.

“Europe’s failure to invest in military capabilities sends a dangerous signal to the aggressor,” Kaja Kallas says during a speech at the annual conference of the European Defence Agency. “Weakness invites them in.”

Focusing on Vladimir Putin, she says “for too long” the Russian president has been offered “alternatives” – in the hope he “would choose cooperation and economic prosperity for its people over fraudulent imperialistic ambitions”.

“But instead Russia’s defence industry’s churning out tanks, glide bombs, artillery shells, in vast quantities.”

Trump previously said he’d “encourage” Russia to do “whatever the hell they want” with European allies if they “don’t pay” their way and boost defence spending.

Pivoting back to trade policy, Canada this morning has hit out at Donald Trump’s intention to impose tariffs on goods being imported to the US from its neighbouring nation.

“It’s not a great situation for trading partners.”

That’s how Canada’s energy minister, Jonathan Wilkinson, describes his country’s relationship with the US after Trump said the tariffs would come into force unless the country took steps to increase security on their shared border. Trump also warned he would use “economic force” to make Canada the 51st state – something outgoing PM Justin Trudeau has said will not happen.

Speaking to BBC World Service’s Newsday, Wilkinson says tariffs would raise consumer prices in the US – highlighting that his country would respond with tariffs on crude oil, fertiliser and uranium that would increase the cost of petrol, food and electricity.

The tariffs would have a significant impact on Canada, but also bring “significant pain” to the US. Instead, he suggests, the two countries should focus on an energy and mineral alliance. In the Canadian minister’s view, it’s a shame President Trump’s “taking such an aggressive approach”.

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.

• For context: Trump’s attorney general pick, Pam Bondi, is yet to be confirmed by the Senate; James McHenry is serving as acting attorney general in the meantime.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

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.

• Listen on BBC Sounds, or wherever you get your BBC podcasts

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”

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:

Kelly Ng
BBC News

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.

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.”

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”

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.

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.