In which he called her a “radical left hardline Trump hater”. Follow the latest – and listen to our podcast as you scroll. Trump 100 podcast: ‘Have mercy’ – how the bishop appealed to the president. It’s the third day of Donald Trump’s second presidency and there’s plenty to talk about. Our US team is here with episode three of our new podcast on Trump’s first 100 days in office to catch you up.

US correspondents James Matthews, Mark Stone and Martha Kelner break down one of the major, and perhaps unexpected, developments – a bishop’s lecture to Trump on live television. Plus, Kelner talks about one woman she met in Mexico, whose plans to get to the US have been upended with the arrival of Trump. Bishop, who asked Trump for mercy on immigrants, defends remarks after the president’s attack.

The bishop who urged Donald Trump to have “mercy” on marginalised groups such as undocumented migrants – drawing his ire and demand for an apology – has defended her remarks. The president labelled Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde a “radical left hardline Trump hater” and said she was “nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart”. Responding to his criticism, she told ABC’s chat show The View she “wanted to emphasise respecting the honour and dignity of every human being, basic honesty, and humility”.

“I was trying to counter the narrative that is so, so divisive and polarising and in which people, real people, are being harmed.” She added: “I was trying to speak a truth that I felt needed to be said, but to do it in as respectful and kind a way as I could.” She would welcome a one-on-one conversation with Trump, if an invitation were ever made, and she would talk to him “respectfully” – as she would with anyone else. Catch up on what the bishop told Trump in the video below…

Explained: What’s Trump doing on immigration? – Donald Trump has signed several executive orders related to immigration, and we’ve just seen him pen another one. He has promised the largest deportation operation in US history – though how this would work remains to be seen. His policies on the issue and the related law can be complicated, so here’s a recap of some of the steps he’s taken so far in a nutshell:

• Declaring a national emergency at the US border with Mexico;
• Resuming construction of the border wall;
• Sending more personnel to the border – with 1,500 more military troops to join National Guard personnel;
• Suspending refugee admissions indefinitely a move that’s left thousands already approved for resettlement in limbo;
• Instructing the attorney general to seek capital punishment against illegal immigrants who commit crimes like murder;
• Directing US prosecutors to criminally investigate state and local officials who resist immigration enforcement efforts;
• Ordering to end birthright citizenship to children born in the US if neither their mother nor father is a US citizen or legal permanent resident, despite constitutional rights and growing legal opposition.

Trump suspends migrant entry through border with Mexico – There’s another executive order to tell you about now. Donald Trump has signed the papers to suspend the entry of migrants into the US at the border with Mexico. The White House said this directs the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and the Department of State “to take all necessary action to immediately repel, repatriate, and remove illegal aliens across the southern border”.

January 6 defendants offered a tour of Capitol building – Reports have been circulating that some of the January 6 rioters pardoned this week by Donald Trump may be invited to the White House. According to CNN, Trump administration officials have talked about invitations and even a potential meeting with Trump. The US broadcaster cites two sources, who added no such visit has been scheduled and that it’s still under consideration.

But there does appear to have been an effort to reach them from the party, with our US partner network NBC News reporting a Republican offered a guided tour of the Capitol – the very building at the heart of their convictions. Lauren Boebert, who is a member of the House of Representatives, said she did offer the tour while she was visiting a jail in Washington DC. “I offer guided tours all the time and, yes, I did offer that,” she said.

But she added: “There’s no plan in place right now.” Asked if it is appropriate for Boebert to offer a tour, House Speaker Mike Johnson said: “I mean, every American citizen has access to the people’s House.” He added: “I don’t know. I haven’t talked to her about it. Let me figure that out.” Trump has pardoned about 1,500 people convicted for their part in the riot at the Capitol building on January 6 four years ago.

Trump Threatens Putin with Tariffs and Sanctions If He Does Not Stop War

Donald Trump has told Russia to make a deal with Ukraine soon or face “high levels of taxes, tariffs, and sanctions”. Posting on his social media site Truth Social, he said: “If we don’t make a ‘deal’, and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries.” He said he is “not looking to hurt” Russia and loves the Russian people, adding he has “always had a very good relationship with President Putin”. “We must never forget that Russia helped us win the Second World War, losing almost 60,000,000 lives in the process,” he said.

The total number of Soviet Union civilian and military deaths in the Second World War was approximately 25 million according to the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at the University of Harvard. Trump continued: “All of that being said, I’m going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE.” He ends his post with: “We can do it the easy way, or the hard way – and the easy way is always better. It’s time to ‘MAKE A DEAL’. NO MORE LIVES SHOULD BE LOST!!!”

Russia Responds to Trump Threat

Russia’s deputy envoy to the United Nations has responded to Donald Trump’s economic threats against Moscow. Earlier, the US president said he would impose tariffs and sanctions “if we don’t make a ‘deal’ and soon”. Now, Dmitry Polyanskiy has said the Kremlin would need to see what Trump thinks a deal comprises before proceeding.  “It’s not merely the question of ending the war,” Polyanskiy told Reuters.

“It’s first and foremost the question of addressing root causes of Ukrainian crisis.” He continued: “So we have to see what does the ‘deal’ means in President Trump’s understanding. He is not responsible for what the US has been doing in Ukraine since 2014, making it ‘anti-Russia’ and preparing for the war with us, but it is in his power now to stop this malicious policy.”

Thousand troops to be sent to US-Mexico border, official says – Approximately 1,000 active troops are set to be sent to the border with Mexico by the US military, according to a US official. The official, who spoke anonymously, did not say when the deployment will happen, but they will be joining thousands of National Guard troops already at the border, following Donald Trump’s executive order declaring a national emergency. Trump has promised the largest deportation effort in US history – an operation that would likely take years and cost huge amounts of money.

Bracing for a potential influx, Mexico has begun constructing giant tent shelters in the city of Ciudad Jiarez, as part of the government’s plan to ready centres in nine cities across the north of the country. Local official Enrique Licon described the plans as “unprecedented, “, with the shelters expected to be ready to house thousands of people in a matter of days. According to an analysis by think tank El Colegio de la Frontera Norte, nearly five million Mexicans are living in the US without authorisation.

Courtesy: Sky News