Things move fast in Washington – especially when the president is as easily distracted as Donald Trump.
Already we’ve learned the US envoy to the UK met with Keir Starmer this morning – during which time the PM spoke with Trump and discussed (but did not confirm a date for) Starmer heading over for a White House visit.
Oh yeah, and then Trump signed an executive order that could slap the UK with 21% tariffs. So yeah, good meeting.
And that was far from the only wild thing that happened in DC yesterday. Here’s what you need to know.
1. Trump says he’d love to have Putin back in the G7
Russia was booted out of the G8 (as it was then known) club of industralised democracies following the invasion of Crimea in 2014.
But even though he’s invaded a bunch more places since then, and has shown no sign of remorse for doing so, Trump reckons it’s time to let Putin off the naughty step.
“I’d love to have them back. I think it was a mistake to throw them out. Look, it’s not a question of liking Russia or not liking Russia. It was the G8,” he said.
2. He blamed Joe Biden for the Ukraine war
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Trump explained, was really all Joe Biden’s fault.
You see, it was Biden’s idea to suggest Ukraine join Nato (it wasn’t), and that was the thing that started the war (it wasn’t).
At a press conference alongside Indian PM Narendra Modi, Trump said: “Russia has said from day one, long before President Putin, they’ve said they cannot have Ukraine be in Nato. They said that very strongly. I actually think that was the thing that caused the start of the war. Biden said it and Zelenskyy said it.”
None of this is true.
3. Wouldn’t say anything Russia should give up in the negotiations
Trump has said a bunch of stuff Ukraine should give up in the peace negotiations – territory, Nato membership.
But asked about what Russia should give up, he pivoted to how the war never would have taken place on his watch, and didn’t answer the question.
“Russia has gotten themselves into something that I think they wish they didn’t. If I was president it would not have happened,” he said.
4. Was weird about an international reporter, again
The joint presser with Modi was attended by both American and Indian journalists.
Asked a question about Tahawwur Hussain Rana’s extradition and anti-India voices in the US by one of the international pack, Trump first claimed he couldn’t hear him, then said: “I can’t understand a word he’s saying.”
It’s the second time he’s done this to a reporter with an accent since returning to office.
5. Said there’s no need to study the impact of tariffs on prices…
“There’s nothing to study. It’s gonna go well,” he said, writing Democrats election TV ads for the next four years.
6. Kinda threatened Canada again.
Referring to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as “Governor Trudeau”, Trump repeated his desire to make Canada a US state.
“I spoke to Governor Trudeau,” he said. “They don’t have military protection, and you take a look at what’s going on out there … People are in danger, this is a different world today, they need our protection.”
Nice country you’ve got there… be a shame if something were to happen to it…
7. Swore in an avowed anti-vaxxer as his Health Secretary, who dumped a dead bear in Central Park
RFK Jr, noted bear cub botherer and conspiracy theorist, is now in charge of America’s health.
If you’re unfamiliar with JFK’s errant nephew, he’s previously admitted a worm ate part of his brain, denied he once ate barbecued dog and most recently admitted dumping a bear carcass in Central Park.
He claimed he’d picked up the road-killed bear after another driver hit it with their car. Says he put it in the back of his van and drove on for a busy day of falconry, planning to skin and eat it later. Upon arriving in back in NYC, (and going for a steak dinner) he decided it had been in his boot a bit too long, and dumped it in the world famous park before heading to the airport.
He also dumped an old bike he’d had sitting in his boot for a while, in an attempt to make it look like the bear had been hit by a cyclist…who had for some reason left the bike at the scene.
So yeah, good luck, America.
8. Pete Hegseth says the US is no Uncle Sucker
Pete Hegseth, the defence secretary, gave his first major international speech at a defence conference in Brussels.
Before getting the job, he was best known for nearly decapitating a marching band drummer with an axe on live television.
Not kidding.
Anyway, his speech – and the Q&A that followed – were largely him trying to prepare the ground for Trump’s sweet deal with Putin.
But it felt like he had something to prove.
At the end of his speech, Hegseth had one last rhetorical flourish. A masterstroke to illustrate why he, a Fox News B-teamer who has never run a large organisation, is the right man to be in charge of the biggest government department on Earth. A man with gravitas, who can change minds and lives.
He said: “Make no mistake…President Trump will not allow anyone to turn Uncle Sam into Uncle Sucker”
And now everyone’s thinking about the South Park movie. Thanks Pete.
9. He also said ‘You can’t shoot values’ for some reason
To be honest, we’re not sure what he’s talking about here. Are values the enemy? The ammunition? Answers on a postcard.
10. Karoline Leavitt waved a bunch of papers around as evidence of fraud
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, asked to provide evidence of fraud found by Elon Musk’s bully squad, she proudly declared she’d “brought the receipts”.
She waved around a bunch of printed off spreadsheets, which she said showed contracts that went “against the president’s policies”.
All of which were signed before he was the President, and were approved by Congress. None of them were evidence of fraud.
11. Trump let Elon Musk hold a bilateral meeting with a foreign leader
Jaws dropped when it was announced that unelected erratic billionaire Elon Musk, who doesn’t have a proper job in the White House, (beyond being the Nigel Farage to Trump’s Richard Tice), was going to hold a sit-down meeting with Narendra Modi, the PM of India, during his visit to the White House.
Asked if Musk met Modi as a CEO or a representative of the US Government, he casually said: “I assume he wants to do business in India.”
He went on, as if it wasn’t a problem at all, to suggest he wanted to speak to Modi because it’s really hard to do business in India because of “all the tariffs”.
Pressed on the subject, Trump added: “He’s meeting with me in a little while, so I’m going to ask him that question.”
But sure, no conflicts of interest here.
