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Trump news at a glance: president orders more troops to Washington DC after shooting of national guard members

Two West Virginia national guard members were hospitalized in critical condition after they were shot near the White House in Washington. Local officials and federal authorities called the shooting a “targeted” attack and have a suspect in custody.

The shooter was later identified in multiple media reports as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a man from Afghanistan. Lakanwal is said to have entered the United States in September 2021, and been living in Washington state, law enforcement officials told the Associated Press and other outlets.

In response, Donald Trump has ordered more troops to the nation’s capital.

US defense secretary Pete Hegseth said that Trump has asked for 500 additional troops to be deployed to Washington. “This happened just steps from the White House and it will not stand and that’s why President Trump has asked me – and I will ask the secretary of the army to the national guard – to add 500 additional troops, national guardsmen, to Washington DC,” Hegseth said.

Trump’s request for additional troops came just hours after he filed an emergency motion asking a federal appeals court to allow the national guard to remain in Washington. That followed a lower court’s order last week requiring his administration halt the guard’s deployment to the nation’s capital, citing the Home Rule Act.

In a video statement streamed on social media later Wednesday, Trump called the shooting “an act of terror” carried out by an Afghan “flown in by the Biden administration.” He went on to suggested a new wave of scrutiny is coming to his immigration crackdown.

“We must now reexamine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden and we must take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from any country who does not below here or add benefit to our country,” Trump said. “If they can’t love our country, we don’t want ‘em.”

Two national guard members in critical condition after being shot

The shooting happened near the Farragut West metro station and comes amid a controversial deployment of troops to the US capital city ordered by the Trump administration. FBI director Kash Patel, Washington mayor Muriel Bowser, and other officials confirmed in a press conference that both the guardsmen are in hospital in critical condition.

A taskforce of an estimated 2,375 national guard troops are currently activated in Washington, with West Virginia making up the second largest contingent at 416 troops, only behind DC’s national guard at 949 troops.

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Georgia prosecutor confirms final criminal case against Trump is ‘over’

The case against Donald Trump and his co-defendants in Georgia ended with a filing for dismissal by the state prosecutor who took over after the removal of Fani Willis, the Fulton county district attorney.

Pete Skandalakis, the prosecutor and the executive director of the prosecuting attorneys’ council of Georgia, confirmed to the Guardian that “it’s over”after superior court judge Scott McAfee issued a one-page order dismissing the 2020 racketeering case. Skandalakis said he would be making no further comments about the matter.

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‘Traitor’: calls for Trump envoy Witkoff to be fired after leaked Kremlin call

A handful of US representatives have reacted furiously to a leaked recording in which the special envoy to Ukraine reportedly coached Moscow on how to handle Trump, but most have so far remained mute on the revelation that American officials were advising a US adversary.

Don Bacon, a Republican, called for Steve Witkoff’s immediate dismissal. “For those who oppose the Russian invasion and want to see Ukraine prevail as a sovereign & democratic country, it is clear that Witkoff fully favors the Russians,” the Nebraska lawmaker wrote on X.

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Trump calls New York Times reporter ‘ugly’ in latest insult to female journalist

Donald Trump lashed out against a New York Times reporter, calling her “ugly inside and out” in his latest personal insult against female members of the media after last week calling another “piggy”.

In a Truth Social post, Trump criticized the newspaper for an article suggesting he was running low on energy in his 80th year, insisting he had “never worked so hard in my life”.

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Trump threatens Venezuela’s Maduro with ‘the easy way … or the hard way’

Donald Trump has warned Nicolás Maduro he can “do things the easy way … or the hard way” as Venezuela’s authoritarian leader responded to the growing US pressure campaign by urging followers to prepare to defend “every inch” of the South American country.

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Trump officials halt protected status for Haitians in US

The Trump administration has once again moved to halt humanitarian protections for Haitians living in the US, this time announcing that their temporary protected status (TPS) will expire on 3 February.

According to a new Department of Homeland Security notice, TPS for approximately 340,000 Haitian migrants will be terminated next year.

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