Donald Trump’s press secretary says he is „very proud to have an American pope“ after being asked about critical comments the new pontiff apparently once made. Meanwhile, Trump has hinted at a potential softening in his trade war with China. Listen to our latest Trump 100 podcast below.
Friday 9 May 2025 23:10, UK
Donald Trump has told Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin to „get this stupid war finished“.
The US president was asked in the Oval Office what his message to Putin was after the US embassy in Kyiv warned of a „potentially significant“ air attack in the coming days (see 19.56 post).
Trump said: „I have a message for both parties: Get this war ended. Get this stupid war finished. That’s my message for both of them.“
An „emotional energy build-up“ between Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping makes it „very hard“ for the US and China to reach a diplomatic solution to their trade war, an expert has warned.
Orville Schell, director of the Center on US-China Relations at the Asia Society, told Sky News that talks between Washington and Beijing in Geneva on Saturday suggest the two countries have „arrested“ what he called „a very dangerous spiral downward“.
He said the tariffs debacle was being led by „two quite thin-skinned leaders, both taking umbrage at what the other was doing“.
Earlier, Trump suggested he could reduce tariffs on China to 80%, before his press secretary Karoline Leavitt said it was a number he just „threw out there“ (see 18.37 post).
Asked if it would be seen as a concession, Schell said „it’s not a bad sign“.
„It at least shows the United States is willing to compromise in some ways,“ he added.
„However, China has made it very explicit again and again, it has a great historical sensitivity that they’re not going to be pulled or pushed into any kind of solution that does not serve their purposes.
„So there’s an awful lot of emotional energy build-up here that makes it very hard for these two leaders to kind of hug it out and find some common diplomatic solution. Both sides have a lot at stake.“
He added: „When both leaders see concessions as a sign of weakness and both are extremely sensitive to any assumption that they are blinking first.“
Donald Trump is signing executive orders in the White House’s Oval Office and has said there could be exceptions to the 10% tariffs he has placed on all countries.
Yesterday the US and UK signed a trade deal, which White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt confirmed earlier will leave a 10% tariff on most UK goods (see 18.30 post).
Trump said the US will have a baseline of 10% tariffs, though some will be higher, but there could be exceptions when the countries offer significant trade terms.
He said we should expect new trade deals in the coming weeks.
Trade war with China
The US president then moved on to the country’s trade war with China, saying the US has to „make a great deal for America“.
He said he had given a number to his treasury secretary Scott Bessent on how low he is willing to go on the tariffs on China.
Earlier Trump suggested cutting tariffs to 80% ahead of a meeting between the US and China in Geneva on Saturday, but his press secretary later said that was a number he just „threw out there“ (see 18.37 post).
By David Blevins, news correspondent
He was the boy from the small town with big dreams of becoming pope.
Robert Prevost, or „Bob“ as they knew him in Dolton, south Chicago, was the youngest son of Louis, a teacher, and Mildred, a librarian.
Devoted in their faith, they were prominent figures in St Mary’s Church.
Scott Kuzminski remembers „Millie“, the chorister, with the „voice of an angel“, and her son with a calling on his life.
„Some children dream to be the top soccer player, or rich or something, and he dreamed he was going to be the Pope,“ he said.
The railroad runs through this sleepy suburb, now destined to become a place of pilgrimage.
That’s an answer to prayer for Kathleen Steenson, who believed from childhood that her church would give the world a pope.
She said: „Our faith in this little parish is so strong… and in my little mind, I thought, the next pope has got to come from here because we’re such a great little community.“
You can read the full eyewitness here:
A New Jersey mayor has been arrested while protesting against the opening of an immigrant detention centre, a federal prosecutor has said.
Ras Baraka, the mayor of the city of Newark, committed trespass and ignored warnings from Homeland Security personnel to leave the ICE detention facility, Alina Habba, the acting US attorney for New Jersey, said on X.
Mr Baraka has been protesting against the opening of the facility this week, arguing its operators did not get the proper permits.
In her post on X, Ms Habba said Mr Baraka had „chosen to disregard the law“ and had been taken into custody.
„NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW,“ she posted.
Donald Trump’s administration is considering several executive orders to expedite the construction of nuclear power plants, the New York Times has reported.
The paper says drafts it has reviewed say the US has fallen behind China in expanding nuclear power.
They would set a goal of quadrupling the size of the nation’s nuclear power plants by 2050.
The draft orders are marked „pre-decisional“ and „deliberative,“ the paper says, adding it is not clear which, if any, may be issued, according to a source.
By James Matthews, US correspondent
Donald Trump is the dealmaker who needs to start making deals – floating 80% past the Chinese as a tariff reduction reflects it.
He has swung between talking tough and conciliatory on China – firm on tariffs, and yet, nodding to concessions.
That’s where we appear to be now. He’s talking about 80%, a cut from 145%, posting on Truth Social that „it’s up to Scott B,“ his treasury secretary. For him, it’s a hospital pass that outsources the apparent incoherence of the Trump strategy so far.
We’re at a critical stage in the tariff story, as it travels beyond the rhetoric and real consequences begin to bite.
Real people will soon come to know the real world effects, beyond the bluster, in a reduced supply of goods and an increase in their cost.
Donald Trump is under pressure to get it right, economically and politically.
The Chinese haven’t blinked through all of this, maintaining their position that they would not be bullied.
It’s Trump who has shifted and been seen to be erratic – he isn’t strengthened by it.
The meeting in Geneva this weekend is, of course, hugely important.
Neither side is playing up expectations, with the talk being of de-escalation, a starting point for constructive discussions.
Both sides are still some way apart, with work to do, even with Donald Trump’s talk of 80%. It would be a hefty reduction from where US tariffs are on Chinese goods right now, but it’s still a long way from what would work for Beijing and for traders in the United States.
Officials in Donald Trump’s administration are reportedly discussing a plan to pull Greenland into the US’s sphere of influence by using the same type of agreement Washington has with several Pacific Island nations.
Trump’s administration would propose Greenland enter into a Compact of Free Association (COFA) with the US, Reuters reports, citing two US officials and another person familiar with the discussions.
The US has COFA agreements with the small island nations of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Palau, though they differ depending on the signatory.
They typically see the US government provide many essential services such as mail delivery, emergency management and military protection.
In exchange the US military is allowed to operate freely in COFA countries and trade with the US is mostly duty-free.
For context: Trump suggested acquiring Greenland during his first administration and has pushed the idea further after taking office in January, having refused to rule out taking the island by force – something Denmark, which governs the island, has strongly cautioned against.
Reuters reported its sources said other plans were on the table and the COFA agreement would face several practical hurdles.
The US embassy in Kyiv has warned it has received information „concerning a potentially significant air attack“ that „may occur at any time over the next several days“.
The embassy did not provide further information about the nature of the threat or why it had issued the alert today – the last such security alert it issued was on 8 December last year.
„The embassy, as always, recommends US citizens be prepared to immediately shelter in the event an air alert is announced,“ it said.
It advised people to identify shelter locations and immediately head to them if an air alert is announced.
It said people should monitor local media for updates, keep reserves of food, water and medication and follow the directions of Ukrainian officials and first responders in the event of an emergency.
The Pentagon has ordered all military leaders and commands to pull and review all of their library books that address diversity, anti-racism or gender issues, according to a memo issued to the force.
It has until 21 May to adhere to the order.
It is the broadest directive so far in defence secretary Pete Hegseth’s campaign to rid the military of diversity and equity programmes, policies and instructional materials.
It follows similar efforts to remove hundreds of books from the libraries of military academies.
It also comes after the Trump administration fired the Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden (see post at 6.45pm).
Hayden was the first woman and first African American in the role.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said „there were quite concerning things that she had done in the pursuit of DEI and, putting inappropriate books in the library for children“.
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Trump latest: White House press secretary asked about new pope's 'past criticism' of president – Sky News
