Closing summary
This concludes our live coverage of the second Trump administration for the day, but we will be back on Thursday. Here are the latest developments:
There is no end in sight for the shutdown of the US federal government, with the White House apparently devoting more energy to a campaign to mock and blame Democrats than to looking for a compromise.
JD Vance, the vice-president, used false claims to blame Democrats for the government shutdown as the White House warned that worker layoffs were imminent.
Donald Trump quietly signed an executive order on Monday in which he promised that the United States will defend the nation of Qatar by treating “any armed attack on the territory, sovereignty, or critical infrastructure” of the energy-rich Persian Gulf monarchy “as a threat to the peace and security of the United States”.
Reporters were forced to endure repeated screenings of a pair of racist deepfake videos attacking Democrats posted on social media by Trump that played on a loop in the White House briefing room for hours on Wednesday.
Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer, the top Democrats in the House of Representatives and Senate, respectively, and both New Yorkers, accused the Trump administration of retaliating against their constituents by putting billions of dollars to revamp transportation infrastructure on hold.
Oregon’s governor, Tina Kotek, said in a statement on Wednesday that “Donald Trump’s unlawful federalization of members of the Oregon National Guard could cost taxpayers up to $10m”.
Updated
Trump promises US will defend Qatar, nation that gave him a jet
In a departure from the usual fanfare he devotes to signing orders and proclamations before the cameras, Donald Trump quietly signed an executive order on Monday in which he promised that the United States will defend the nation of Qatar by treating “any armed attack on the territory, sovereignty, or critical infrastructure” of the energy-rich Persian Gulf monarchy “as a threat to the peace and security of the United States.
The text of the order, posted on the White House website on Wednesday but dated Monday, appears to echo the commitment made by NATO nations in Article 5 of its founding treaty, “that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all”.
The order cites the two countries’ “close cooperation” and “shared interest,” vowing to “guarantee the security and territorial integrity of the state of Qatar against external attack.”
“In the event of such an attack, the United States shall take all lawful and appropriate measures — including diplomatic, economic, and, if necessary, military — to defend the interests of the United States and of the state of Qatar and to restore peace and stability.”
Had the commitment been in effect a month ago, the US would have been obliged to respond to an Israeli strike targeting Hamas leaders that killed six people, including a member of the Qatari security force.
The order was signed the same day that Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, visited the Oval Office and called Qatar to express “his deep regret” over the strike, the White House said.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry described the US pledge as “an important step in strengthening the two countries’ close defense partnership.”
In May, the royal family of Qatar gave Trump a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet to use as the new Air Force One until the end of his term, when it will become the property of the Trump presidential library foundation.
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