US chief justice issues rare rebuke to Donald Trump

Good morning and welcome back to FirstFT Asia. In today’s newsletter:

• US chief justice rebukes Trump

• Putin agrees 30-day halt to strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure

• The Gaza ceasefire breaks down

US Chief Justice John Roberts issued a rare public rebuke to Donald Trump over the president’s threat to impeach federal judges, saying such remarks were “not an appropriate response” to disagreements over their rulings.

The chief justice’s intervention came shortly after the president attacked a judge on his Truth Social platform yesterday, in an apparent response to a ruling that had attempted to block deportations of alleged Venezuelan gang members.

“For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision,” Roberts said. “The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose.”

On Saturday, the Trump administration sent hundreds of alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador under an executive order that invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to accelerate deportations. The flights occurred despite a ruling from James Boasberg, a federal judge in the District of Columbia, that planes carrying individuals for deportation under the executive order be grounded or turned around.

“This judge, like many of the Crooked Judges’ I am forced to appear before, should be IMPEACHED!!!” Trump wrote yesterday.

The escalating tensions between the presidency and the judiciary have risked tipping into a constitutional crisis. Read the full story.

• More US news: Trump’s commerce secretary touted Elon Musk’s Starlink to federal officials in charge of a $42bn rural broadband programme, raising new questions about the billionaire White House adviser’s conflicts of interest.

• Wall Street stocks slide: US stocks dropped sharply yesterday with shares in technology groups selling off as investors continued fretting over Trump’s economic and trade policies.

Here’s what else we’re keeping tabs on today:

• Monetary policy: Japan, Indonesia and the US announce interest rate decisions.

• Economic data: Japan reports provisional trade statistics for February,

• Tencent: The Chinese tech giant reports 2024 full-year results.

Five more top stories

1. Vladimir Putin has ordered Russia’s military to refrain from striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure for 30 days, but stopped short of agreeing to an unconditional ceasefire. The Kremlin said that the Russian president had “reacted positively” to a suggestion by Trump to halt the attacks in a much-anticipated call between the two leaders yesterday.

2. Shares in China’s electric vehicle champion BYD touched a record high yesterday after founder Wang Chuanfu claimed the Tesla rival could now charge its EVs as quickly as it took to fill a car with petrol. The claim implies that BYD has nudged ahead of rivals such as Tesla and Mercedes-Benz in fast-charging technology.

3. Indonesia’s main stock index fell nearly 4 per cent yesterday as concerns mounted over weakening consumer spending in south-east Asia’s largest economy and President Prabowo Subianto’s costly spending plans. The Jakarta Composite index dropped as much as 7.1 per cent to hit its lowest level since 2021, triggering a brief trading halt before paring some losses. Read more on Indonesia’s struggling economy.

4. Costco and other top American retailers are pressuring suppliers in mainland China to cut prices in response to US tariffs, adding to the risk of scrutiny from Beijing as political tensions mount over an escalating trade war. “The big ones, they have the muscle to do it,” one supplier said. “What do you do if you’re us? You’re screwed or you’re screwed.” Read the full story.

5. Google’s parent company Alphabet has agreed to pay a 10 per cent break fee if its planned $32bn acquisition of cyber security start-up Wiz collapses, said people familiar with the matter. The large termination fee shows how technology companies continue to brace themselves for antitrust challenges even under the Trump administration. Here’s what to know about the deal.

News in-depth

Israel launched “extensive strikes” against Hamas targets in Gaza yesterday, killing hundreds of Palestinians and shattering a two-month ceasefire. The renewed offensive was hailed by the far-right allies Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu depends upon for his survival. But it prompted accusations from his opponents that he was acting out of political, rather than national, considerations.

We’re also reading . . . 

Chart of the day

Japanese and South Korean defence stocks have surged to record highs on expectations that European countries will purchase more military equipment from Asia after Trump threatened to withdraw the US’s security umbrella.

Take a break from the news . . . 

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