Sean Whelan

Washington Correspondent

A woman shouts as she is held by a police officer

Trump moves to defuse tensions in Minneapolis

US President Donald Trump has moved to try and defuse tensions in the city of Minneapolis, following the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old US citizen by federal agents on Saturday.

US • 4 hrs

A Minneapolis Police officer throws a can of tear gas at people gathered on Nicollet Avenue after a fatal shooting by federal agents in Minneapolis

Political backlash grows after second Minnesota shooting

The shooting of Alex Pretti will spark fraught political battles after the Trump administration offered contradictory claims to what can be viewed in footage that has been replayed on TV and in social media feeds since the incident happened.

Analysis and Comment • 20 hrs

US Army Special Forces and Danish special operators at the Yukon Training Area at Fort Wainwright military base in North Pole, Alaska.

Trump's Greenland goal puts spotlight on Arctic security

Donald Trump's aim to acquire to Greenland has put the spotlight on an issue that was previously the preserve of a few mid-level defence officials and military officers, but now his intervention has put Arctic security measures high up on the global political agenda.

Analysis and Comment • 25 Jan

NUUK, GREENLAND - JAN 13: Greenland residents and political leaders have publicly rejected suggestions by U.S. President Donald Trump that the Arctic island could become part of the United States. Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of D

As it happened: Trade tensions escalate over Greenland

Follow live developments as EU finance ministers are to meet in Brussels where the threat of tariffs on countries opposed to Donald Trump's plans for Greenland looms large.

App • 20 Jan

US President Donald Trump walks down the air stairs of Air Force One.

Tariff threat risks most serious transatlantic crisis yet

In the attention economy, US President Donald Trump has cornered the market in this most valuable commodity, writes Washington Correspondent Sean Whelan.

Analysis and Comment • 18 Jan

US President Donald Trump during a prime-time address to the nation in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. Trump will use the speech to detail “the historic accomplishments that he has garne

Trump wasting no time in rapid-fire fifth year in office

As a political figure, losing the 2020 presidential election was the best thing that happened to Donald Trump. It gave him something that most presidents never get - time.

2025 in Review • 28 Dec 25

The death of a Guardsman and its effect on Washington

The thing that has always concerned me about the deployment of the National Guard here in Washington DC is not the deployment of the National Guard per se – it's what would happen when the National guard was involved in a shooting incident.

Anaylsis and Comment • 29 Nov 25

McNally family hoping for closure following sentencing

The wheels of justice grind slowly - but sometimes they go really fast. The sentencing of Marcin Pieciak in New York today was an example of the latter.

Analysis and Comment • 21 Nov 25

Man jailed for manslaughter of Irish woman in New York

A man has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for the manslaughter of Irish woman Sarah McNally at a bar in Queens in New York last year.

US • 21 Nov 25

IN FLIGHT - NOVEMBER 14: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to members of press aboard Air Force One on November 14, 2025 while in flight from Washington, DC to West Palm Beach International Airport. Trump is scheduled to spend the weekend at his Mar-A-La

'Gang of Four' firm on Epstein files amid Trump pressure

Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert from Colorado is one of the most outspoken pro-Trump figures on Capitol Hill, her sometimes outlandish positions earning her a solid following among the MAGA base.

Analysis and Comment • 17 Nov 25