John Hudson
@johnphudson
I cover diplomacy and national security for The Washington Post
Gave some context to CNN: Iran’s supreme leader was assassinated at the start of the war (along w/ much of its civilian & military leadership). It’s no surprise Trump was at risk while in a country bordering Iran but the tactics used to protect him were jaw-dropping
Video: The Turkish catering truck nonchalantly moving from Air Force One to the other plane
Al Qaeda’s affiliate in Mali, JNIM, has grown increasingly powerful in the West African country but using force carries risks, says Sahel expert Wassim Nasr:
Rubio's meeting with China's top diplomat Wang Yi has begun in Manila. The first high-level US-China meeting since Trump's claims of Chinese election meddling
Trump said the FBI was wasting its time in visiting Lindsey Graham's home. "I don't see a lot of evil there." He then dings the deceased on his health decisions, noting a blocked artery: "I wish he took better care of himself" "His father died of the same thing"
Rubio says Belgium should be honored to play the U.S. team at "full strength" because if they win, the victory won't be "tainted"
In the first month of Trump’s second term, he gathered his top aides to discuss the war in Ukraine which included musing about the attractiveness of Ukrainian women, via the new book Regime Change
... and the reference to Claude has now been deleted (in the amendment by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna)
tfw you used Claude to write your NDAA amendment but forgot to hide your tracks
The Trump administration remains upset about comments Petro made criticizing U.S. support for Israel and calling on U.S. soldiers to disobey presidential orders to kill during his last visit to the U.S.
Castro: “Will you tell us, the Congress and the American people, whether Israel, in fact, possesses nuclear weapons?” Rubio: “most of the world assesses that they do”
The top Democrat on the panel grilling Rubio is not urging him to end the war in Iran but expressing concern about lifting sanctions that would be key for a peace deal: "I would urge this administration not to give money to Iran to continue the work of their proxies"
To repair ties with India, Rubio tries prayer and pageantry wapo.st/4tU4Hwb
Before boarding a plane in Jaipur, Rubio was asked about the renewed hostilities with Iran. He said the United States would continue to pursue a diplomatic solution, noting that talks were currently playing out in Qatar on the original framework for ending the war:
I’ll be covering the trip from India, which is currently in the final days of peak Alphonso mango season
Rubio and his wife Jeanette just arrived in India, where they'll visit four different cities (Kolkata, New Delhi, Agra and Jaipur) in a bid to repair U.S.-India relations. First official act: dusting off the shoulders of US ambassador Sergio Gor. Video via BBC
Trump says he was going to order an attack on Iran tomorrow but he is now calling it off at the request of Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar to see if a deal can be made
When asked about the finding, Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said “assertions claiming the global balance of power have shifted towards any nation other than the United States of America are fundamentally false.”
Beijing has also assisted countries around the world struggling to meet their energy needs after the U.S.-Israeli attack prompted Iran to close the Hormuz Strait:
This week, Trump painted a more dire picture of Iran's situation, saying “their economy is crashing,” their currency is “worthless” and "their missiles are mostly decimated." But U.S. intelligence offers a much more sobering assessment:
Rubio adding to Hegseth's messaging that the ceasefire is still in place: "if you hear stories about ... firing back & forth, it's not back & forth. We are only responding if attacked first." (US has destroyed boats, Iran has launched cruise missiles, drones & small boats)
The concerns about nuclear escalation are shared by some inside the Trump administration, who say Israel’s red lines may not be adequately understood, per U.S. administration officials:
The lawmakers, led by Rep. Joaquin Castro, say Washington’s silence on the program is indefensible amid the war in Iran and the acute threat of military escalation.
Scoop: More than two dozen House Democrats are pressing the Trump administration to publicly acknowledge Israel’s undeclared nuclear weapons program, a move that would abandon decades of U.S. policy but confirm what has been an open secret among intelligence officials since the late 1960s🧵
Really happy day at the Washington Post, which just took home the Pulitzer Prize in Public Service (as well as a Pulitzer in feature photography)
New: 60 Minutes correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi says that after her CECOT story was held by CBS corporate and then leaked in Canada, CBS asked her to change the report. “I refused”
can't believe that just happened: Trump got a NASA question and deferred to NASA administrator Jared Isaacman, saying "the best man to tell you that is the man sitting right over here. You heard that question with those beautiful ears of yours ... He's got super hearing"
It’s been two months since the U.S. strike on an Iranian girls school, says Rep. Adam Smith, and the Trump admin is trying to sweep it under the rug. The world thinks we don’t care about it, Smith says. “We should care.”