Sebastian Smith

AFP Washington desk chief. Formerly White House. Formerly formerly: Moscow, Chechnya, NYC, Rio de Janeiro, US #localnews. You say Thor, I say thaw.

[Sebastian Smith @SebastianAFP]

The seemingly omnipresent president is in reality rather hidden away as his second term unfolds

[Ed O'Keefe @edokeefe]

The president is currently scheduled to maintain a closed schedule today.

Besides weekend glimpses of him playing golf, and a taped TV interview with his daughter-in-law that aired Saturday, he has not held a public event in a week.

[Sebastian Smith @SebastianAFP]

That’s it. He’s not leaving office is he.

[Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani @NYCMayor]

Today, I signed an Executive Order temporarily repealing bedtimes in the City of New York so that kids of all ages can watch our team in the NBA Finals.

As Mayor, you’re forced to make many difficult decisions. This was not one of them.

Go Knicks.

[Sebastian Smith @SebastianAFP]

Last time Donald Trump announced a “wild” rally on the Mall the crowd ransacked Congress and tries to overturn the presidential election.

[Sebastian Smith @SebastianAFP]

Golden era

[Anna Kramer @anna_c_kramer]

SCOOP: Trump admin is paying millions to quickly cover four enormous bronze horses with extra-thick 23.75 karat gold leaf.

The money for the rush job is coming from National Park Service. In total, I found ~$100 mil spent on new DC beautification projects
https://t.co/iCgnL1sFon

[Sebastian Smith @SebastianAFP]

Saving up for a World Cup ticket?

[BBC News (World) @BBCWorld]

Ex-US government official arrested after $40 million in gold bars found in home https://t.co/QVTgLTqxqk

[Sebastian Smith @SebastianAFP]

Iran’s World Cup team is playing in the US but has to base itself in Mexico

[AFP News Agency @AFP]

🇲🇽 🇮🇷 🇺🇸 Mexico instead of US will host Iran team during World Cup

Mexico will allow Iran to be based in the country during the 2026 World Cup so its players can avoid US visa restrictions, President Claudia Sheinbaum has said.

[The Washington Post @washingtonpost]

Breaking news: Trump administration officials have pressed the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to design a $250 bill featuring the president’s portrait, in what would be the first appearance of a living person on U.S. currency in more than 150 years. https://t.co/S8sqdKSB7i

[Jonathan Lemire @JonLemire]

5.27.26

[Financial Times @FT]

Trump’s Board of Peace fund is empty https://t.co/r3U8sEB8oF

[AFP News Agency @AFP]

"We're having a big fight.”

Trump builds giant stage at White House for birthday UFC cage fight

https://t.co/6pnWWlHS6e

[Sebastian Smith @SebastianAFP]

The circus part of bread and circuses is so down

[Pop Crave @PopCrave]

New photo of the UFC arena construction at the White House.

[Sebastian Smith @SebastianAFP]

— As of early 2024, SDA's "Russian Digital Army" generated 33.9M comments, 4,641 original videos, and 2,516 memes to influence narratives online. —

[Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum]

Read the whole thread.

[Sebastian Smith @SebastianAFP]

Trump White House 1.0 and 2.0 having differences

[Steven Cheung @StevenCheung47]

Mike Pompeo has no idea what the fuck he’s talking about. He should shut his stupid mouth and leave the real work to the professionals. He’s not read into anything that’s happening, so how would he know.

[Sebastian Smith @SebastianAFP]

Ouch

[Mike Pompeo @mikepompeo]

The deal being floated with Iran seems straight out of the Wendy Sherman-Robert Malley-Ben Rhodes playbook: Pay the IRGC to build a WMD program and terrorize the world.

Not remotely America First. It’s straightforward: Open the damned strait. Deny Iran access to money. Take out enough Iranian capability so it cannot threaten our allies in the region.

Overdue. Let’s go.

[Sebastian Smith @SebastianAFP]

This is a real post from the president

[Sebastian Smith @SebastianAFP]

Hard to remember now but many of these lawmakers were literally cowering or running for their lives on Jan 6, 2021, as the MAGA mob rampaged through the hallowed halls of US democracy.

Inside the Senate G.O.P. Meltdown Over Trump’s Fund https://t.co/XzYkpf87Vg via @NYTimes

[Sebastian Smith @SebastianAFP]

Ffs

[ABC News @ABC]

Hundreds of climbers scaled Mount Everest in a single day, setting a new record with 274 successful ascents, officials said Thursday.

Read more: https://t.co/cTK0sb4T9E

[Tyler McBrien @TylerMcBrien]

BLANCHE: "The United States...is hereby FOREVER BARRED and PRECLUDED from prosecuting or pursuing...examinations or similar or related reviews" against Trump "or related or affiliated individuals," including family members or related companies and trusts.

[Financial Times @FT]

Trump and sons to be ‘forever’ exempt from tax audits https://t.co/Lak2QLu4EL

[Mark Mazzetti @MarkMazzettiNYT]

NEW: The regime change plan at the beginning of the Iran War called for installing Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's former hard line president known for accelerating the nuclear program and denying the Holocaust, as the country's new. leader.https://t.co/wOIGpeFGY9