AFP Washington desk chief. Formerly White House. Formerly formerly: Moscow, Chechnya, NYC, Rio de Janeiro, US #localnews. You say Thor, I say thaw.
Washington, DC
Joined November 2010
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Sebastian Smith retweeted
It was once extremely rare for grand jurors to rebuff prosecutors and turn down a request for an indictment, given that the Justice Department has traditionally sought criminal charges only in cases it expects to win. But prosecutors have become increasingly convinced they will be unable to bring any indictment that is seen as political while Trump is in office.
nytimes.com/2026/10/27/us/po…
Sebastian Smith retweeted
The controversial 2-hour delay in voting at some ballot stations in Brazil yesterday only resulted in 34,000 extra votes -- irrelevant, given Lula beat Bolsonaro by 4.43 million
Source: TSE (electoral court)
Sebastian Smith retweeted
Por enquanto Donald Trump não parabenizou e não tentou contato com Lula.
Casa Branca e Departamento de Estado aguardam manifestação do presidente -que ainda não chegou no Salao Oval para trabalhar.
Sebastian Smith retweeted
🇻🇪 Venezuela's Machado returns from exile to jubilant crowds
Maria Corina Machado, Venezuela's opposition leader and a Nobel Peace Prize winner, has made a surprise return home after nearly a year in exile. Her return to Caracas is a direct challenge to the US-backed interim government of Delcy Rodriguez, who has led the country under Washington's watchful eye since US forces ousted longtime leader Nicolas Maduro in January
Sebastian Smith retweeted
BREAKING Brazil's defeated presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro refuses to recognize President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's victory on Sunday.
"It is impossible to acknowledge the result," he said from Brasilia, adding that "I am going to request the annulment of these elections"
Sebastian Smith retweeted
Over the past 20 months, the Latin American left has lost seven out of seven presidential elections. Tonight, it increasingly looks as if Lula will end the right’s winning streak, in what would amount to a strategic defeat for Trump, who has systematically sought to strengthen the Bolsonaro family.
Sebastian Smith retweeted
NEW: A group of Catholic bishops prayed over President Trump in the Oval Office on Thursday, 12 days before the midterm elections, at a meeting organized by an official at the Heritage Foundation.
A senior Vatican official called it “a highly inappropriate meeting and an insult to Pope Leo XIV.”
In April, Trump called the pope “terrible for Foreign Policy,” and Vice President JD Vance warned that Leo should “be careful” when he talks about theology. thelettersfromleo.com/p/past…
Sebastian Smith retweeted
Elon Musk powers past the $400 million mark in donations this cycle cnn.com/2026/10/22/politics/…
Sebastian Smith retweeted
Elon Musk threatens Democrats who want to investigate alleged corruption and his role in the US government if they win control of Congress next month.
"Those who pick fights with me should understand that I will find out who is really pulling the strings and come for them”
tinyurl.com/yjfn3u3k
Sebastian Smith retweeted
These are not transfers from the US, but from other countries. The US is now actively sabotaging Ukrainian defense of civilians.
Breaking news: The Trump administration has not approved the transfer of interceptor missiles to Ukraine that are needed to protect the country from Russian attacks, officials said, a delay that comes as President Trump has embraced Russia in recent weeks. wapo.st/4yCb7T7
Sebastian Smith retweeted
This is the first time in the history of the U.S.-Israel relations that a U.S. president explicitly and publicly endorses a candidate in the Israeli elections
🇺🇸🇮🇱Trump endorses Netanyahu 9 days before Israel election. My report on @axios
axios.com/2026/10/18/trump-e…
Sebastian Smith retweeted
in the united states, opposition to ai isn’t fear of technology. americans haven’t suddenly become a nation of luddites.
it’s a well founded belief that those with power are not going to use ai in ways that benefit the average american.
this is not a comms problem.
it’s a trust problem.
Sebastian Smith retweeted
Meta has suddenly suspended the No Kings Instagram account in the middle of the No Kings' national day of action.
This shocking censorship comes just weeks before the midterm election.
Sebastian Smith retweeted
“I like people that like me. I just like it, I can't help. It's a character flaw. I mean, I've had a couple of people-really horrible human beings, horrible, horrible, terrible people-but I heard through the grapevine they really liked me a lot, so I like them too,” Trump said.
Sebastian Smith retweeted
Are we sleepwalking into World War III? ft.trib.al/uniZyFL
Sebastian Smith retweeted
How does democracy function when one person can donate $150 million for 1 Senate race? In a state where one of his companies has major facilities?
Sebastian Smith retweeted
The Pentagon’s suspected actions endangered the lives of US personnel, the Senators say.
“We are particularly alarmed by incidents in which U.S. diplomatic, military, and security personnel were unable to reach designated bunkers during Russian air raids, amid reported disruptions to intelligence-sharing and early-warning capabilities.”
🚨 JUST IN: @SenatorShaheen and a group of bipartisan senators sent a letter to @DoW_IG calling for an investigation into the disruption of @SpaceX Starlink and Starshield systems in Ukraine.
Read the full letter ⬇️
foreign.senate.gov/press/dem…
Sebastian Smith retweeted
‘The block [on attacking refineries] is out. We’re done,’ the Ukrainian president said in an interview with the FT in which he expressed anger at the ‘dangerous’ withdrawal of US intelligence sharing and weakening of Starlink satellite internet service ft.trib.al/eWpSVAA
ALT Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Text on image reads: (FT Interview) Ukraine to resume strikes on Russian refineries, Zelenskyy says (Credit: Charlie Bibby/FT)