John Hudson
@johnphudson.bsky.social
I cover diplomacy and national security for The Washington Post
NEW: Google breached its own policies that barred use of artificial intelligence for weapons or surveillance in 2024 by helping an Israeli military contractor analyze drone video footage, a former Google employee alleges
February 2, 2026 at 5:31 AM
NEW: Google breached its own policies that barred use of artificial intelligence for weapons or surveillance in 2024 by helping an Israeli military contractor analyze drone video footage, a former Google employee alleges
At tonight’s Alfalfa Club dinner, Trump said he called Putin today and said it’s cold so please stop bombing Ukraine for a week, said a person in the room. On Iran he made an edgy remark (joke?) about his upcoming second strike on Iran
February 1, 2026 at 2:41 AM
At tonight’s Alfalfa Club dinner, Trump said he called Putin today and said it’s cold so please stop bombing Ukraine for a week, said a person in the room. On Iran he made an edgy remark (joke?) about his upcoming second strike on Iran
Advocates for Maria Corina Machado, who saw Trump’s ouster of Maduro as a watershed moment for self-governance, are worried that Washington now prefers reliability over democracy www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
www.washingtonpost.com
January 29, 2026 at 2:12 PM
Advocates for Maria Corina Machado, who saw Trump’s ouster of Maduro as a watershed moment for self-governance, are worried that Washington now prefers reliability over democracy www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Marco Rubio, in prepared remarks to Congress, gives a boost to Maduro's successor and Machado's sworn adversary, Delcy Rodriguez: "it is our belief that her own self-interest aligns with advancing our key objectives."
January 28, 2026 at 12:13 AM
Marco Rubio, in prepared remarks to Congress, gives a boost to Maduro's successor and Machado's sworn adversary, Delcy Rodriguez: "it is our belief that her own self-interest aligns with advancing our key objectives."
Trump offers a new explanation for closing his eyes during cabinet meetings (dedicated to glorifying him). “It’s boring as hell,” he tells Ben Terris . “The last one was three and a half hours." nymag.com/intelligence...
‘The Superhuman President’
A good-faith attempt to ascertain the truth about Donald Trump’s health.
nymag.com
January 26, 2026 at 2:56 PM
Trump offers a new explanation for closing his eyes during cabinet meetings (dedicated to glorifying him). “It’s boring as hell,” he tells Ben Terris . “The last one was three and a half hours." nymag.com/intelligence...
Minnesota's attorney general tells The Post that Trump and his advisers propagated a “flat-out insane” narrative regarding the shooting death of Alex Pretti. "A complete break with what we consider to be reasonable law enforcement behavior" www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
www.washingtonpost.com
January 26, 2026 at 3:23 AM
Minnesota's attorney general tells The Post that Trump and his advisers propagated a “flat-out insane” narrative regarding the shooting death of Alex Pretti. "A complete break with what we consider to be reasonable law enforcement behavior" www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
The three highest-ranking U.S. Catholic archbishops just said “the moral foundation for America’s actions in the world” has been thrown into question by a resurgence in the use or threat of military force, including in Venezuela and Greenland www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
www.washingtonpost.com
January 19, 2026 at 6:05 PM
The three highest-ranking U.S. Catholic archbishops just said “the moral foundation for America’s actions in the world” has been thrown into question by a resurgence in the use or threat of military force, including in Venezuela and Greenland www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
NEW: JD Vance supported US strikes on Iran this week and reasoned that Trump had to enforce his own red line, per sources. It was a surprise role reversal for a politician who built his identity on opposing Middle East wars with a loose connection to core US interests
January 17, 2026 at 9:03 PM
NEW: JD Vance supported US strikes on Iran this week and reasoned that Trump had to enforce his own red line, per sources. It was a surprise role reversal for a politician who built his identity on opposing Middle East wars with a loose connection to core US interests
New from The Post's editorial board: "The Justice Department’s decision to send FBI agents to raid a Washington Post reporter’s home Wednesday was an aggressive attack on the press freedom of all journalists." www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
www.washingtonpost.com
January 15, 2026 at 12:14 AM
New from The Post's editorial board: "The Justice Department’s decision to send FBI agents to raid a Washington Post reporter’s home Wednesday was an aggressive attack on the press freedom of all journalists." www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
Reposted by John Hudson
Pleased to speak with @johnphudson.bsky.social about the OLC opinion blessing the invasion of Venezuela.
“This view that international law and the U.N. Charter doesn’t bind the U.S. president is very significant and very dangerous.”
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
“This view that international law and the U.N. Charter doesn’t bind the U.S. president is very significant and very dangerous.”
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Previously secret memo gave legal basis for U.S. mission to nab Maduro
The administration releases a redacted version of a previously secret memo that gave the legal basis for the U.S. mission to arrest Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 14, 2026 at 2:45 AM
Pleased to speak with @johnphudson.bsky.social about the OLC opinion blessing the invasion of Venezuela.
“This view that international law and the U.N. Charter doesn’t bind the U.S. president is very significant and very dangerous.”
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
“This view that international law and the U.N. Charter doesn’t bind the U.S. president is very significant and very dangerous.”
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Incredibly disturbing FBI action www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
www.washingtonpost.com
January 14, 2026 at 2:12 PM
Incredibly disturbing FBI action www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Previously secret memo gave legal basis for U.S. mission to nab Maduro www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
www.washingtonpost.com
January 14, 2026 at 1:47 AM
Previously secret memo gave legal basis for U.S. mission to nab Maduro www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Rubio says court hearings no longer possible for deported Venezuelans www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...
www.washingtonpost.com
January 14, 2026 at 12:24 AM
Rubio says court hearings no longer possible for deported Venezuelans www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...
Ric Grenell navigating geopolitics and MAGA politics
January 13, 2026 at 11:57 PM
Ric Grenell navigating geopolitics and MAGA politics
In 2023, five U.S. intelligence agencies determined it was "very unlikely" that the symptoms associated with Havana Syndrome were the result of a foreign adversary using a directed energy weapon. Here's why:
January 13, 2026 at 5:01 PM
In 2023, five U.S. intelligence agencies determined it was "very unlikely" that the symptoms associated with Havana Syndrome were the result of a foreign adversary using a directed energy weapon. Here's why:
NEW: WaPo confirms NYT report: The Trump administration’s first deadly strike on an alleged drug smuggling boat in early September was conducted by a secretive military aircraft painted to look like a civilian plane
January 13, 2026 at 11:44 AM
NEW: WaPo confirms NYT report: The Trump administration’s first deadly strike on an alleged drug smuggling boat in early September was conducted by a secretive military aircraft painted to look like a civilian plane
NYT: "Two survivors of the initial attack later appeared to wave at the aircraft after clambering aboard an overturned piece of the hull, before the military killed them in a follow-up strike that also sank the wreckage."
January 12, 2026 at 11:55 PM
NYT: "Two survivors of the initial attack later appeared to wave at the aircraft after clambering aboard an overturned piece of the hull, before the military killed them in a follow-up strike that also sank the wreckage."
The State Department, which has revoked the visas of individuals for making insensitive remarks about Charlie Kirk or strongly criticizing Israel or other offenses, is touting that it "revoked over 100,000 visas from foreign nationals," a 150% increase from 2024
January 12, 2026 at 4:59 PM
The State Department, which has revoked the visas of individuals for making insensitive remarks about Charlie Kirk or strongly criticizing Israel or other offenses, is touting that it "revoked over 100,000 visas from foreign nationals," a 150% increase from 2024
Smithsonian removes Trump impeachment text as it swaps his portrait. Gift link: wapo.st/3Z6251j
wapo.st
January 10, 2026 at 10:27 PM
Smithsonian removes Trump impeachment text as it swaps his portrait. Gift link: wapo.st/3Z6251j
Days before the Maduro raid, the Vatican's top diplomat tried to reach Marco Rubio to discuss a diplomatic off ramp involving Russia granting Maduro asylum. A deep dive on how the diplomatic efforts by the Vatican and other nations died on the vine www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/0...
www.washingtonpost.com
January 9, 2026 at 5:25 PM
Days before the Maduro raid, the Vatican's top diplomat tried to reach Marco Rubio to discuss a diplomatic off ramp involving Russia granting Maduro asylum. A deep dive on how the diplomatic efforts by the Vatican and other nations died on the vine www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/0...
“Everyone is on a strike now,” said Amir, a food vendor in Karaj, near Tehran. “The economy has collapsed. The bazaar has collapsed. One of my acquaintances in the bazaar said, ‘If they want to shoot and kill us, let them! We have had enough.’”
January 9, 2026 at 11:05 AM
“Everyone is on a strike now,” said Amir, a food vendor in Karaj, near Tehran. “The economy has collapsed. The bazaar has collapsed. One of my acquaintances in the bazaar said, ‘If they want to shoot and kill us, let them! We have had enough.’”
Smart analysis by Chris Kennedy, a former member of Rubio's State Dept. policy planning staff, on the road ahead in Venezuela: "a protracted status quo & continued, regime-led crackdowns could sour the Cuban- and Venezuelan-American base on Trump ahead of the midterms"
January 8, 2026 at 5:46 PM
Smart analysis by Chris Kennedy, a former member of Rubio's State Dept. policy planning staff, on the road ahead in Venezuela: "a protracted status quo & continued, regime-led crackdowns could sour the Cuban- and Venezuelan-American base on Trump ahead of the midterms"
enjoyed joining All Things Considered to talk about Marco Rubio, Venezuela and FLA politics
www.npr.org/2026/01/07/n...
www.npr.org/2026/01/07/n...
The role Secretary Marco Rubio is playing in Venezuela's future
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to play a central role in Venezuela now that Nicolas Maduro has been ousted. John Hudson, national security reporter for The Washington Post, weighs in.
www.npr.org
January 7, 2026 at 11:45 PM
enjoyed joining All Things Considered to talk about Marco Rubio, Venezuela and FLA politics
www.npr.org/2026/01/07/n...
www.npr.org/2026/01/07/n...
U.S. vows to control Venezuela oil sales ‘indefinitely’
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
www.washingtonpost.com
January 7, 2026 at 7:10 PM
U.S. vows to control Venezuela oil sales ‘indefinitely’
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
NEW: The US assesses that about 75 people were killed during the U.S. military raid to capture Nicolás Maduro, a sizable death toll that adds meaning to Trump’s remarks that the operation was “effective” but “very violent.” Gift: wapo.st/3LhMSXQ
wapo.st
January 7, 2026 at 12:29 AM
NEW: The US assesses that about 75 people were killed during the U.S. military raid to capture Nicolás Maduro, a sizable death toll that adds meaning to Trump’s remarks that the operation was “effective” but “very violent.” Gift: wapo.st/3LhMSXQ