Paul Handley
@phand1.bsky.social
DC based recovering journalist: FEER, AFP, lots of bylines elsewhere; Asia (esp Thailand), Saudi, US. Author "The King Never Smiles" bio of Thai King Bhumibol. Clarinet Django/gypsy/manouche, swing, jazz, Takoma Park Community Band. 🇫🇷 🇺🇸
Reposted by Paul Handley
WH sources say Venezuela's opposition leader committed the "ultimate sin": She accepted the Nobel Peace prize.
“If she had turned it down and said, ‘I can’t accept it because it’s Donald Trump’s,’ she’d be the president of Venezuela today,” one said.
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
“If she had turned it down and said, ‘I can’t accept it because it’s Donald Trump’s,’ she’d be the president of Venezuela today,” one said.
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
January 5, 2026 at 3:02 AM
WH sources say Venezuela's opposition leader committed the "ultimate sin": She accepted the Nobel Peace prize.
“If she had turned it down and said, ‘I can’t accept it because it’s Donald Trump’s,’ she’d be the president of Venezuela today,” one said.
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
“If she had turned it down and said, ‘I can’t accept it because it’s Donald Trump’s,’ she’d be the president of Venezuela today,” one said.
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Reposted by Paul Handley
On X, a senior U.S. Justice Department official is promoting a post that praises colonization as “one of the greatest things that ever happened to the backwards parts of the world.”👇
January 5, 2026 at 12:44 AM
On X, a senior U.S. Justice Department official is promoting a post that praises colonization as “one of the greatest things that ever happened to the backwards parts of the world.”👇
Reposted by Paul Handley
We will be greeted as liberators
January 5, 2026 at 12:27 AM
We will be greeted as liberators
Reposted by Paul Handley
but Trump’s motive was to keep China from Venezuela’s oil, and to gain leverage against China by the US controlling it. For Trump, oil is global power. But it won’t help the US compete with China one bit. And China will only feel pain — very little —if the US shuts down Venezuela supplies.
January 4, 2026 at 8:55 PM
but Trump’s motive was to keep China from Venezuela’s oil, and to gain leverage against China by the US controlling it. For Trump, oil is global power. But it won’t help the US compete with China one bit. And China will only feel pain — very little —if the US shuts down Venezuela supplies.
Reposted by Paul Handley
Excuse my optimism, but this passage in the New York Times today is the kind of blunt statement of the facts that NYT has been avoiding for years. They’re describing the Trump regime‘s actions in Venezuela as gunboat diplomacy and imperialism.
January 4, 2026 at 8:48 PM
Excuse my optimism, but this passage in the New York Times today is the kind of blunt statement of the facts that NYT has been avoiding for years. They’re describing the Trump regime‘s actions in Venezuela as gunboat diplomacy and imperialism.
Reposted by Paul Handley
This is already a pretty explicit threat to kill the current acting president if she doesn't do what she's told.
January 4, 2026 at 7:41 PM
This is already a pretty explicit threat to kill the current acting president if she doesn't do what she's told.
Reposted by Paul Handley
Trump has golfed on 16 of the past 50 days; he's been at Mar-a-Lago for all or part of almost half of those days.
www.pbump.net/o/an-officia...
www.pbump.net/o/an-officia...
An official accounting of Trump’s golf and customer service time
It remains the case that President Trump doesn't particularly seem to like the White House. During his first time in office, there was reporting to this effect; in 2017, he allegedly told members of h...
www.pbump.net
January 4, 2026 at 7:51 PM
Trump has golfed on 16 of the past 50 days; he's been at Mar-a-Lago for all or part of almost half of those days.
www.pbump.net/o/an-officia...
www.pbump.net/o/an-officia...
Reposted by Paul Handley
This assumes the oil itself was the motive. But Trump’s motive was to keep China from Venezuela’s oil, and to gain leverage against China by the US controlling it. For Trump, oil is global power. But it won’t help the US compete with China one bit.
January 4, 2026 at 8:48 PM
This assumes the oil itself was the motive. But Trump’s motive was to keep China from Venezuela’s oil, and to gain leverage against China by the US controlling it. For Trump, oil is global power. But it won’t help the US compete with China one bit.
Reposted by Paul Handley
Himes: "I was delighted to hear that Tom Cotton, chairmen of the Senate Intel Committee, has been in regular contact with the admin. I've had zero outreach and no D I'm aware of has. So apparently we're now in a world where the legal obligation to keep Congress informed only applies to your party."
January 4, 2026 at 4:45 PM
Himes: "I was delighted to hear that Tom Cotton, chairmen of the Senate Intel Committee, has been in regular contact with the admin. I've had zero outreach and no D I'm aware of has. So apparently we're now in a world where the legal obligation to keep Congress informed only applies to your party."
Reposted by Paul Handley
Chairman JCOS: “Months of planning…”
soooo not an imminent threat justifying self-defense
soooo not an imminent threat justifying self-defense
January 3, 2026 at 5:05 PM
Chairman JCOS: “Months of planning…”
soooo not an imminent threat justifying self-defense
soooo not an imminent threat justifying self-defense
Reposted by Paul Handley
Trump ran against regime change wars in three consecutive presidential elections.
In the last 24-36 hours, he commanded the first U.S.-led regime change war in about a decade and a half - if you count U.S. involvement in Libya in 2011 (very different).
Syria wasn’t a U.S.-led regime change war.
In the last 24-36 hours, he commanded the first U.S.-led regime change war in about a decade and a half - if you count U.S. involvement in Libya in 2011 (very different).
Syria wasn’t a U.S.-led regime change war.
January 3, 2026 at 10:58 PM
Trump ran against regime change wars in three consecutive presidential elections.
In the last 24-36 hours, he commanded the first U.S.-led regime change war in about a decade and a half - if you count U.S. involvement in Libya in 2011 (very different).
Syria wasn’t a U.S.-led regime change war.
In the last 24-36 hours, he commanded the first U.S.-led regime change war in about a decade and a half - if you count U.S. involvement in Libya in 2011 (very different).
Syria wasn’t a U.S.-led regime change war.
If you are trying hard to interpret the meaning of Trump‘s action in Venezuela, look, it’s simple, Stephen Miller’s wife Katie has made it clear that it’s simply imperialism
January 3, 2026 at 10:08 PM
If you are trying hard to interpret the meaning of Trump‘s action in Venezuela, look, it’s simple, Stephen Miller’s wife Katie has made it clear that it’s simply imperialism
Wondering if Trump is now going to compensate China for the billion dollars that they have invested in Venezuelan oil production
January 3, 2026 at 7:12 PM
Wondering if Trump is now going to compensate China for the billion dollars that they have invested in Venezuelan oil production
Reposted by Paul Handley
tfw you have no elected senators to call and demand impeachment proceedings from because you live in #dc and you have no voting representation 🫠
January 3, 2026 at 4:48 PM
tfw you have no elected senators to call and demand impeachment proceedings from because you live in #dc and you have no voting representation 🫠
Reposted by Paul Handley
Trump throws Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado under the bus, saying she’s “a very nice lady” but doesn’t have the support or respect in Venezuela to lead the country.
January 3, 2026 at 5:36 PM
Trump throws Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado under the bus, saying she’s “a very nice lady” but doesn’t have the support or respect in Venezuela to lead the country.
Reposted by Paul Handley
Tulsi Gabbard in 2019:
"The United States needs to keep our hands off Venezuela... end these destructive and wasteful regime change wars... proven to cause more problems, increase suffering, increase instability for the people in the countries where we wage these wars. In Latin America especially".
"The United States needs to keep our hands off Venezuela... end these destructive and wasteful regime change wars... proven to cause more problems, increase suffering, increase instability for the people in the countries where we wage these wars. In Latin America especially".
January 3, 2026 at 1:22 PM
Tulsi Gabbard in 2019:
"The United States needs to keep our hands off Venezuela... end these destructive and wasteful regime change wars... proven to cause more problems, increase suffering, increase instability for the people in the countries where we wage these wars. In Latin America especially".
"The United States needs to keep our hands off Venezuela... end these destructive and wasteful regime change wars... proven to cause more problems, increase suffering, increase instability for the people in the countries where we wage these wars. In Latin America especially".
Venezuela: for younger folks who might not know US history as well, this isn't all that new
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB4x...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB4x...
Phil Ochs - Santo Domingo
YouTube video by Krutponken
www.youtube.com
January 3, 2026 at 5:32 PM
Venezuela: for younger folks who might not know US history as well, this isn't all that new
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB4x...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB4x...
Reposted by Paul Handley
Absurd take. We were shocked and outraged when deportations hit tens of thousands. Now it’s hundreds of thousands and Sargent is trying to spin it as a failure for Trump and Miller because it didn’t hit a million. The program continues, ICE is expanding, and nothing really is stopping it.
January 2, 2026 at 2:35 PM
Absurd take. We were shocked and outraged when deportations hit tens of thousands. Now it’s hundreds of thousands and Sargent is trying to spin it as a failure for Trump and Miller because it didn’t hit a million. The program continues, ICE is expanding, and nothing really is stopping it.
Reposted by Paul Handley
Sending NY real estate shyster Donald Trump to DC to be president advised by alcoholic perve Rudy Giuliani was the most New York thing ever. Just sayin’
January 2, 2026 at 3:48 AM
Sending NY real estate shyster Donald Trump to DC to be president advised by alcoholic perve Rudy Giuliani was the most New York thing ever. Just sayin’
Reposted by Paul Handley
I know I do this a lot but I will never get over flight attendants being both the only thing standing between me and death in an emergency and also credit card salespeople. Truly, in a right world, one could only be one at a time and never in the same place at the same time.
January 1, 2026 at 9:55 PM
I know I do this a lot but I will never get over flight attendants being both the only thing standing between me and death in an emergency and also credit card salespeople. Truly, in a right world, one could only be one at a time and never in the same place at the same time.
Reposted by Paul Handley
MAGA and Trump relentlessly portray the left as extremist.
Meanwhile, one of Vice President Vance’s favorite “intellectuals” is openly fawning over…checks notes…Adolf Hitler.
Meanwhile, one of Vice President Vance’s favorite “intellectuals” is openly fawning over…checks notes…Adolf Hitler.
January 1, 2026 at 3:05 PM
MAGA and Trump relentlessly portray the left as extremist.
Meanwhile, one of Vice President Vance’s favorite “intellectuals” is openly fawning over…checks notes…Adolf Hitler.
Meanwhile, one of Vice President Vance’s favorite “intellectuals” is openly fawning over…checks notes…Adolf Hitler.
Reposted by Paul Handley
Curtis Yarvin, JD Vance’s friend & ideological influence, ended 2025 by claiming “only Hitler spoke the truth” about “too many subjects” & “Hitler was a genius.”
Extremism isn’t fringe on the right. Once marginal online extremists like Yarvin are influential at the highest levels of government.
Extremism isn’t fringe on the right. Once marginal online extremists like Yarvin are influential at the highest levels of government.
January 1, 2026 at 2:49 PM
Curtis Yarvin, JD Vance’s friend & ideological influence, ended 2025 by claiming “only Hitler spoke the truth” about “too many subjects” & “Hitler was a genius.”
Extremism isn’t fringe on the right. Once marginal online extremists like Yarvin are influential at the highest levels of government.
Extremism isn’t fringe on the right. Once marginal online extremists like Yarvin are influential at the highest levels of government.
Reposted by Paul Handley
Looks like the Epstein files are up to 5.2 million pages www.nytimes.com/2025/12/30/u... I remember when they were sitting on Pam Bondi's desk last March.
As rumors swirl after political killings, this GOP lawmaker draws a line
Minnesota state senator Julia Coleman knew both Charlie Kirk and Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman. She is fed up with the conspiracy theories around their deaths.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 31, 2025 at 6:46 AM
Looks like the Epstein files are up to 5.2 million pages www.nytimes.com/2025/12/30/u... I remember when they were sitting on Pam Bondi's desk last March.
Reposted by Paul Handley
unvarnished gutter racism and Nazism from the president. a disgrace to our country.
December 31, 2025 at 4:32 PM
unvarnished gutter racism and Nazism from the president. a disgrace to our country.