Jim Pickard
@pickardje.bsky.social
Deputy political editor, Financial Times. Also amateur iphone photographer and some-time musician.
Pinned
Jim Pickard
@pickardje.bsky.social
· Nov 17
this isn’t a new photo - I took it a few years ago - but wanted to share it regardless
Reposted by Jim Pickard
We just need to be better than LinkedIn. Can we do that?
January 5, 2026 at 8:15 PM
We just need to be better than LinkedIn. Can we do that?
Reposted by Jim Pickard
still cannot process that ronald lauder, the honorary chairman of the museum of modern art is stealth buying up greenlandic companies to facilitate trump's invasion and takeover of greenland.
In implementation of Trump plans to invade and occupy Greenland, billionaire Trump loyalist Ron Lauder has launched a program of quietly acquiring control of major Greenland corporations.
Stenrig Trump-støtte har købt sig ind i grønlandske virksomheder
Den kendte amerikanske milliardær og Trump-støtte Ronald Lauder har købt sig ind i to grønlandske virksomheder. Eksperter opfordrer til at være på vagt over for skjulte politiske dagsordener.
https://politiken.dk/internationalt/art10619933/Stenrig-Trump-støtte-har-købt-sig-ind-i-grønlandske-virksomheder
December 2, 2025 at 6:45 PM
still cannot process that ronald lauder, the honorary chairman of the museum of modern art is stealth buying up greenlandic companies to facilitate trump's invasion and takeover of greenland.
Reposted by Jim Pickard
birds do it
bees do it
even educated fleas do it
let's do it
let's fly into a window
bees do it
even educated fleas do it
let's do it
let's fly into a window
January 5, 2026 at 3:55 PM
birds do it
bees do it
even educated fleas do it
let's do it
let's fly into a window
bees do it
even educated fleas do it
let's do it
let's fly into a window
Reposted by Jim Pickard
This is designed to have a chilling effect on all retired service members. The message is that if you speak out, you risk your retirement pay.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says Sen. Mark Kelly will face administrative action
January 5, 2026 at 3:27 PM
This is designed to have a chilling effect on all retired service members. The message is that if you speak out, you risk your retirement pay.
In 2019 Fiona Hill, who served in the first Trump administration, told Congress that the Russian government had been “signalling very strongly that they wanted to somehow make some very strange swap agreement between Venezuela and Ukraine”.
www.ft.com/content/dcd8...
www.ft.com/content/dcd8...
Venezuela and the trouble with the Donroe doctrine
A world order built around great power spheres of influence is a recipe for instability and conflict
www.ft.com
January 5, 2026 at 3:55 PM
In 2019 Fiona Hill, who served in the first Trump administration, told Congress that the Russian government had been “signalling very strongly that they wanted to somehow make some very strange swap agreement between Venezuela and Ukraine”.
www.ft.com/content/dcd8...
www.ft.com/content/dcd8...
Reposted by Jim Pickard
What X is allowing Grok to do is unlawful or regulatory-illegal in multiple jurisdictions, creates clear DSA violations, and continues despite regulator scrutiny. The images do not need to be pornographic, non-consensual sexualised or intimate depictions are enough.
Elon Musk chatbot repeatedly making CSAM on demand should be one of the single biggest stories right now and it's effectively a collective shrug instead
January 5, 2026 at 2:42 PM
What X is allowing Grok to do is unlawful or regulatory-illegal in multiple jurisdictions, creates clear DSA violations, and continues despite regulator scrutiny. The images do not need to be pornographic, non-consensual sexualised or intimate depictions are enough.
Reposted by Jim Pickard
Exciting to have a Trump position the UK govt is officially against (if I'm being very cynical may also suggest Greenland isn't seriously in scope for Trump yet) www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Only Greenland should decide its future, Starmer says
It comes after President Trump again said
www.bbc.co.uk
January 5, 2026 at 12:58 PM
Exciting to have a Trump position the UK govt is officially against (if I'm being very cynical may also suggest Greenland isn't seriously in scope for Trump yet) www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
this must be the most banal political soundbite of recent years, via Sir Keir Starmer:
“Every minute that we’re not talking about the cost of living is a wasted minute.”
“Every minute that we’re not talking about the cost of living is a wasted minute.”
January 5, 2026 at 12:08 PM
this must be the most banal political soundbite of recent years, via Sir Keir Starmer:
“Every minute that we’re not talking about the cost of living is a wasted minute.”
“Every minute that we’re not talking about the cost of living is a wasted minute.”
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called on US President Donald Trump and his allies to stop making threats to seize control of Greenland as tensions flared between the Nato allies following America’s intervention in Venezuela.
www.ft.com/content/daae...
www.ft.com/content/daae...
Denmark tells Trump to stop threatening to seize Greenland
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen says US has no right to annexe the Arctic island
www.ft.com
January 4, 2026 at 9:38 PM
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called on US President Donald Trump and his allies to stop making threats to seize control of Greenland as tensions flared between the Nato allies following America’s intervention in Venezuela.
www.ft.com/content/daae...
www.ft.com/content/daae...
Reposted by Jim Pickard
Elon Musk, Feb 2025: "America should mind its own business rather than push for regime change all over the place.”
Elon Musk now:
Elon Musk now:
January 4, 2026 at 12:18 PM
Elon Musk, Feb 2025: "America should mind its own business rather than push for regime change all over the place.”
Elon Musk now:
Elon Musk now:
Reposted by Jim Pickard
"Trump’s new world order is now very much a reality. It has no obvious rules, no real allies, celebrates the jungle and is almost always about money. There is a lot of wealth under Venezuela’s soil. Trump is now committed to extracting it." My column. Free to read. as.ft.com/r/08b22b7a-4...
Trump now owns Venezuela
[FREE TO READ] The US president has a growing appetite for military adventure
as.ft.com
January 3, 2026 at 8:28 PM
"Trump’s new world order is now very much a reality. It has no obvious rules, no real allies, celebrates the jungle and is almost always about money. There is a lot of wealth under Venezuela’s soil. Trump is now committed to extracting it." My column. Free to read. as.ft.com/r/08b22b7a-4...
Reposted by Jim Pickard
Reposted by Jim Pickard
A very long and important THREAD -
The real reason the US is invading Venezuela goes back to a deal Henry Kissinger made with Saudi Arabia in 1974.
And I'm going to explain why this is actually about the SURVIVAL of the US dollar itself.
Not drugs. Not terrorism. Not "democracy." 1/
The real reason the US is invading Venezuela goes back to a deal Henry Kissinger made with Saudi Arabia in 1974.
And I'm going to explain why this is actually about the SURVIVAL of the US dollar itself.
Not drugs. Not terrorism. Not "democracy." 1/
January 4, 2026 at 9:40 AM
A very long and important THREAD -
The real reason the US is invading Venezuela goes back to a deal Henry Kissinger made with Saudi Arabia in 1974.
And I'm going to explain why this is actually about the SURVIVAL of the US dollar itself.
Not drugs. Not terrorism. Not "democracy." 1/
The real reason the US is invading Venezuela goes back to a deal Henry Kissinger made with Saudi Arabia in 1974.
And I'm going to explain why this is actually about the SURVIVAL of the US dollar itself.
Not drugs. Not terrorism. Not "democracy." 1/
Reposted by Jim Pickard
Zelensky on Venezuela:
“About Venezuela? How should I respond to that? Well, what can I say? If… If it is possible to act with dictators like this, it means the United States knows what to do next. Thank you”
Omg I love it.
“About Venezuela? How should I respond to that? Well, what can I say? If… If it is possible to act with dictators like this, it means the United States knows what to do next. Thank you”
Omg I love it.
January 4, 2026 at 1:32 AM
Zelensky on Venezuela:
“About Venezuela? How should I respond to that? Well, what can I say? If… If it is possible to act with dictators like this, it means the United States knows what to do next. Thank you”
Omg I love it.
“About Venezuela? How should I respond to that? Well, what can I say? If… If it is possible to act with dictators like this, it means the United States knows what to do next. Thank you”
Omg I love it.
Reposted by Jim Pickard
finally, we're living through precedented times
January 4, 2026 at 6:56 AM
finally, we're living through precedented times
Reposted by Jim Pickard
European weakness on full display by these horribly contorted responses from Merz, Macron and Starmer - neither condoning nor condemning US actions in Venezuela
Such weakness only risks making the Europeans more vulnerable (ie Greenland)
Such weakness only risks making the Europeans more vulnerable (ie Greenland)
January 3, 2026 at 7:43 PM
European weakness on full display by these horribly contorted responses from Merz, Macron and Starmer - neither condoning nor condemning US actions in Venezuela
Such weakness only risks making the Europeans more vulnerable (ie Greenland)
Such weakness only risks making the Europeans more vulnerable (ie Greenland)
Reposted by Jim Pickard
How the US’s audacious operation to capture Nicolás Maduro unfolded ft.trib.al/QA9oVFM
How the US’s audacious operation to capture Nicolás Maduro unfolded
Multiple attacks targeted military, transport and communication sites in Caracas and Venezuela’s north
ft.trib.al
January 3, 2026 at 10:17 PM
How the US’s audacious operation to capture Nicolás Maduro unfolded ft.trib.al/QA9oVFM
Reposted by Jim Pickard
the photographer was definitely like, "ok everybody, look tough!" but we know they're all just reading tweets with their arms crossed in a country club dining room divided up by bedsheets tacked to the beams
January 3, 2026 at 6:36 PM
the photographer was definitely like, "ok everybody, look tough!" but we know they're all just reading tweets with their arms crossed in a country club dining room divided up by bedsheets tacked to the beams
Reposted by Jim Pickard
A US president uses his for-profit (but money losing) social media site to announce a military strike against a foreign sovereign nation and the seizure by military force of a foreign government leader. Says a lot about where things are at in the US in 2026.
January 3, 2026 at 10:22 AM
A US president uses his for-profit (but money losing) social media site to announce a military strike against a foreign sovereign nation and the seizure by military force of a foreign government leader. Says a lot about where things are at in the US in 2026.
Reposted by Jim Pickard
Five RTs. Six Likes. It would be more cost effective for Defra comms officials to dial random phone numbers and launch into a spiel about otters or whatever.
January 2, 2026 at 11:18 PM
Five RTs. Six Likes. It would be more cost effective for Defra comms officials to dial random phone numbers and launch into a spiel about otters or whatever.
via FT live blog:
Venezuela’s vice-president said the whereabouts of President Nicolás Maduro were not known.
Delcy Rodríguez demanded “proof of life” of Maduro:
“We do not know the whereabouts of President Maduro and the first lady. We demand Trump give proof of life”
www.ft.com/content/48be...
Venezuela’s vice-president said the whereabouts of President Nicolás Maduro were not known.
Delcy Rodríguez demanded “proof of life” of Maduro:
“We do not know the whereabouts of President Maduro and the first lady. We demand Trump give proof of life”
www.ft.com/content/48be...
Donald Trump launches attack on Venezuela
Explosions reported in Caracas after weeks of pressure from Washington
www.ft.com
January 3, 2026 at 10:34 AM
via FT live blog:
Venezuela’s vice-president said the whereabouts of President Nicolás Maduro were not known.
Delcy Rodríguez demanded “proof of life” of Maduro:
“We do not know the whereabouts of President Maduro and the first lady. We demand Trump give proof of life”
www.ft.com/content/48be...
Venezuela’s vice-president said the whereabouts of President Nicolás Maduro were not known.
Delcy Rodríguez demanded “proof of life” of Maduro:
“We do not know the whereabouts of President Maduro and the first lady. We demand Trump give proof of life”
www.ft.com/content/48be...
Reposted by Jim Pickard
I took this photo of a heron at Bushy Park just before dawn this morning
January 3, 2026 at 9:44 AM
I took this photo of a heron at Bushy Park just before dawn this morning
it’ll be interesting to see what the British government say about Trump’s presumably illegal actions in Venezuela, do they signal doubts or just keep their heads down?
January 3, 2026 at 10:10 AM
it’ll be interesting to see what the British government say about Trump’s presumably illegal actions in Venezuela, do they signal doubts or just keep their heads down?
Reposted by Jim Pickard
Kidnapping the leader of a foreign state without any declaration of war and announcing it via social media is full-on rogue state stuff. From the world’s number one superpower.
January 3, 2026 at 9:56 AM
Kidnapping the leader of a foreign state without any declaration of war and announcing it via social media is full-on rogue state stuff. From the world’s number one superpower.