Amy Mackinnon
@ak_mack
Intelligence Reporter @politico | Formerly @foreignpolicy | Stray Scot 🏴| Signal: amackinnon.44
Come for the anecdotes of Trump’s lawyer doing vodka shots with the president of Belarus. Stay for the inside story on how diplomacy really gets done in the Trump administration. My latest for @POLITICOMag politico.com/news/magazine/…
1. In a review essay this week, I looked at Tim Weiner's (fascinating) new book on the CIA. It describes how CIA's "Russia House" doubled in size after 2016 & how agent recruitment grew. It quotes a CIA dep director calling Ukraine a “triumph of HUMINT” economist.com/culture/2025/0…
Today @DNIGabbard threatened criminal prosecution against several former intelligence officials for their alleged involvement in what she called a “treasonous conspiracy.” The DOJ wouldn’t say whether it will pursue charges. More for @politico w/ @ak_mack: politico.com/news/2025/07/1…
Tariff anxiety grips defense elites at Aspen conference, by @felschwartz politico.com/news/2025/07/1…
Donald Trump asked Volodymyr Zelenskyy if Ukraine could hit Moscow, say people briefed on call via @FT on.ft.com/3Iv8cas
“We essentially don’t have a national security adviser,” said Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas). “I’m not even sure Rubio was consulted on this one … There’s internal division in the White House.” politico.com/news/2025/07/0…
As the Trump admin. blocks weapon shipments to Ukraine, the Zelenskyy team and European allies are taking a new approach. w/ @JackDetsch @ak_mack @felschwartz @EliStokols politico.com/news/2025/07/0…
Grateful to @gideonrachman and the @FT for naming Chokepoints one of the “Best summer books of 2025.” As a longtime reader of the FT—and of Gideon’s work in particular—this one felt particularly special. on.ft.com/3ZDEBkU
NEW: I spoke to Trump’s former intel briefer Beth Sanner for a reality check on the Iran strikes and the questions swirling around the initial intelligence assessments for @POLITICOMag politico.com/news/magazine/…
Pay attention, this is important. (Also covered this in my @ForeignAffairs piece this morning.)
#BREAKING The bill passed by Iran's parliament to suspend the country's cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been approved by the Guardian Council
Trump gets emotional as he is asked by a Ukrainian reporter whose husband serves in Ukraine about whether he will supply air defenses to Ukraine. Quite a moment in the press conference.
Trump says that US will meet with the Iran next week, speaking at a press conference at the NATO summit in The Hague.
Slightly confusing denial. The story is “wrong”, but it is also a top secret assessment that was indeed leaked, confirms the WH.
🚨FAKE NEWS CNN STRIKES AGAIN: This alleged "assessment" is flat-out wrong and was classified as "top secret" but was still leaked to CNN by an anonymous, low-level loser in the intelligence community. The leaking of this alleged assessment is a clear attempt to demean…
On #scotnight 🔷Iran responds to President Trump's attack - so where does this leave us? Analysis with @ak_mack, @Pjacksdelacour and Dr Siavush Randjbar-Daemi. 🔷 @ginadavidsonlbc, @shonacraven and @Georgia_Edkins make up our Monday Night Panel. 📺 STV at 10:40pm /…
It’s wonderful news that Siarhei Tsikhanoǔski and 13 more Belarusian political prisoners regained their freedom today. But please remember that more than 1,100 Belarusian political prisoners are still kept in Lukashenka regime’s prisons. Among them are musician and protest…
My husband Siarhei is free! It’s hard to describe the joy in my heart. Thank you, 🇺🇸 @POTUS, @SPE_Kellogg, @JohnPCoale, DAS Christopher W. Smith, @StateDept & our 🇪🇺 allies, for all your efforts. We’re not done. 1150 political prisoners remain behind bars. All must be released.
This is far from the first time Trump has set a two week deadline to make a major decision and historically — he’s blown through it, as @EliStokols noted last month politico.com/news/2025/05/2…
