Paul McLeary
@paulmcleary
Pentagon and National Security for @politico. #LetsGoBuffalo sufferer, also Signal: paulmcleary.40 @paulmcleary.bsky.social
Reminder I am reachable encrypted apps Signal: paulmcleary.40 and Protonmail: [email protected]
Trump could announce his first new military aid package for Ukraine as soon as Monday, just a week after his Pentagon blindsided the rest of the government by stopping a Ukraine package from going through. The whiplash continues... politico.com/news/2025/07/1…
Romania has signed a deal to buy Israeli made short-range anti-aircraft systems for $2.3 billion, adding to what could be another record year of Israeli arms sales, the majority of which go to European customers. timesofisrael.com/romania-on-edg…
Scoop: A WSJ reporter was slated to be part of the travel pool this weekend when Trump travels to Scotland. After the paper's Epstein story last week, the WH booted them from the pool. w/ @iriesentner politico.com/news/2025/07/2…
I am so proud of my brave, brilliant colleagues @khadeeja_safdar and @joe_palazzolo, proud to live in a country where the founders put freedom of speech in the very first amendment, and proud to work at The Wall Street Journal. wsj.com/politics/trump… via @WSJ
SCOOP: The Navy is considering eliminating up to five high-level admiral positions key to the construction of ships and fighter planes, even as President Trump has vowed to pull the Navy out of its shipbuilding crisis. From @paulmcleary and me: politico.com/news/2025/07/1…
HASC Chairman Mike Rogers on an amendment prohibiting facilities funds from being diverted to the border: "This amendment seeks to outlaw something that isn't happening." DoD's Comptroller just said they were last month.
this is amazing -->>
Just checking out DOD's Office of Small Business Programs website, which totally doesn't use an AI-generated photo business.defense.gov/Work-with-us/M…
🧵Can the U.S. Arm Itself and Ukraine? In this new @FDD_CMPP Insight, we scrutinize claims that the United States had to suspend deliveries to Ukraine to ensure U.S. military readiness. We do a deep dive on 6 munitions. fdd.org/analysis/2025/… @FDD @RyanBrobst_
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The Trump administration has given the order to incinerate food instead of sending it to people abroad who need it Nearly 500 metric tons of emergency food—enough to feed about 1.5 million children for a week—are set to expire theatlantic.com/health/archive…
It was never a giveaway. Weapons/equipment sent to Ukraine were only sent once they could be replaced by newer equipment made by the US defense industry.
IT IS A PURCHASE, NOT A GIVEAWAY. @SeanParnellATSD "These are weapons made in America purchased by NATO..."
There are 18 HIMARS systems in Ukraine that shoot ATACMS missiles, there are MANY more than 18 ATACMS missiles. Also, Biden did away range limitations on the missiles last year.
Ignatius reports ATACMS will be authorized for use without range limits. Also, bombing Iran helped persuade Trump of the need to apply military pressure on Russia.
Why are all the streets in Georgetown blocked by cops tonight? I’ve asked two and they refuse to answer.
The "most transparent Pentagon in history" not only shies away from speaking with reporters, they also refuse to talk to think tanks. breakingdefense.com/2025/07/pentag…
Trump says NATO allies will finance the purchase of air defense systems and other weapons for Ukraine worth “billions of dollars,” to be built by the U.S. defense industry and sent to Ukraine. Restrainers and prioritizers lost this fight within the admin.
Trump says he is sending more Patriot air defense to Ukraine, paid for by the EU. POTUS: “I am very disappointed with President Putin. I thought he was somebody that meant what he said. And he'll talk so beautifully and then he'll bomb people at night. We don't like that."
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Secretary Rubio fired State HQ's entire ASEAN team while he was in Malaysia, attending the ASEAN meetings they prepared for him. Glad he liked the meetings, though.
The department of war is the department of peace
. @SecDef At the Defense Department (soon to be the Department of War), we lead the BIGGEST PEACE DEPARTMENT IN THE WORLD. Our job is to be strong, ready and lethal so that you NEVER have to use us.
President Donald Trump is weighing a new military aid package for Ukraine worth hundreds of millions of dollars, according to two people familiar with the plan. @JackDetsch @EliStokols @paulmcleary for @politico. share.google/dd1RUZWoR2oSwN…
Yup, they work! The Estonian Defence Forces @Kaitsevagi trained with their very own HIMARS for the first time today.