Sophia Cai

Trump to POLITICO: ‘I really don’t care’ if Iran plays in World Cup The country has pulled back from World Cup preparations after U.S. military attack.

NEW: President Trump tells me: “I really don’t care” if Iran plays in the World Cup this summer. “I think Iran is a very badly defeated country. They’re running on fumes.”

Iran is also absent from a FIFA team planning event that is going on in Atlanta right now.
www.politico.com/news/2026/03...

Trump to POLITICO: Iran is 'running out of launchers' He also said U.S. defense companies are “under emergency orders” to build weaponry.

🚨NEW: Trump tells me in an interview that Iran “is running out of launchers” and he’s open to working with some of the surviving members of the Iranian regime. www.politico.com/news/2026/03...

- One example: The Department of Energy had spent months negotiating a nuclear reactor deal with Westinghouse when Lutnick arrived and began negotiating directly with Westinghouse instead, catching Energy Secretary Chris Wright by surprise.

-Lutnick has developed reputation for jumping into deals w/ little expertise and not enforcing follow thru with companies and countries on the $18 trillion in pledged investments

Tensions simmer over Howard Lutnick, Trump’s favorite dealmaker Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has a knack for landing big deals. But some of his critics question whether they’ll live up to their promises.

NEW: Lutnick in hot water
- Trump confronted Lutnick at Mar-a-Lago over how much money Lutnick’s sons were making
- Cabinet members, senior WH officials wary of his brash,controlling style. “No one’s allowed to talk to the interagency w/o Howard’s explicit approval.”
www.politico.com/news/2026/02...

Trump shook hands with the SCOTUS justices he called 'an embarrassment to their families' The courteous but brief interaction on the House floor shows that Trump, ever sensitive to symbolic gestures, is still willing to show some respect to the members of the Supreme Court.

NEW: Trump shakes hands with Supreme Court justices he called a "disgrace" just days ago over their ruling striking down a key part of his signature tariff policy. w/ @sophiacai.bsky.social www.politico.com/live-updates... #SCOTUS

Tonight’s wordsmiths

New: Trump’s SOTU speech is the product of two men who’ve been crafting Trump’s messaging for the past decade: Ross Worthington & Vince Haley.

Ross is the chief architect and main writer, and Vince advised on policy, particularly new policy announcement.
www.politico.com/newsletters/...

White House eyes data center agreements amid energy price spikes A draft pact, obtained by POLITICO, seeks to help ensure data centers do not raise household electricity prices, strain water resources or undermine grid reliability.

NEWS: The White House wants big tech companies to commit to a data center compact to ensure data centers do not raise household electricity prices, strain water supplies or undermine grid reliability. w/ @jasonplautz.bsky.social
www.politico.com/news/2026/02...

DHS’ problems go farther than Minneapolis. Republicans are noticing. From disaster response to bungled leadership at the nation’s cybersecurity agency, some Republicans are finding a lot more to critique than DHS’ immigration response.

🚨NEW: Beyond ICE shootings, Rs are furious at Kristi Noem on a host of issues including FEMA disaster response & $100k sign off rule, the state of CISA under her handpicked chief & dismantling of counter weapons of mass destruction office www.politico.com/news/2026/02...

Cabinet secretaries’ big no-show

👀 Dozens of secretaries of state gathered Friday expecting to hear from Kristi Noem, Pam Bondi & Tulsi Gabbard.

State election officials had Qs.

But the cabinet members were a no show.

Harmeet Dhillon & Heather Honey cancelled on them too.

www.politico.com/newsletters/...

‘WTF’: Pro-gun groups warn vulnerable GOP seats on the line after Pretti response Trump and top officials’ comments on the Pretti killing has some gun rights supporters threatening electoral consequences.

"I sent a message to high-place people in the administration with three letters, W.T.F."

Fascinating look at a possible fracture on the right. @sophiacai.bsky.social

The State Department’s secret playbook for using sports to advance Trump’s agenda American diplomats are hoping the World Cup and Olympics can restore their influence shaping U.S. foreign policy.

SCOOP: I obtained the State Department’s “Sports Diplomacy Playbook” ahead of the World Cup. This and other scoopy details in this story w/my amazing colleague @sophiacai.bsky.social — www.politico.com/news/2026/01...

Trump to POLITICO: ‘It’s time to look for new leadership in Iran’ Trump, after being read a series of hostile X posts from Iran’s supreme leader, said the ayatollah is guilty of “the complete destruction of his country.”

🚨NEWS: President Trump told me “It’s time to look for new leadership in Iran” and hit back at a series of hostile X posts from Khamenei. “What he is guilty of…is the complete destruction of the country & the use of violence at levels never seen before.” www.politico.com/news/2026/01...

Trump says construction of the ‘Triumphal Arch’ to begin in ‘2 months’ The monument would be a centerpiece of the White House’s plans for America’s 250th birthday.

NEW: President Trump tells me in an interview the construction of the Triumphal Arch is expected to begin “sometime in the next two months.”

www.politico.com/news/2025/12...

Trump to POLITICO: Zelenskyy ‘doesn’t have anything until I approve it’ Trump’s comments come ahead of his Sunday meeting with Zelenskyy, who will bring with him a new 20-point plan to end the war.

🚨NEW: TRUMP told me he delayed Nigeria strikes by a day so they would occur on Christmas.

“They were going to do it earlier, and I said ‘Nope, let’s give a Christmas present.’ ….They didn’t think it was coming but we hit them hard. Every camp got decimated.”
www.politico.com/news/2025/12...

Trump to POLITICO: Zelenskyy ‘doesn’t have anything until I approve it’

Trump to POLITICO: Zelenskyy ‘doesn’t have anything until I approve it’ Trump’s comments come ahead of his Sunday meeting with Zelenskyy, who will bring with him a new 20-point plan to end the war.

NEW: President Trump tells me that he will be the ultimate arbiter of any peace deal between Ukraine and Russia, including Zelenskyy’s 20-point plan. “He doesn’t have anything until I approve it,” Trump said. “So we’ll see what he’s got.”
www.politico.com/news/2025/12...

More signs the Trump administration is leaning into regime change for Venezuela. It's trying to entice U.S. oil companies that were pushed out years ago to go back in. Scoopy stuff here from @benlefebvre.bsky.social @sophiacai.bsky.social and jbikales.bsky.social

www.politico.com/news/2025/12...

‘Extremely demoralizing’: Republicans respond to the bombastic Wiles interview The chief of staff’s Vanity Fair interview raises questions about why the White House even participated.

NEW: Most of Susie Wiles’ comments were batted away as "inside jokes" or part of a "hit piece" from the media but privately those inside the White House and others close to the president were aghast when the Vanity Fair profile dropped. www.politico.com/news/2025/12...

So Trump receives a trophy, a medal (which he puts around his own neck) AND a certificate for winning the FIFA Peace Prize.

Thanks so much Dan!

When squabbling neighbors become World Cup co-hosts Japan’s soccer boss has some lessons for the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Very interesting interview with Japan Football Association President Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, who will be present at the 2026 final draw, on how the lessons of 2002 can be applied to next year's tournament - in @politico.com of all places.

Great stuff by @sophiacai.bsky.social!

Elon Musk predicts 12 years of Trump Vance Vance Musk was bullish on the GOP's presidential prospects at a DOGE reunion in Texas, where he appeared virtually, citing fears of assassination.

NEW: Elon Musk predicted the start of a “great 12-year span” of Trump-Vance-Vance. He made a video appearance at a Thanksgiving-themed DOGE reunion in Bastrop, Texas, saying he couldn’t come in person because he’s a top three assassination target.
www.politico.com/news/2025/12...

America250 takes the field

New: The America 250 Commission is betting big on the Iron Bowl today, with an America250 tailgate at Auburn, branding on TV screens, and an oral history trailer on campus.
www.politico.com/newsletters/...

White House plans to release health bill and backs reconciliation Deputy chief of staff James Blair pointed to the fast-track process for health and tariff legislation.

NEW: The White House intends to work with Congress on a health care bill either by teaming up with Democrats or thru reconciliation, @JamesBlairUSA said at a policy breakfast. w/ @gregsvirnovskiy.bsky.social @jordainc.bsky.social
www.politico.com/live-updates...

Our White House reporter @sophiacai.bsky.social is traveling with President Trump on his trip to Asia.

She explains what it’s like to fly on Air Force One for 23 hours 👇

Trump threatens World Cup host cities over crime. Some respond with a shrug. Host city officials say they aren’t too concerned about the president's comments.

NEW: Trump threatened to move World Cup matches over crime. Host cities are responding with a shrug.

“Our agreements are between FIFA and the host cities,” one host city official told me. “The bid itself was endorsed by the first Trump admin.” www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

White House, Energy secretary at odds over $30B in cuts “There are definitely annoyances with the White House about who gets to decide what gets cut and when it gets cut,” an administration official said.

'The boys are fighting' --> Scoopy stuff on tensions inside the Trump administration over the billions of dollars in clean energy cuts. From Politico's @sophiacai.bsky.social and @benlefebvre.bsky.social

www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

TRUMP opens door to not back-paying furloughed employees “We’ll take care of our people,” he says. “But there are some people that really don’t deserve to be taken care of and we’ll take care of them in a different way.”

Trump hits independent agencies, spares the big stuff – for now The White House is balancing making the shutdown as painful as possible for Democrats without making sweeping cuts to more popular and well-known programs.

The White House is targeting smaller, independent agencies first as it tries to balance making the shutdown as painful as possible for Democrats without making sweeping cuts to more popular and well-known programs w/ @meganmesserly.bsky.social
@myahward.bsky.social www.politico.com/news/2025/10...