Rob Crilly

Have you seen these people? One of them may be your next president A new poll suggests that Josh Shapiro has a problem if he runs for president in 2028: Only 17% of voters recognize him from his photograph.

Read the full story here:
(no paywall if you are in DC - I mean, you have enough to deal with ...)
www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/washing...

A third couldn't recognize JD Vance, who happens to be US VICE PRESIDENT, from his photo. Who did they recognise from their photos in our poll of 1000 voters?
Harris 81%
Vance 66%
Rubio 44%
AOC 43%
Newsom 41%
Cruz 40%
DeSantis 30%
Shapiro 17%

SECRETS is out. Have you seen these people? Wanted for president in 2028.

With polling on whether voters even recognize the contenders (they do not much). 1/3

UK Conservatives fight for GOP ties while squeezed by the populist Right Priti Patel was in Washington to lobby U.S. officials to prevent London from giving away the Chagos Islands — home to an American naval base.

Secrets is out. Who are the Voldemorts that Brit shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel dare not name? And why was Nigel Farage really in Florida ... ??
www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/washing...

MAGAworld asks 'what would Charlie Kirk do?' amid Iran conflict Opponents of the U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran have shared old clips of Charlie Kirk ridiculing the idea of a regime change war.

SECRETS is out: We ask, what would Charlie want? And take a look at how Trump is ignoring the fringe broadcasters who propelled him to power now he is WAR PRESIDENT. Plus have you ever been rescued from a war zone by a Trump ally?

www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/washing...

Read today's newsletter here www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/washing...

Or have it delivered to your inbox every lunchtime by signing up - Washingtonexaminer.com/secrets

SECRETS is out! And we hear from Ross Worthington, Trump's speechwriter who generally stays in the shadows. But read him in his own words on his method, his double-blind fact checking, and whether he watches POTUS rehearse ... 1/2

White House report card: Trump makes it too easy for his critics with Obamas video Our pollsters this week both cited the ongoing fallout from Trump's repost of a racist video depicting the Obamas as apes and how it continues to hurt him.

SECRETS is out. White House report card: Our experts agree (do they? maybe, just about...) that the Obamas apes video just makes it too easy for Trump's critics

www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/washing...

Trump foe in line to profit from Russia sanctions Does the president know that the $22 billion deal will be something of a coup for David Rubenstein, champion of the liberal elite?

Secrets: The Trump foe in line to benefit from his sanctions on Russia as he scoops up Lukoil's foreign assets
www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/washing...

Senate Republicans find weapon and navigate midterm 'headwinds' at retreat An attendee said the retreat was buoyed by last week’s New Jersey Dem primary, where a progressive stands on the edge of seizing the House nomination.

Read and sign up for my newsletter here: www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaig...

SECRETS is out. So who won the Senate Republicans pickleball tournament in Palm Beach at the weekend, and why was there a spring in their step despite national "headwinds". Plus Secrets takes the temperature of the mess that is the GOP primary race in Texas (clue: hot)

New British ambassador Christian Turner arrives in DC on Thursday, marking all change for top Five Eyes diplomats in the US
Canada: Mark Wiseman replaces Kirsten Hillman in Feb
Australia: Greg Moriarty replaces Kevin Rudd soon
New Zealand: Chris Seed replaced Rosemary Banks 11 days ago

XKCD meaning of auroras cartoon, showing "normal" at poles, "cool and exciting" in temperate zone, "someone should go check on our satellites" in subtropics, and "A bunch of open questions in Solar-Terrestrial physics are about to be answered" at the tropics

Tapping the XKCD sign again to explain that no, I won't be seeing an aurora tonight. Or at least I really hope not. That would be bad. :)

Trump pardoned them. Now the Jan 6 Prison Choir is making a comeback Group records collection of songs to mark fifth anniversary of march on US Capitol

"Trump pardoned them. Now the Jan 6 Prison Choir is making a comeback

Group records collection of songs to mark fifth anniversary of march on US Capitol"

@robcrilly.bsky.social for The Telegraph

You read the full story here:
t.co/uYH6lnmkBd

Two former frontrunners did not apply:
Sir Richard Moore: Told friends he wanted a break after leading MI6
Lord Mark Sedwill: Privately said he would not apply but would take the job if offered. Don't rule him out just yet BUT he has problematic Trump comments in his past

Chandra and Turner are the heavyweights.
Chandra knows Trump World BUT lacks foreign policy experience
Turner is career diplomat BUT his style thought to go over badly in Trump's Washington

NEW I can reveal 5 serious contenders applied to be next UK ambassador to USA:
Varun Chandra, business adviser to PM
Christian Turner, permanent representative at UN
Jonathan Black, deputy national security adviser
Simon Manley, former perm rep to WTO/UN Geneva
Sir Martin Connell, frmr 2nd Sea Lord

Rob's Saloon #15 Exclusive look inside Virginia Roberts Giuffre's memoir and Jeffrey Epstein's warped "moral code"

NEW Virginia Roberts Giuffre's powerful memoir describes Jeffrey Epstein's bizarre, warped moral code that he used to justify abusing young girls
Rob's Saloon #15 open.substack.com/pub/robssalo...

My five days on the road with Trump revealed a man in complete control Rob Crilly describes what it’s really like to spend time with a president who never stops making headlines

My five days with Donald Trump: Six flights, six events turned into press conferences, 162 minutes of questions, 54 holes, too many bagpipes and 13 knackered journalists
www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/a5db441...

JD Vance chooses Cotswolds for family summer holiday Vice-president’s choice shows deep bonds of Trump administration with UK and its Government, Whitehall source claims

JD Vance and family are planning a UK summer vacation, soon after Trump visits Scotland
www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/f0d4cf7...

Essay | How Hunter Biden Helped Derail His Father’s Re-Election Joe Biden’s debate against Donald Trump was supposed to prove the aging president’s stamina. But in the weeks leading up to it he was devastated—and distracted—by his son’s legal travails.

Hunter found out the Democratic National Committee was paying President Biden’s legal fees arising from an investigation into his handling of classified documents, taken over by a special counsel, Robert Hur. Hunter asked why the DNC could not pay his too.
www.wsj.com/politics/ele...

#7: Dinner with Mark Rutte Or how I ate at the best Indonesian restaurant in the Hague

Dinner with Mark Rutte - it's easy to see why Trump likes him so much #NATO
Rob's Saloon #7
robssaloon.substack.com/p/7-dinner-w...

In Feb, Canada issued an order putting a loophole in its tough visa requirements. It exempts leaders and officials coming for the G7 from "immigration restrictions" that might bar, say, a convicted felon. Trump arrives tonight

gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/202...

G7 has been Trump-proofed to avoid trouble – here’s how Fewer plenary sessions and more one-on-one meetings as world leaders adapt to return of unpredictable US president

How Canada has tried to Trump-proof the G7

www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/...

Oprah Shamed Him. He’s Back Anyway.

Not entirely surprised to learn that James Frey is a colossal prick. But that's OK. I quite like writers who are colossal pricks
www.nytimes.com/2025/06/08/s...

Musk-Trump breakup wasn't just about the bill - insiders tell me rifts went much deeper, reflecting differences in philosophy and Musk's behaviour

www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/ea9c76c...

Elon Musk’s black eye was the panda in the room at his final farewell Outshone by a shiner, the billionaire spent much of his send-off as a bit part in a bigger show

The panda in the room at Musk's Oval Office farewell

www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/209742e...

White House expects UK trade deal ‘within three weeks’ Britain is in a good position for a fast agreement because it imports more goods from the US than it exports

Also, relief for me - I reported three weeks ago that White House officials expected a deal within three weeks ....
www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025...

Big for Trump, who needed some good news
Big for Brit ambassador Peter Mandelson - I was hearing whispers that he had irritated colleagues by talking up prospects for deal, only for it to be taking longer than expected 2/x