Senior Trump administration officials are sharply criticizing Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado over her efforts to return to Venezuela following last week's devastating earthquake, calling the moves a distraction from U.S.-backed relief efforts.

"It's political opportunism and it's grotesque," one senior administration official said.

Another added: "She wants a photo op of her passing out our aid. This is about her interests."

Officials said Machado has repeatedly lobbied Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior U.S. officials to facilitate her return and sought a role in administering aid, but the administration rejected the request.

Machado's attempts to reach Venezuela from Curaçao and later Panama were both unsuccessful, creating what officials described as unnecessary diplomatic complications.

Source: Axios

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Iran's Ghalibaf:

My mission on my upcoming visit to China is to upgrade Tehran–Beijing ties to a "strategic partnership".

Trump on Doug Burgum:

I thought he was very impressive. I thought his wife Kathryn was even more impressive, to be honest with you.

WATCH: Ukraine tests Guardian-1 interceptors launched from a catamaran unmanned surface vessel (USV) configured as a UAV mothership.

Trump:

Fake news have been pretty nice to me lately.

When you do as well as we are doing, they have to be nice, I guess.

Trump:

Democrats gave the Panama Canal away to Panama for $1.

Trump:

When we gave the Panama Canal to Panama, first thing they did, they raised the prices for ships by four times, and they didn't lose one ship.

They then raised them again, and they didn't lose ships.

They made tremendous amounts of money. How stupid was that?

Trump:

China is trying to take over the Panama Canal.

We are not gonna let that happen.

Trump:

The Panama Canal was the most expensive thing we ever built, and it was also the most profitable thing we ever built. That's a nice combination.

A little bit like Venezuela. We're actually doing equally as well with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Maybe you've heard of it?

Trump:

On July 4th, it’s going to be approximately 107 degrees out.

And I’m going to go, and I’m going to make a really long speech just to show that I can do anything.

Trump:

We’re not going to let Communists get in our way.

Those people, what they’re doing, it’s just so stupid. They’re stupid.

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa appointed actress Rouzaina Amer al-Ladhiqani to Syria’s 210-member transitional People’s Assembly.

Rouzaina, after her appointment:

God willing, I will live up to expectations.

Trump:

Saudi Arabia and others were looking at China and other countries for protection during the Biden administration.

Trump:

The Spanish, members of NATO but not very good members of NATO.

They are not behaving nicely, but they will learn.

Trump:

And speaking of Cuba, after many, many decades, it’s coming our way!

Trump on the Medal of Honor:

I see my two beautiful sons sitting. I think I am going to give one to myself and one to them, and we will have a threesome.

I will give them the Congressional Medal of Honor for something.

Trump:

I said a few times that I've seriously thought of giving myself the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Now, everyone knows I'm doing it with a chuckle, but then they report, "He wants to give himself the Congressional Medal of Honor."

So I don't say that anymore. It's very dangerous to say.

Trump:

We’ll take care of birthright citizenship, because that was not meant for rich people from other countries.

Actually, it was meant for the babies of slaves.

Trump on the Reflecting Pool:

We got rid of the algae, which they put in. They put in algae! Who the hell put in algae?

They had a couple of people with signs: “Protect the algae!”

Trump:

We beat a brilliant young woman named Kamala in 2024.

She had no clue.