Trump wants someone to go to jail for a lie, to deflect attention from a bad policy of his. The nature of this impulse is similar to Stalin putting people on trial and to death every time the USSR missed its agriculture productivity targets. It couldn't be lousy leadership, it had to be sabotage!

Greg Sargent@gregsargent.bsky.social · 7h ago

Let's not lose sight of how abnormal this is. Trump is demanding prosecutions over Reflecting Pool fiasco even though his own DOJ has shown conclusively it isn't supported by facts or law. On the pod, @barbmcquade.bsky.social is brilliant on the bigger stakes here: newrepublic.com/article/2139...

Yep. Earlier this year I was interviewed by Sharyn Alfonsi of 60 Minutes about my Epstein investigation. Subsequently, CBS pulled the segment and fired the reporter. The MAGA buyout of media is aiding the Trump administration’s Epstein cover up.

The New Republic@newrepublic.com · yesterday

Banks permitted millions in suspicious transactions tied to Epstein—and former 60 Minutes correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi had the story months ago. But the report would never air. trib.al/ZShZlIS

The allegations of domestic violence & child abuse against Rep. Max Miller demand immediate action. This kind of abuse isn't just a private "family matter"—and no amount of shaming or blaming make it less serious. His response to these very serious allegations make clear that he is not fit to serve.

Max Miller, Accused of Abuse, Is Not Stepping Aside. Here’s What We Know.

The Ohio Republican who is seeking a third term defiantly denied domestic abuse allegations ahead of a deadline to replace him on the ballot.

nytimes.com

Nice word choice. After all, the closest fictional character to Cornyn in this moment of epic weakness is Reek from Game of Thrones.

The American Prospect@prospect.org · yesterday

After extended conversations with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, John Cornyn agreed to support his nomination. And the details of the deal reeked. prospect.org?p=141965

I think of someone under a delusion actually believing what they say is true, as opposed to knowingly lie. I'm not sure it matters which one is going on here, but I don't assume he believes this b.s. is true.

David Corn@davidcorn.bsky.social · 2d ago

Hey America, your president is delusional.

I get to work with some extraordinary lawyers, and James Hannaway and our terrific co-counsel at the city of Baltimore and Brady won a huge victory against a ghost gun manufacturer. These weapons are killing people and evading basic background checks & similar laws www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VZx...

Mayor and City Council of Baltimore v. Polymer80, Inc. – Trial Lawyer of the Year

YouTube video by Public Justice

youtube.com

The attack on Dr. Fauci and COVID vaccines are ahistorical. Here is an anecdote about vaccine efficacy. During the pandemic, I served as lead counsel in a civil rights class action for people incarcerated in Oregon prisons. We sought to protect incarcerated adults from COVID. 1/

Literally zero COVID deaths in Oregon prisons after the vaccine rolled out. So yeah. I ain’t no doctor with degrees, but it don’t take too much IQ to see That COVID vaccines were and are a lifesaver. Thank you Dr Fauci. May your critics fuck right off and get all the diseases they deserve.

He became radicalized by being angry that his daughter is trans, but a guy who maintains his anti-black racism from his apartheid background, and who breaks environmental and civil rights and securities fraud laws left and right, and who doesn't want to pay taxes, naturally has a home w/the Rs

Daily Kos@dailykos.com · 3d ago

He just can’t stop spending money on Republicans. www.dailykos.com/stories/2026...

The Trump administration has granted more than 180 polluting facilities nationwide a two-year pause on compliance with Clean Air Act rules. All they had to do was send an email. (Published May)

Trump Exempted Some of the Nation’s Biggest Polluters From Air Quality Rules. All It Took Was an Email.

In an unprecedented move, the administration has granted industrial facilities in 38 states and Puerto Rico a two-year reprieve from federal rules under the Clean Air Act. The president is considering...

propublica.org

It's important that the court cares here. Too often, SCOTUS has responded to Trump tweets and public remarks by essentially saying "well, we don't consider his words, only what DOJ says the govt was trying to do." The high court has ignored various terrible remarks. Hopefully this court doesn't.

Greg Sargent@gregsargent.bsky.social · 5d ago

Amazing: ABC's new challenge to Trump's corrupt use of FCC to censor the network cites TRUMP'S OWN TWEETS AND STATEMENTS as evidence that he fully intended to punish it for its reporting and viewpoints. On the pod, @leahlitman.bsky.social explains all this so well: newrepublic.com/article/2138...

What a tragedy. "Once" is one of the best movies about musicians creating their art that I've ever seen. His voice had such a character, he was like Beth Orton or Eddie Vedder or Natalie Merchant, someone who was instantly recognizable and memorable. I'm so sorry to hear this news.

Charlotte Clymer@charlotteclymer.bsky.social · last wk.

We're living through a time in which far too many sociopathic ghouls walk unashamedly among us, and yet, someone like Glen Hansard is taken away early. What a deeply unfair world.

MAGA literally views the people who Greg mentions here as subhuman. They really do.

Greg Sargent@gregsargent.bsky.social · last wk.

The pattern: *Nobody died from USAID cuts *Nobody killed by ICE is innocent *No Muslim in UK can escape being labeled rapist or murderer *No Somali in Minnesota is there legitimately by definition When Musk says "zero died" from his USAID cuts, he means zero died who are actual people

Trump: communities should surrender much of their water and just silently accept noise and heat pollution, without question, when doing so would help his biggest donors be even richer

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 2w ago

Trump on data centers: "You have to convince your communities how great these things are. You can't fight it. You have to go with it."

You can see why Maine Republicans want to focus entirely on the character of the challengers, because she consistently VOTES in a way that advances Trump's interests and impulses and against her constituents. She needs the election to be about vibes and not substance.

Greg Sargent@gregsargent.bsky.social · 2w ago

Susan Collins voted for $70 billion in ICE funding just before an ICE agent gunned down a young immigrant father in Maine. Collins also voted against an amendment requiring bodycams. These votes will now be hung around her neck, Dems in the state tell me. New piece: newrepublic.com/article/2133...

This is like when the judge in Caddyshack says, "I've sent boys younger than you to the gas chamber. I didn't want to do it, I felt I OWED it to them." He's happy to lie about these dead soldiers' supposedly all endorsing his war to justify himself.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 2w ago

Trump on fallen US troops: "All of them said very strongly, 'We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon.'"

As the world's richest man repeatedly lashes out from hatred towards black people and trans folks, gives enthusiastic Nazi salutes, used his power w/the govt to stop many safety investigations, and slashed aid that resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths, reining him in sounds like a good idea

Greg Sargent@gregsargent.bsky.social · 2w ago

Thank you, @billmckibben.bsky.social! Here's the link to the piece. It argues that liberals and lib governments need to take a global approach to reining in Elon Musk: newrepublic.com/article/2119...

Ben Gibbard and Death Cab for Cutie diving into their set, as the skies pour on us. (The bigger picture is taken from the giant TV.) He keeps growing in his stage presence every time I see him

Japanese Breakfast at Merriweather Post, great songs, her voice has such a striking character, and she's a guitar hero, wow

I can't predict what Maine voters will decide. But it feels like one possibility is that if they are not focused on scandals unique to Plattner, and they're instead asking "does Susan Collins vote in accord with my principles," a bunch of them will see the loyal Trump foot solider & say "no"

Greg Sargent@gregsargent.bsky.social · 2w ago

Troy Jackson really has a plausible path to defeating Susan Collins and avoiding the debacle of Sara Gideon in 2020. Great stuff here from @emmarjanssen.bsky.social. Check out @newrepublic.com's debut newsletter! You should subscribe! newsletter.tnr.com/index.php?ac...

A young friend told me that when people talk about climate change it's boring, and an old person's issue. I very much fear that this is going to prove to be an extreme case of what people don't know CAN very much hurt them.

Mother Jones@motherjones.com · 2w ago

Oceans are absorbing huge amounts of heat—and sending some of it ashore [via @grist.org]

Incredibly important journalism here

Lora Kolodny@lorak.bsky.social · 2w ago

can watch on cnbc / youtube here as well- www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5XP...

Rather than acknowledge that climate change is driving the extreme wildfires, Trump blames foreigners. If science is against the interests of your donors, go with xenophobia

Asawin Suebsaeng@swin24.bsky.social · 3w ago

Yes go ahead why not it’s only an election year

TINA SMITH: Researchers in MN made a breakthrough in childhood cancer in Black kids with a grant. But it seems that according to your proposed rule, this type of research wouldn't allowed bc it's 'DEI.' VOUGHT: We are against DEI policies. We have intended to rid of them whenever we possibly can.

This was such an important victory, my hat's off to the remarkable advocates who won and contributed to this historic win.

NACDL@nacdl.org · 3w ago

A Kentucky city is tearing out its surveillance cameras. Two weeks ago, @NACDL.org helped win a Supreme Court ruling that pulling people's digital location data is a search under the Fourth Amendment. Newport read that decision and pulled the plug. 🧵

This is a poster child for the abuses of crony capitalism. This guy's company had a plane fail an inspection, so now that he's a Senator he's pushing to get rid of the inspections. Who is it who thinks it's a good idea to have planes up there with cracked wings?

ProPublica@propublica.org · 3w ago

U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy, who previously ran a company that provides aircraft for fighting wildfires, has proposed ending Forest Service inspections of those aircraft. One of the company’s aircraft failed an inspection because of a crack in its wing. (Published June)

I agree that people should pay attention to Trump making billions, name the Kennedy Center after himself, having UFC fights at the White House etc. But the focus on his personal aggrandizement draws attention from the ways that his signature piece of legislation is driving up costs of medical care.

Rachel Maddow@maddow.bsky.social · 3w ago

Thanks to Republicans in Congress and Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill"... An Indiana 40-year old, making $65k per year, who last year was paying $316/month for health insurance, will next year be paying $546/month for that same plan: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Vote these monsters out! #ICELawlessness

Having a "Justice" Department who's sole function is to serve the interests of one man means that any the government now favors whatever party gives more money to support the one man's interests and power. The ideas of "justice" and "law" are all getting washed away

David Dayen@ddayen.bsky.social · 4w ago

Horrendous misconduct. Every merger above a certain threshold during this presidential term should be rolled back the minute there's a changeover in power. www.ms.now/news/trump-a...

Political retribution is mob boss politics 101. Just this weekend, New Jersey shore towns were underwater again from extreme flooding. I have zero tolerance for this administration playing around with our wallets and lives because of tired political grudges

Politico@politico.com · 4w ago

Trump denied disaster aid to four Democratic-led states. Yet two days earlier, he had approved FEMA disaster aid for six Republican-led states. The move is raising questions about whether he’s injecting political motivations into emergency management decisions.