James Slattery
@jcslattery.bsky.social
Recovering lawyer and agitator for civil rights in Texas. Prev: Harris ‘24 | Texas Civil Rights Project | Commerce Dept | Battleground Texas | Obama ‘12. Truman Project Member. Books, travel, Star Trek, podcasts. Views are mine alone, or your mom’s.
My latest Substack is out! This week, I make the case that the killings in Minnesota make it clear that there is no longer a "risk free" way to express dissent, and that we must find the courage to do so anyway. Link here: controlaltdemocracy.substack.com/p/only-our-c...
My latest Substack is out! I examine how economic failure in Russia in the 90s fatally damaged democracy in that country -- and how the same thing has unfolded in America in recent decades. Please read and share if this sounds like your jam! Link: open.substack.com/pub/controla...
How about we shut down the government for this very popular and specific goal and then, hear me out, we hold out for like a month and a half and then, ok this part is important, after a watershed election where we ran the table, ONLY THEN, fold and don't get the one thing we said we wanted.
My latest Substack is out! Here I try to diagnose the malaise that has afflicted the anti-Trump resistance this time around, and how we can overcome it. I think it boils down to residual heartbreak over Trump winning a 2nd term, and a deep crisis of faith in ourselves, our values, and our leaders.
Why you should fight to save your country even when it keeps breaking your heart
"This is our country and it’s the only one we have."
controlaltdemocracy.substack.com
My favorite part of Austin No Kings is this balloon of Elon Musk doing his Nazi salute
My second Substack post is out! Here I introduce the main topic for the series over the next few months: lessons we can learn from Alexei Navalny and the Russian democratic opposition movement as we confront an authoritarian administration here at home.
You don't have to just live with it
"The only thing we should fear is that we will surrender our homeland to be plundered by a gang of liars, thieves, and hypocrites."
substack.com
Hello friends! I'm excited to announce that I launched a new Substack last week. As we fight to save American democracy, we'll be exploring what we can learn from those who have been fighting similar authoritarian regimes overseas.
It’s time to pick ourselves up and get to work
We have all the tools we need to save American democracy, if only we reach out and grasp them and use them
open.substack.com
Why not just save time and add Iran directly to the signal chat lmao
Not a coincidence that Trump “is the most dominant figure on the world stage” and the world is experiencing a level of upheaval it hasn’t in generations.
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · last yr.Kudlow does tricks on that thing: "Donald Trump is the most dominant figure on the world stage. Far greater than anybody else in decades. It's not Putin. It's not Xi Jinping. It's Trump. Trump holds the cards in his hands & he knows how to plan them. That's what's happening... he's utterly dominant"
The Speaker of the House calls for violence against an elected official of the opposition party, and it somehow is second tier news. Unreal.
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · last yr.Q: The president said that if he were Tom Homan he would arrest Gavin Newsom. Do you believe Newsom should face consequences in a legal way? MIKE JOHNSON: Um, that's not my lane. I'm not gonna give you legal analysis on whether Gavin Newsom should be arrested. But he ought to be tar and feathered.
Honestly this is the kind of courage and defiance that we have been sorely lacking the last six months. Dems should do more of this, and stop being scared and poll testing things to death
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · last yr.Newsom: "Arrest me. Let's just get it over with, tough guy. I don't give a damn ... Tom, arrest me. Let's go."
“Too many Democrats were lying to themselves. The ‘original sin’ that party leaders now need to grapple with is their tendency toward groupthink, inertia and an extreme and wildly counterproductive risk aversion.” www.nytimes.com/2025/05/16/o...
Opinion | How Did So Many Elected Democrats Miss Biden’s Infirmity?
nytimes.com
Donald Trump knows better than most that nothing is ever “free.” They’re buying influence, obviously.
Yashar Ali 🐘@yasharali.bsky.social · last yr.President Trump on the Qatari 747 gift.
God he’s such an idiot. Yeah, why would a nuclear war in a region with billions of people have any impact on America?
NPR@npr.org · last yr.Vice President Vance said the fighting between India and Pakistan was "fundamentally none of our business." Experts say the U.S. used to work hard to de-escalate crises between the nuclear states. By @diaahadid.bsky.social and Omkar Khandekar
This is what happens when you apply a Silicon Valley mindset — “break things and see what happens” — to government. People will die unnecessarily during this Admin because Elon Musk was allowed to run the government.
Carl Quintanilla@carlquintanilla.bsky.social · last yr.NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Air traffic controllers for New Jersey's Newark airport lost radar again for 90 seconds Friday, FAA says.
Wow, who knew that "Drain the Swamp" really means that Trump will pardon criminals if they give enough money to his friends and allies.
Lawyers Are Quoting $1 Million in Fees to Get Pardons to Trump
One pardon recipient recalls the president telling him, ‘You’re cleaner than a baby’s bottom.’
bloomberg.com
Honestly, if Dems aren’t reminding the public every single day for the rest of his presidency that Trump openly admitted that your kids will have fewer toys this Christmas because of his policies — then they should dissolve as a party and go on to do other things.
Wild how all those “constitutional conservatives” have disappeared now that Trump is in power. They would’ve roasted Obama or Biden alive if he’d said something like this.
Kai Ryssdal@kairyssdal.bsky.social · last yr.Your now-regular reminder that Republicans in Congress find this completely okay
I had to check and…this is real. There are literally no limits to how far Lindsey Graham will debase himself
Amee Vanderpool@girlsreallyrule.bsky.social · last yr.Pretty sure Lindsey Graham is tweeting drunk right now.
You know things are bad for Trump when even Texas business turns against him
The smug look of triumph on this evil asshole’s face
The Atlantic@theatlantic.com · last yr.Donald Trump told @ashleyrparker.bsky.social and @michaelscherer.bsky.social that his second term feels different from his first: “The first time, I had two things to do—run the country and survive; I had all these crooked guys,” he said. “The second time, I run the country and the world.”
That’ll make it easier to afford things when Trump’s tariffs make the prices of everything explode, well done sir
Will Harris@willharrisinva.bsky.social · last yr.Desperately flailing.
Bessent is making the exact same mistake the Democrats made in the Biden era: cherry picking the economic data that supports your priors (the economy is good!) rather than the more revealing data that shows the opposite (people thinking the economy sucks)
Carl Quintanilla@carlquintanilla.bsky.social · last yr.I’ll assume there was no follow-up — asking whether “front-loading” is masking incremental consumer weakness. 🙄 @jeffstein.bsky.social
This is the economic version of ignoring what the polls say because of your rallies “feel”
Carl Quintanilla@carlquintanilla.bsky.social · last yr.I’ll assume there was no follow-up — asking whether “front-loading” is masking incremental consumer weakness. 🙄 @jeffstein.bsky.social
Trump is weaker than he looks. Don’t just assume whatever he does on immigration or other culture war issues is immediately popular. And don’t deny your own agency in being able to persuade public opinion against his actions, even on issues where he seems strong. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/25/u...
Voters See Trump’s Use of Power as Overreaching, Times/Siena Poll Finds
nytimes.com
We often hear that “Democrats in Congress can’t do anything until after the midterms.” But this great piece lays out a bunch of creative steps congressional Democrats can take right now, before the midterms, to deter lawlessness and corruption in the Administration. open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...
Make It Painful to Collaborate with Trump
Action items for Democrats in Congress.
open.substack.com
Gotta say, I think the Dark Mayor Pete look looks good on him
It's funny how when you ask them why they think Pope Francis was "too woke" and request specific examples, they always wound up describing Christ's teachings without a hint of self-awareness.
