John Robinson
@jrobin.bsky.social
Former editor of the News & Record in Greensboro, NC; former UNC journalism professor. He's strolled all alone through a fallout zone & came out with his soul untouched.
Remember that Republicans voting to confirm Todd Blanche are voting in favor of: 🤡Keeping all the Epstein files secret 🤡Weaponizing the DOJ to prosecute Trump’s critics 🤡Pardoning the Jan. 6 insurrectionists 🤡Granting Trump I.R.S. immunity #complicit
If we were a proper society everyone would be aware of and outraged by President Trump’s money laundering suspicions and Russia connections. But then everyone does know about his Epstein friendship and Republicans simply shrug. If we were a proper society…alas.
Heather Cox Richardson (TDPR)@hcrichardson.bsky.social · 14h agoAugust 4, 2026
If yall woulda listened to Black people we woulda had 2 term Hillary Clinton handing over to Kamala Harris! We would have a majority LIBERAL court locked in for all our lifetimes and we wouldnt be in a dumb as war with Iran, Emma!
Hey y’all, my senator, Ted Budd, who supports everything Trump says and does, has now decided that possible sexual harassment is career ending. Bless his cold cold heart. www.newsobserver.com/news/politic...
NC Republican Sen. Ted Budd calls on Rep. Chuck Edwards to drop campaign
A fellow GOP lawmaker urged Rep. Chuck Edwards to drop his campaign after an ethics committee report found evidence Edwards had sexually harassed young employees.
newsobserver.com
Other profiles in courage: Judge Sirica:"There's nothing we could do to rein in the president" Woodward & Bernstein:"There's nothing we could do to rein in the president" MLK Jr.:"There's nothing we could do to rein in the president" Mandela:"There's nothing we could do to rein in the president"
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · yesterdayCornyn: "There's nothing we could do to rein in the president"
Imagine if Republicans cared about Epstein survivors as much as they cared about Fauci.
Politico@politico.com · yesterdayPaul sets Fauci committee vote for Thursday
Epstein survivors are betrayed again. North Carolina weeps. www.newsobserver.com/news/politic...
NC’s Sen. Thom Tillis casts his vote on Todd Blanche for attorney general
Sen. Thom Tillis votes on Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general after weeks of negotiations between the Senate and the White House.
newsobserver.com
That 80% of Republicans shrug at Trump’s ongoing snd blatant corruption is something I’ll never get my head around.
Wajahat Ali@wajali.bsky.social · 2d agoIf we weren't so broken, divided and led by corrupt rapists, this would be the biggest story of the week. But barely a blip. apnews.com/article/trum...
The GOP’s war against women continues.
Josh Gerstein@joshgerstein.bsky.social · 2d agoNEW: Amid AG confirmation battle, Todd Blanche assured anti-abortion activists that he's working to make Dobbs 'permanent in every single state.' Admin will act 'soon' to limit mail-order abortion drugs. w/ @alicemiranda.bsky.social www.politico.com/news/2026/08...
NEW: Todd Blanche doesn't believe in the rule of law, and John Cornyn and Thom Tillis don't care. Blanche's Sunday night moves should not save his nomination. The reaction from the pair of soon-departing Republican senators is not oversight and not principled. Tonight, at Law Dork:
Todd Blanche doesn't believe in the rule of law, and John Cornyn and Thom Tillis don't care
Blanche's Sunday night moves should not save his nomination. The reaction from the pair of soon-departing Republican senators is not oversight and not principled.
lawdork.com
In N.C. we call him TACO Thom for a reason.
Marc Elias@marcelias.bsky.social · 2d agoTodd Blanche’s nomination to formally lead the Department of Justice appears to be back on track after two Republican holdouts signed off on a deal giving President Donald Trump and his family immunity from Internal Revenue Service audits. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
im sure bari's outpost of journalistic integrity will update this story
Kyle Griffin@kylegriffin1.bsky.social · 2d agoLANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan reports first 2 US deaths of people who had been sickened in outbreak of cyclospora.
Sen. Tillis caves and supports an unqualified candidate for AG. Sen. Budd continues to want to suppress the vote. NC has terrible senators.
When Pam Bondi was fired, Sen. Thom Tillis said he would not support any nominee for attorney general if the candidate makes excuses for the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Todd Blanche wouldn't rule out paying off insurrectionists from the slush fund, but was forced to back off. TACO Tillis, OK by me.
And let's not forget he deployed the National Guard! All to perpetuate his lie.
Always good to remind everyone that the senators who confirm Todd Blanche as AG are complicit with this lie.
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 2d agoTrump: "Jeanine Pirro made a mistake. It was vandalism."
Has a reporter asked him whether Iran or Gov. Waltz was behind the cyberattacks on utilities in Minnesota? Or would he respond by saying that Gov. Waltz was sworn in governor? www.nytimes.com/2026/08/03/u...
Jay Clayton Sworn In as Director of National Intelligence
Mr. Clayton’s delayed swearing-in ceremony gave Bill Pulte, a key ally of President Trump, a few more days as acting director of the office he boasted about shrinking.
nytimes.com
Sexual harassment? I wasn't aware that bothered the Republicans these days. www.newsobserver.com/news/politic...
Rep. Edwards recommended for sanctions by Ethics committee for sexual harassment
The House Committee on Ethics recommended a censure against the NC representative for sexual harassment and a hostile work environment.
newsobserver.com
Sen. Thom Tillis regrets his vote supporting Hegseth, Bondi and Noem. He’s learned absolutely nothing.
@jenrubin.bsky.social nails it. Tillis and Cornyn were always going to choke. open.substack.com/pub/contrari...
Trump Searching for a Way Out to Confirm Blanche
Cornyn and Tillis disgrace themselves
open.substack.com
Not getting enough attention 👇👇👇 “Still, even in its new form, Mr. Blanche’s order for the I.R.S. to abandon any audits of Mr. Trump’s previous tax returns is an unprecedented and potentially illegal benefit to a sitting president, worth potentially tens of millions of dollars in lower taxes”
Matthew Gertz@mattgertz.bsky.social · 2d agoYou’d have to be a fool and/or desperate to get to yes to accept this, so it’ll probably be enough to get him confirmed. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/03/u...
A reading list that I know will depress me, but one that also seems vital to understand (and fight this version of) the future. From the brilliant @tressiemcphd.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2026/08/03/o...
Opinion | A Reading List for Our Age of A.I.
A.I. is a political theory. And it is gobbling up our democracy.
nytimes.com
“What could go wrong?” would have been a better name. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/02/t...
For a Day, Google Made It Easy to Spoof Satellite Imagery
A new Google Earth tool allowed the creation of A.I. deepfake maps. The tech giant quickly pulled it back after a backlash and concerns about disinformation risks.
nytimes.com
WTH, @nytimes.com! Why is this not until the 15th graph! “Still, even in its new form, Mr. Blanche’s order for the I.R.S. to abandon any audits of Mr. Trump’s previous tax returns is an unprecedented and potentially illegal benefit to a sitting president.” www.nytimes.com/2026/08/03/u...
Blanche Gives G.O.P. Senators Written Assurances on Trump’s I.R.S. Deal
Todd Blanche’s confirmation as attorney general has been held up over concerns about a planned $1.8 billion fund for Trump allies and the president’s immunity from tax scrutiny.
nytimes.com
“That left lawmakers, strategists and Middle East experts working to divine whether the president is moving the conflict craftily to an end or just cycling through a series of unappealing options.” Yeah, the war is going exactly as Trump planned. He’s doing it all “craftily.”
John Robinson@jrobin.bsky.social · 2d agoOR, a third option: He has no idea what to do and he’s doing it. OR, a fourth option: He’s juicing oil prices and the markets.
OR, a third option: He has no idea what to do and he’s doing it. OR, a fourth option: He’s juicing oil prices and the markets.
🤡At least 10 dead at the hands of immigration agents including 3 U.S. citizens 🤡Thousands deported 🤡Thousands in concentration camps 🤡Separating parents and children 🤡Billions spent 🤡National Guard in cities 80% of Republicans say that’s great!
The Associated Press@apnews.com · 3d agoImmigration remains a relative strength for U.S. President Donald Trump, even as his overall approval on the issue has declined over the past year. A new AP-NORC poll finds 39% of U.S. adults approve of his handling of immigration, while about 8 in 10 Republicans continue to support his approach.
