Andrew Weinstein
@andrewjweinstein.com
Presidential appointee in Obama and Biden administrations. Served as United States Public Delegate to United Nations. DNC Lawyers Council Chair. Trial Lawyer. Music & Hockey Fan. Visiting Fellow at the Institute for Democracy, Journalism, and Citizenship.
Pinned
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Moral Clarity is a place to dissect the challenges facing our democracy, to explore the roots of hatred and the pathways to dialogue, and to examine the intricate ways that law, policy, and justice in...
andrewweinstein.substack.com
If you’ve been following me here on Bluesky, I’d be grateful if you became a free subscriber to my Substack. I’m building a space for clear, responsible, purpose‑driven civic dialogue — and I’d love for you to be part of it. Sign up here ➡️
Trump’s tariffs aren’t landing on China. They’re landing on you—about $1,000 last year and $1,300 this year. Meanwhile, his sons are positioned to make billions off a crypto surge tied to their father’s decisions. Families pay more for groceries. The Trump family cashes in.
February 10, 2026 at 3:53 PM
Trump’s tariffs aren’t landing on China. They’re landing on you—about $1,000 last year and $1,300 this year. Meanwhile, his sons are positioned to make billions off a crypto surge tied to their father’s decisions. Families pay more for groceries. The Trump family cashes in.
A dark day for accountability.
Ghislaine Maxwell refused to answer Congress’ questions about the men she helped traffic and abuse. And now her lawyers hint she’ll talk only if Donald Trump grants clemency.
Justice isn’t a transaction. Release the remaining Epstein files. No more secrets.
Ghislaine Maxwell refused to answer Congress’ questions about the men she helped traffic and abuse. And now her lawyers hint she’ll talk only if Donald Trump grants clemency.
Justice isn’t a transaction. Release the remaining Epstein files. No more secrets.
Ghislaine Maxwell pleads fifth: Read lawyer's statement to House Oversight
Ghislaine Maxwell pleaded the Fifth before the House Oversight Committee, with her attorney pointing to a pending habeas petition and trial concerns.
www.newsweek.com
February 9, 2026 at 5:58 PM
A dark day for accountability.
Ghislaine Maxwell refused to answer Congress’ questions about the men she helped traffic and abuse. And now her lawyers hint she’ll talk only if Donald Trump grants clemency.
Justice isn’t a transaction. Release the remaining Epstein files. No more secrets.
Ghislaine Maxwell refused to answer Congress’ questions about the men she helped traffic and abuse. And now her lawyers hint she’ll talk only if Donald Trump grants clemency.
Justice isn’t a transaction. Release the remaining Epstein files. No more secrets.
Imagine being the most powerful person in the world and spending your Sunday night furious that people are having fun in a language you don’t speak.
February 9, 2026 at 3:31 AM
Imagine being the most powerful person in the world and spending your Sunday night furious that people are having fun in a language you don’t speak.
America isn’t great despite our diversity — it’s great because of it. Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance was proof on the biggest stage.
February 9, 2026 at 1:51 AM
America isn’t great despite our diversity — it’s great because of it. Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance was proof on the biggest stage.
When a political party answers a charge of racism with a body‑shaming insult, they’re not rebutting the claim — they’re advertising their values. This is what it looks like when cruelty becomes the brand.
February 7, 2026 at 4:37 PM
When a political party answers a charge of racism with a body‑shaming insult, they’re not rebutting the claim — they’re advertising their values. This is what it looks like when cruelty becomes the brand.
Just felt like sharing
February 6, 2026 at 11:44 PM
Just felt like sharing
There’s a strategy behind Trump’s Truth Social posts: push the boundaries, normalize the degradation, and hope the public eventually shrugs. But democracies don’t survive on numbness. They survive on people refusing to let cruelty become the standard.
February 6, 2026 at 5:08 PM
There’s a strategy behind Trump’s Truth Social posts: push the boundaries, normalize the degradation, and hope the public eventually shrugs. But democracies don’t survive on numbness. They survive on people refusing to let cruelty become the standard.
Renaming a national arts institution by decree isn’t just illegitimate — it’s part of a broader effort to bend public spaces to one person’s ego. The Kennedy Center was created by Congress, not by whoever holds a screwdriver.
I explain the stakes in my latest piece.
I explain the stakes in my latest piece.
The Shuttered Stage: Why Trump Is Really Closing the Kennedy Center
Behind the two-year "revitalization" is a strategic retreat from a historic cultural rejection—and a calculated attempt to overwrite the American story.
andrewweinstein.substack.com
February 6, 2026 at 2:54 PM
Renaming a national arts institution by decree isn’t just illegitimate — it’s part of a broader effort to bend public spaces to one person’s ego. The Kennedy Center was created by Congress, not by whoever holds a screwdriver.
I explain the stakes in my latest piece.
I explain the stakes in my latest piece.
The Kennedy Center’s two‑year shutdown is being sold as routine maintenance.
It isn’t.
It’s a political act with real consequences for how a nation understands itself, and who gets to shape that understanding.
I wrote a new essay about what’s really happening.
It isn’t.
It’s a political act with real consequences for how a nation understands itself, and who gets to shape that understanding.
I wrote a new essay about what’s really happening.
The Shuttered Stage: Why Trump Is Really Closing the Kennedy Center
Behind the two-year "revitalization" is a strategic retreat from a historic cultural rejection—and a calculated attempt to overwrite the American story.
andrewweinstein.substack.com
February 6, 2026 at 12:15 AM
The Kennedy Center’s two‑year shutdown is being sold as routine maintenance.
It isn’t.
It’s a political act with real consequences for how a nation understands itself, and who gets to shape that understanding.
I wrote a new essay about what’s really happening.
It isn’t.
It’s a political act with real consequences for how a nation understands itself, and who gets to shape that understanding.
I wrote a new essay about what’s really happening.
No voter in a democracy should have to walk past federal immigration agents to cast a ballot. Banning ICE enforcement at polling places is not negotiable. It’s a necessary safeguard for free and fair elections.
February 5, 2026 at 2:40 PM
No voter in a democracy should have to walk past federal immigration agents to cast a ballot. Banning ICE enforcement at polling places is not negotiable. It’s a necessary safeguard for free and fair elections.
If you’ve been following me here on Bluesky, I’d be grateful if you became a free subscriber to my Substack. I’m building a space for clear, responsible, purpose‑driven civic dialogue — and I’d love for you to be part of it. Sign up here ➡️
Subscribe to Moral Clarity
Moral Clarity is a place to dissect the challenges facing our democracy, to explore the roots of hatred and the pathways to dialogue, and to examine the intricate ways that law, policy, and justice in...
andrewweinstein.substack.com
February 4, 2026 at 9:07 PM
If you’ve been following me here on Bluesky, I’d be grateful if you became a free subscriber to my Substack. I’m building a space for clear, responsible, purpose‑driven civic dialogue — and I’d love for you to be part of it. Sign up here ➡️
Democracy doesn’t just die in darkness. It dies when avarice and sycophantic rot hollow out the institutions meant to defend it.
February 4, 2026 at 3:49 PM
Democracy doesn’t just die in darkness. It dies when avarice and sycophantic rot hollow out the institutions meant to defend it.
We all know how this goes: Joe Biden’s choice of footwear got a week of headlines. Trump calls for Republicans to seize control of elections from the states, and the coverage will vanish by lunchtime.
February 3, 2026 at 4:19 PM
We all know how this goes: Joe Biden’s choice of footwear got a week of headlines. Trump calls for Republicans to seize control of elections from the states, and the coverage will vanish by lunchtime.
This is the authoritarian tell:
If a judge rules against your preferred outcome, declare the judge illegitimate.
If that mindset takes hold, courts stop being guardrails and become targets.
Democracy cannot survive a government that believes the law only counts when it wins.
If a judge rules against your preferred outcome, declare the judge illegitimate.
If that mindset takes hold, courts stop being guardrails and become targets.
Democracy cannot survive a government that believes the law only counts when it wins.
February 3, 2026 at 2:56 PM
This is the authoritarian tell:
If a judge rules against your preferred outcome, declare the judge illegitimate.
If that mindset takes hold, courts stop being guardrails and become targets.
Democracy cannot survive a government that believes the law only counts when it wins.
If a judge rules against your preferred outcome, declare the judge illegitimate.
If that mindset takes hold, courts stop being guardrails and become targets.
Democracy cannot survive a government that believes the law only counts when it wins.
This is exactly what I warned about in TIME. Defunding the arts, rewriting history, politicizing public culture—it’s all part of the authoritarian playbook. Kennedy Center’s collapse is a symptom. The strategy is much bigger.
Trump’s Campaign to Defund the Arts—and Rewrite History
"The campaign to defund the arts, capture our museums, and rewrite our history is a prelude to silencing dissent."
time.com
February 2, 2026 at 11:01 PM
This is exactly what I warned about in TIME. Defunding the arts, rewriting history, politicizing public culture—it’s all part of the authoritarian playbook. Kennedy Center’s collapse is a symptom. The strategy is much bigger.
I wrote in TIME about what happens when a government sets out to reconstruct a nation’s cultural memory.
Trump’s Campaign to Defund the Arts—and Rewrite History
"The campaign to defund the arts, capture our museums, and rewrite our history is a prelude to silencing dissent."
time.com
February 2, 2026 at 2:23 PM
I wrote in TIME about what happens when a government sets out to reconstruct a nation’s cultural memory.
The Kennedy Center isn’t closing for “renovations.” It’s closing because audiences fled, artists withdrew, and its reputation collapsed under the pressures forced upon it. Cultural trust doesn’t evaporate by accident. It happens when power treats the arts as a tool, not a public good.
February 2, 2026 at 2:20 PM
The Kennedy Center isn’t closing for “renovations.” It’s closing because audiences fled, artists withdrew, and its reputation collapsed under the pressures forced upon it. Cultural trust doesn’t evaporate by accident. It happens when power treats the arts as a tool, not a public good.
Trump Magazine
Trump Vodka
Trump Airlines
Trump Casinos
Trump Steaks
Trump Water
Trump Mortgage
Trump Travel
Trump The Game
Trump Entertainment
Trump University
Trump Foundation
(Trump) Kennedy Center
Donald Trump may not know much about governing, but he’s definitely an expert on shutdowns.
Trump Vodka
Trump Airlines
Trump Casinos
Trump Steaks
Trump Water
Trump Mortgage
Trump Travel
Trump The Game
Trump Entertainment
Trump University
Trump Foundation
(Trump) Kennedy Center
Donald Trump may not know much about governing, but he’s definitely an expert on shutdowns.
February 2, 2026 at 3:55 AM
Trump Magazine
Trump Vodka
Trump Airlines
Trump Casinos
Trump Steaks
Trump Water
Trump Mortgage
Trump Travel
Trump The Game
Trump Entertainment
Trump University
Trump Foundation
(Trump) Kennedy Center
Donald Trump may not know much about governing, but he’s definitely an expert on shutdowns.
Trump Vodka
Trump Airlines
Trump Casinos
Trump Steaks
Trump Water
Trump Mortgage
Trump Travel
Trump The Game
Trump Entertainment
Trump University
Trump Foundation
(Trump) Kennedy Center
Donald Trump may not know much about governing, but he’s definitely an expert on shutdowns.
Donald Trump pardoned the “Camp Auschwitz” rioter.
He dined with a Holocaust‑denying white nationalist.
He said Jews who vote Democratic “hate their religion.”
Now Greg Bovino is accused of mocking Jewish observance.
That’s not coincidence — it’s a culture.
My recent essay breaks it down.
He dined with a Holocaust‑denying white nationalist.
He said Jews who vote Democratic “hate their religion.”
Now Greg Bovino is accused of mocking Jewish observance.
That’s not coincidence — it’s a culture.
My recent essay breaks it down.
Trump, Vance, and the Mainstreaming of Far-Right Hate
The betrayal behind the rhetoric of safety
andrewweinstein.substack.com
February 1, 2026 at 3:21 PM
Donald Trump pardoned the “Camp Auschwitz” rioter.
He dined with a Holocaust‑denying white nationalist.
He said Jews who vote Democratic “hate their religion.”
Now Greg Bovino is accused of mocking Jewish observance.
That’s not coincidence — it’s a culture.
My recent essay breaks it down.
He dined with a Holocaust‑denying white nationalist.
He said Jews who vote Democratic “hate their religion.”
Now Greg Bovino is accused of mocking Jewish observance.
That’s not coincidence — it’s a culture.
My recent essay breaks it down.
How many "isolated incidents" does it take to admit there is a systemic crisis of antisemitism within the Trump administration?
February 1, 2026 at 6:04 AM
How many "isolated incidents" does it take to admit there is a systemic crisis of antisemitism within the Trump administration?
History shows that democracies unravel when leaders recast their own citizens as enemies. That’s the moment we’re living in. My new TIME essay looks at how the Trump administration’s rhetoric is being used to justify violence, dodge accountability, and weaken the meaning of citizenship.
The Danger of Turning Americans into Enemies
In Minnesota, "Trump has redefined dissent not as a civic act, but as an enemy force," writes Andrew Weinstein.
time.com
January 31, 2026 at 2:44 PM
History shows that democracies unravel when leaders recast their own citizens as enemies. That’s the moment we’re living in. My new TIME essay looks at how the Trump administration’s rhetoric is being used to justify violence, dodge accountability, and weaken the meaning of citizenship.
A free press is not a crime. Authoritarianism always starts by pretending it is.
January 31, 2026 at 5:06 AM
A free press is not a crime. Authoritarianism always starts by pretending it is.
High schoolers shouldn’t have to fear that their friends could disappear at the hands of federal agents. Yet they marched anyway — in the cold, in the open, with courage that puts many of our leaders to shame. I stand with them.
More than 1,000 people rally against ICE in Portland days after large-scale immigration sweep
The Friday afternoon protest came as immigrant communities are still reeling from ICE's large-scale operation.
www.mainepublic.org
January 30, 2026 at 10:28 PM
High schoolers shouldn’t have to fear that their friends could disappear at the hands of federal agents. Yet they marched anyway — in the cold, in the open, with courage that puts many of our leaders to shame. I stand with them.
When leaders escalate language, they escalate force. That’s the argument in my latest Substack essay and TIME piece—and today’s events prove the point with chilling clarity.
Read the full analysis:
Read the full analysis:
Why This Moment Demands Our Attention
A look at how political language in the U.S. is shifting toward labeling fellow Americans as “enemies”—and why that shift matters for all of us.
andrewweinstein.substack.com
January 30, 2026 at 10:00 PM
When leaders escalate language, they escalate force. That’s the argument in my latest Substack essay and TIME piece—and today’s events prove the point with chilling clarity.
Read the full analysis:
Read the full analysis:
The arrest of Don Lemon isn’t an isolated outrage. It’s the predictable result of a government that has spent years telling Americans that journalists are “enemies,” dissent is “terrorism,” and truth‑telling is a threat.
January 30, 2026 at 9:59 PM
The arrest of Don Lemon isn’t an isolated outrage. It’s the predictable result of a government that has spent years telling Americans that journalists are “enemies,” dissent is “terrorism,” and truth‑telling is a threat.