David Kurtz
@davidkurtz.bsky.social
TPM editor at large + all things Morning Memo: https://morningmemo.talkingpointsmemo.com/
Signal: davidkurtz.88
Proton: davidmkurtz@proton.me
Signal: davidkurtz.88
Proton: davidmkurtz@proton.me
A complicated dance is underway in the criminal case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia over his claim of vindictive prosecution by the Trump DOJ, so let me give you the toplines of the kind of sneaky genius thing that the judge did this week:
talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
Judge Calls Trump DOJ’s Bluff On Todd Blanche’s Testimony
Put Up or Shut Up Time A complicated dance is underway in...
talkingpointsmemo.com
December 24, 2025 at 4:55 PM
A complicated dance is underway in the criminal case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia over his claim of vindictive prosecution by the Trump DOJ, so let me give you the toplines of the kind of sneaky genius thing that the judge did this week:
talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
Reposted by David Kurtz
In case people tell you that public criticism of the court doesn’t matter, here’s Brett Kavanaugh trying to walk back what he said in the ICE roving patrol case - when he blessed racial profiling & called the stops prompt.
He was lambasted; @akalhan.bsky.social coined the term “Kavanaugh stops”
He was lambasted; @akalhan.bsky.social coined the term “Kavanaugh stops”
December 23, 2025 at 9:20 PM
In case people tell you that public criticism of the court doesn’t matter, here’s Brett Kavanaugh trying to walk back what he said in the ICE roving patrol case - when he blessed racial profiling & called the stops prompt.
He was lambasted; @akalhan.bsky.social coined the term “Kavanaugh stops”
He was lambasted; @akalhan.bsky.social coined the term “Kavanaugh stops”
See you there!
Join us on Jan. 29 for our first Morning Memo Live event!
@davidkurtz.bsky.social will lead a discussion on the Trump administration's politicization of the Justice Department, featuring @annabower.bsky.social and more special guests.
Get tickets here: www.eventbrite.com/e/morning-me...
@davidkurtz.bsky.social will lead a discussion on the Trump administration's politicization of the Justice Department, featuring @annabower.bsky.social and more special guests.
Get tickets here: www.eventbrite.com/e/morning-me...
December 23, 2025 at 5:06 PM
See you there!
The meat of Judge Boasberg's ruling was a reversal of his own prior decision over the summer. In light of the new facts that have emerged, Boasberg reversed course and concluded that the AEA detainees *were* in the constructive custody of the US while at CECOT.
talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
Major Ruling Offers Due Process to Alien Enemies Act Detainees
Morning Memo Live! Join me Jan. 29 in Washington, D.C., for our...
talkingpointsmemo.com
December 23, 2025 at 4:27 PM
The meat of Judge Boasberg's ruling was a reversal of his own prior decision over the summer. In light of the new facts that have emerged, Boasberg reversed course and concluded that the AEA detainees *were* in the constructive custody of the US while at CECOT.
talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
Reposted by David Kurtz
2/ read the story that made Stephen Miller sad. talkingpointsmemo.com/feature/how-...
How Rep. Dan Goldman’s Office Became a ‘Triage Center’ for ICE Detainees
It began in the spring, when Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) went to...
talkingpointsmemo.com
December 23, 2025 at 1:48 AM
2/ read the story that made Stephen Miller sad. talkingpointsmemo.com/feature/how-...
Emil Bove's notorious FU to the courts makes it into a judicial opinion for what I think is the first time, in Judge Boasberg's important new ruling requiring the Trump admin to give the original Alien Enemies Act detainees the due process they were denied storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
December 22, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Emil Bove's notorious FU to the courts makes it into a judicial opinion for what I think is the first time, in Judge Boasberg's important new ruling requiring the Trump admin to give the original Alien Enemies Act detainees the due process they were denied storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Kilmar Abrego Garcia remains in a “literal double bind,” with a bracelet on one ankle from his criminal case in Tennessee and an ICE bracelet on the other ankle from his immigration case in Maryland. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis of Maryland is in a bind, too: talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/abreg...
Abrego Garcia’s ‘Literal Double Bind’
GREENBELT, MD — For the first time since he was unlawfully deported...
talkingpointsmemo.com
December 22, 2025 at 8:50 PM
Kilmar Abrego Garcia remains in a “literal double bind,” with a bracelet on one ankle from his criminal case in Tennessee and an ICE bracelet on the other ankle from his immigration case in Maryland. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis of Maryland is in a bind, too: talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/abreg...
In federal court in Greenbelt, MD, where security is noticeably stepped up, perhaps b/ Kilmar Abrego Garcia is present in person. This is the first time he's appeared before Judge Xinis across the two cases of his she's heard starting in March b/ he's no longer detained by ICE or El Salvador.
December 22, 2025 at 5:54 PM
In federal court in Greenbelt, MD, where security is noticeably stepped up, perhaps b/ Kilmar Abrego Garcia is present in person. This is the first time he's appeared before Judge Xinis across the two cases of his she's heard starting in March b/ he's no longer detained by ICE or El Salvador.
In an unprecedented last-minute intervention, rookie CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss spiked a 60 Minutes segment on the experiences of Alien Enemies Act detainees at CECOT in El Salvador.
talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
Bari Weiss Spikes 60 Minutes Segment At Last Minute
Black Rock Crumbles In an unprecedented last-minute intervention, rookie CBS News editor-in-chief...
talkingpointsmemo.com
December 22, 2025 at 3:26 PM
In an unprecedented last-minute intervention, rookie CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss spiked a 60 Minutes segment on the experiences of Alien Enemies Act detainees at CECOT in El Salvador.
talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
It WAS a redacting error. Abrego Garcia's attorneys filed a correx that now redacts the quote drawn from the sealed Dec. 3 court order which concluded that Associate DAG Aakash Singh had a “leading role in the government’s decision to prosecute” Abrego Garcia. www.courtlistener.com/docket/70476...
December 21, 2025 at 12:03 PM
It WAS a redacting error. Abrego Garcia's attorneys filed a correx that now redacts the quote drawn from the sealed Dec. 3 court order which concluded that Associate DAG Aakash Singh had a “leading role in the government’s decision to prosecute” Abrego Garcia. www.courtlistener.com/docket/70476...
I believe this is the first court filing to cite WH chief of staff Susie Wiles' admission to Vanity Fair about President Trump's "score settling." It's used in support of Abrego Garcia's vindictive prosecution claim: www.courtlistener.com/docket/70476...
bkgd: talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
bkgd: talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
December 20, 2025 at 10:39 AM
I believe this is the first court filing to cite WH chief of staff Susie Wiles' admission to Vanity Fair about President Trump's "score settling." It's used in support of Abrego Garcia's vindictive prosecution claim: www.courtlistener.com/docket/70476...
bkgd: talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
bkgd: talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
A Trojan horse FOIA case in which Stephen Miller's old group was trying to get a court to declare that the admin functions of the judicial branch are part of the executive branch has been dismissed by District Judge Trevor McFadden of D.C., a Trump appointee. talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
Potential Disaster Averted As Bid To Undermine Judicial Branch Fails
Editor’s Note: Don’t miss the news at the end of today’s Morning...
talkingpointsmemo.com
December 19, 2025 at 4:27 PM
A Trojan horse FOIA case in which Stephen Miller's old group was trying to get a court to declare that the admin functions of the judicial branch are part of the executive branch has been dismissed by District Judge Trevor McFadden of D.C., a Trump appointee. talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
How a ‘Habeas Machine’ Reunited One Family That Was Pulled Apart by ICE talkingpointsmemo.com/news/how-a-h...
How a ‘Habeas Machine’ Reunited One Family That Was Pulled Apart by ICE
The agents were on the hunt, but as they staked out the...
talkingpointsmemo.com
December 18, 2025 at 9:46 PM
How a ‘Habeas Machine’ Reunited One Family That Was Pulled Apart by ICE talkingpointsmemo.com/news/how-a-h...
Reposted by David Kurtz
This was posted on X by the Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commn.
It’s not that we talk about “identity” & “race” too much. It’s that they wanted to hijack the language,legitimacy & infrastructure we created to vindicate the rights of Black people & women for THEIR race & identity.
It’s not that we talk about “identity” & “race” too much. It’s that they wanted to hijack the language,legitimacy & infrastructure we created to vindicate the rights of Black people & women for THEIR race & identity.
December 18, 2025 at 4:36 PM
This was posted on X by the Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commn.
It’s not that we talk about “identity” & “race” too much. It’s that they wanted to hijack the language,legitimacy & infrastructure we created to vindicate the rights of Black people & women for THEIR race & identity.
It’s not that we talk about “identity” & “race” too much. It’s that they wanted to hijack the language,legitimacy & infrastructure we created to vindicate the rights of Black people & women for THEIR race & identity.
The WH is threatening to dismantle a critical scientific research center in Boulder to free Big Lie supporter Tina Peters from a Colorado prison. State officials have refused to play along with Trump’s purported pardon of Peters for tampering w/ voting machines.
talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
How The 2020 Big Lie Is Now Threatening a World-Class Research Center
The Destruction: NCAR Edition The Trump White House isn’t really doing much...
talkingpointsmemo.com
December 18, 2025 at 4:24 PM
The WH is threatening to dismantle a critical scientific research center in Boulder to free Big Lie supporter Tina Peters from a Colorado prison. State officials have refused to play along with Trump’s purported pardon of Peters for tampering w/ voting machines.
talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
Reposted by David Kurtz
Testifying now:
Judge Dugan's clerk of court Alan Freed
Surveillance footage shows him saying something to a federal agent in the hallway.
Asked what he said, Freed replies: "I called him a fascist."
Judge Dugan's clerk of court Alan Freed
Surveillance footage shows him saying something to a federal agent in the hallway.
Asked what he said, Freed replies: "I called him a fascist."
December 17, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Testifying now:
Judge Dugan's clerk of court Alan Freed
Surveillance footage shows him saying something to a federal agent in the hallway.
Asked what he said, Freed replies: "I called him a fascist."
Judge Dugan's clerk of court Alan Freed
Surveillance footage shows him saying something to a federal agent in the hallway.
Asked what he said, Freed replies: "I called him a fascist."
Reposted by David Kurtz
And guess what?
The FCC immediately changed the website to state that the agency is not independent right after Carr's comments!
The FCC immediately changed the website to state that the agency is not independent right after Carr's comments!
December 17, 2025 at 5:21 PM
And guess what?
The FCC immediately changed the website to state that the agency is not independent right after Carr's comments!
The FCC immediately changed the website to state that the agency is not independent right after Carr's comments!
In what appears to be a dramatic reversal from its reaction to other wrongful deportations this year, the Trump administration has quietly returned Faustino Pablo Pablo from Guatemala, according to court order issued in the case yesterday.
talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
First at TPM: In Shift, Trump Admin Returns Wrongfully Deported Man
Not How Abrego Garcia Was Handled In what appears to be a...
talkingpointsmemo.com
December 17, 2025 at 4:04 PM
In what appears to be a dramatic reversal from its reaction to other wrongful deportations this year, the Trump administration has quietly returned Faustino Pablo Pablo from Guatemala, according to court order issued in the case yesterday.
talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
In an extraordinary series of interviews over the past few months, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has admitted that Trump is engaged in retribution against his political foes, even as she tried to tiptoe around the implications of her concession.
talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
Trump Chief of Staff Admits To Retribution Campaign
‘When There’s an Opportunity, He Will Go For It’ In an extraordinary...
talkingpointsmemo.com
December 16, 2025 at 3:50 PM
In an extraordinary series of interviews over the past few months, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has admitted that Trump is engaged in retribution against his political foes, even as she tried to tiptoe around the implications of her concession.
talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
Reposted by David Kurtz
This article includes the first confirmation I've seen from an Australian outlet that Ahmed is Muslim.
Ahmed al Ahmed, the man who tackled one of the Bondi killers, became an Australian citizen 3 years ago.
His deed was "his way of conveying his gratitude for staying in Australia, for being granted citizenship."
He took 5 bullets, and fears he'll lose his left arm.
www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...
His deed was "his way of conveying his gratitude for staying in Australia, for being granted citizenship."
He took 5 bullets, and fears he'll lose his left arm.
www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...
December 15, 2025 at 4:39 PM
This article includes the first confirmation I've seen from an Australian outlet that Ahmed is Muslim.
Reposted by David Kurtz
Here's my write-up of opening statements on All Rise News www.allrisenews.com/p/judge-hann...
Judge Hannah Dugan's trial begins: 'No longer business as usual'
Trump's DOJ told a jury that the case shows "judicial robes" do not place someone "above the law."
www.allrisenews.com
December 15, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Here's my write-up of opening statements on All Rise News www.allrisenews.com/p/judge-hann...
It’s been a reasonable inference for more than 5 years that whoever planted the pipe bombs at both national party headquarters on the eve of Congress’ certification of the '20 presidential election was probably not someone who was excited that Joe Biden had won.
talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
The Dog That Hasn’t Barked in the D.C. Pipe Bomber Case
Alleged Pipe Bomber Reportedly a Trump Supporter It’s been a reasonable inference...
talkingpointsmemo.com
December 15, 2025 at 4:23 PM
It’s been a reasonable inference for more than 5 years that whoever planted the pipe bombs at both national party headquarters on the eve of Congress’ certification of the '20 presidential election was probably not someone who was excited that Joe Biden had won.
talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
Reposted by David Kurtz
In Trump’s Justice Dept., Failing in Court Might Be Better Than Bucking the Boss
www.nytimes.com
December 12, 2025 at 9:00 PM
The Trump administration is trying to shut down Judge Boasberg’s contempt of court inquiry in the original Alien Enemies Act case and end the only chance of real accountability for an executive branch that ran roughshod over the judicial branch.
talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/trump...
talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/trump...
Trump DOJ Desperate to Keep Its Lawyers From Testifying In Contempt Inquiry
A lot has been flying around today in some of the key...
talkingpointsmemo.com
December 12, 2025 at 7:57 PM
The Trump administration is trying to shut down Judge Boasberg’s contempt of court inquiry in the original Alien Enemies Act case and end the only chance of real accountability for an executive branch that ran roughshod over the judicial branch.
talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/trump...
talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/trump...
"[Xinis'] ruling neatly encapsulates the madness of the Trump era...It concludes that Abrego Garcia’s treatment throughout has violated due process. Again and again, it scorches the Trump administration’s “extraordinary” and “troubling” handling of this whole case."
newrepublic.com/article/2043...
newrepublic.com/article/2043...
Fiasco for Trump as Judge Issues Harsh Rebuke in Abrego Garcia Case
Judge Paula Xinis’s ruling temporarily freed Kilmar Abrego Garcia from custody. It also savagely indicted Trump’s lawless handling of this whole affair from start to finish.
newrepublic.com
December 12, 2025 at 6:18 PM
"[Xinis'] ruling neatly encapsulates the madness of the Trump era...It concludes that Abrego Garcia’s treatment throughout has violated due process. Again and again, it scorches the Trump administration’s “extraordinary” and “troubling” handling of this whole case."
newrepublic.com/article/2043...
newrepublic.com/article/2043...