Mark Trachtenberg
@marktrachtenberg.bsky.social
Appellate lawyer @haynesboone in Houston. Believer in constitutional democracy & rule of law. Alum: @YaleLawSch/@Penn. Unrepentant @astros fan.
Pinned
I wrote about how Trump is destroying American democracy, along with eight crucial lessons about how to counteract it, drawing on my 14 years of studying brave pro-democracy opposition movements in authoritarian regimes across the globe. We’re in serious trouble, but there’s still hope.
Is American democracy doomed?
How to understand the concept of "competitive authoritarianism" and why it's crucial to push back now to avoid it.
www.forkingpaths.co
Very good analysis here.
Reposted by Mark Trachtenberg
It is going to take years---years!---to rebuild the United States Department of Justice after Trump is gone from office. A jewel of the justice system has been emptied out of institutional knowledge and wisdom.
This rules so hard. In law school I remember people who wanted to be federal prosecutors spending three years doing everything they could to be maybe, possibly be competitive for an AUSA job someday. Now you just need to hop on X the everything app and DM a guy named Chad.
January 31, 2026 at 11:09 PM
It is going to take years---years!---to rebuild the United States Department of Justice after Trump is gone from office. A jewel of the justice system has been emptied out of institutional knowledge and wisdom.
My Facebook post on the night of Trump’s first election win. Prescient.
January 25, 2026 at 3:04 AM
My Facebook post on the night of Trump’s first election win. Prescient.
Reposted by Mark Trachtenberg
New report card from current and former agents trashes Patel ("in over his head") and Bongino ("something of a clown.") FBI is described in the 115-page report as a “rudderless ship” and “all f–ked up.”
Rumors abound in DC that Patel may get the boot soon.
Rumors abound in DC that Patel may get the boot soon.
December 1, 2025 at 9:44 PM
New report card from current and former agents trashes Patel ("in over his head") and Bongino ("something of a clown.") FBI is described in the 115-page report as a “rudderless ship” and “all f–ked up.”
Rumors abound in DC that Patel may get the boot soon.
Rumors abound in DC that Patel may get the boot soon.
Reposted by Mark Trachtenberg
Three things about the Witkoff tapes:
1) It appears Western intelligence services have decided to let Witkoff (and Trump) know they have recordings of their traitorous conversations w/Russia.
2) This Ukraine "deal" was all Witkoff's idea.
3) Congressional leaders should demand he be fired.
1) It appears Western intelligence services have decided to let Witkoff (and Trump) know they have recordings of their traitorous conversations w/Russia.
2) This Ukraine "deal" was all Witkoff's idea.
3) Congressional leaders should demand he be fired.
EXCLUSIVE: US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff advised Russia on how to pitch Ukraine plans to Trump, in audio files reviewed by Bloomberg
Witkoff Advised Russia on How to Pitch Ukraine Plan to Trump
US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff, fresh from the triumph of the Gaza peace deal, held a phone call last month with a senior Kremlin official to suggest they work together on a similar plan for Ukraine — and that Vladimir Putin should raise it with Donald Trump.
bloom.bg
November 25, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Three things about the Witkoff tapes:
1) It appears Western intelligence services have decided to let Witkoff (and Trump) know they have recordings of their traitorous conversations w/Russia.
2) This Ukraine "deal" was all Witkoff's idea.
3) Congressional leaders should demand he be fired.
1) It appears Western intelligence services have decided to let Witkoff (and Trump) know they have recordings of their traitorous conversations w/Russia.
2) This Ukraine "deal" was all Witkoff's idea.
3) Congressional leaders should demand he be fired.
Reposted by Mark Trachtenberg
American life and America itself are now being shaped—in terrible, even tragic ways—by people who really did mislead and outright lie to Congress under oath.
We’re Led by an Administration of Liars
Trump insisted Comey be prosecuted for supposedly lying to Congress—but his own administration is full of officials who lied to Congress.
lnk.thebulwark.com
November 25, 2025 at 12:00 AM
American life and America itself are now being shaped—in terrible, even tragic ways—by people who really did mislead and outright lie to Congress under oath.
Reposted by Mark Trachtenberg
NEW: I did a very deep dive into one month's worth of Elon Musk's posts on X so I could understand the breadth and depth of what he is posting about these days. In a word: fringe. www.nbcnews.com/tech/elon-mu... 🧵
A month of Elon Musk on X: Conspiracy theories, fringe politics and self-promotion
An NBC News analysis of one month of Musk’s social media posts shows what’s been on his mind, including a broad cross-section of fringe political topics.
www.nbcnews.com
November 22, 2025 at 5:12 PM
NEW: I did a very deep dive into one month's worth of Elon Musk's posts on X so I could understand the breadth and depth of what he is posting about these days. In a word: fringe. www.nbcnews.com/tech/elon-mu... 🧵
Reposted by Mark Trachtenberg
"Whatever lies behind Trump’s cupidity towards Putin, we should be long past caring why. The reality is settled fact. Putin has fewer cards in his hand than Trump supposes. One of those cards is Trump." My column. www.ft.com/content/7deb...
Putin’s mesmeric sway on Trump
Russia bets it can gain in US negotiations what it cannot win on the battlefield
www.ft.com
October 21, 2025 at 11:08 AM
"Whatever lies behind Trump’s cupidity towards Putin, we should be long past caring why. The reality is settled fact. Putin has fewer cards in his hand than Trump supposes. One of those cards is Trump." My column. www.ft.com/content/7deb...
Reposted by Mark Trachtenberg
Trump summoned the top American military officers stationed around the world to VA to tell them that the enemy they should be primarily concerned with now is American citizens.
September 30, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Trump summoned the top American military officers stationed around the world to VA to tell them that the enemy they should be primarily concerned with now is American citizens.
Reposted by Mark Trachtenberg
Amazing chyron as the Vice President of the United States jokes about the <checks notes> indiscriminate murder of civilians in international waters, in blatant violation of domestic law & multiple international treaties we have signed & ratified.
Vance on Trump's strikes on boats: "I wouldn't go fishing right now in that area of the world."
September 17, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Amazing chyron as the Vice President of the United States jokes about the <checks notes> indiscriminate murder of civilians in international waters, in blatant violation of domestic law & multiple international treaties we have signed & ratified.
Reposted by Mark Trachtenberg
We must stand resolutely against political assassination and political violence of all kinds, and just as resolutely against everyone who exploits acts of violence as the pretext or excuse for political repression of political opponents.
Very, very bad stuff coming from leading right-wingers
September 10, 2025 at 9:12 PM
We must stand resolutely against political assassination and political violence of all kinds, and just as resolutely against everyone who exploits acts of violence as the pretext or excuse for political repression of political opponents.
Reposted by Mark Trachtenberg
They could have done something like this in the Trump immunity case and given a chance for the special counsel to take Trump's federal election subversion charges to trial.
Expediting cases is a choice
Expediting cases is a choice
NEW: the Supreme Court agrees to hear Trump‘s appeal in the tariffs cases on a highly expedited basis. Oral argument will be during the first week of November.
September 9, 2025 at 8:43 PM
They could have done something like this in the Trump immunity case and given a chance for the special counsel to take Trump's federal election subversion charges to trial.
Expediting cases is a choice
Expediting cases is a choice
Reposted by Mark Trachtenberg
This is a remarkable summary by @asharangappa.bsky.social of the anti-democratic and interconnected players behind the dismantling of American democracy and a frightening roadmap of where we already are and are ultimately heading…great essay.
open.substack.com/pub/asharang...
open.substack.com/pub/asharang...
Making Sense of MAGA
An ideological roadmap to help you understand the madness.
open.substack.com
September 5, 2025 at 5:35 PM
This is a remarkable summary by @asharangappa.bsky.social of the anti-democratic and interconnected players behind the dismantling of American democracy and a frightening roadmap of where we already are and are ultimately heading…great essay.
open.substack.com/pub/asharang...
open.substack.com/pub/asharang...
Reposted by Mark Trachtenberg
Just in case it’s not already clear that ICE is a white supremacist thug army, Homeland Security is recruiting with a “defend your culture” slogan.
August 6, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Just in case it’s not already clear that ICE is a white supremacist thug army, Homeland Security is recruiting with a “defend your culture” slogan.
This is very, very bad.
NEW: "The electronic case filing system used by the federal judiciary has been breached in a sweeping cyber intrusion that is believed to have exposed sensitive court data across multiple U.S. states, according to two people with knowledge of the incident."
Federal court filing system hit in sweeping hack
The identities of confidential court informants are feared compromised in a series of breaches across multiple U.S. states.
www.politico.com
August 7, 2025 at 3:14 AM
This is very, very bad.
Reposted by Mark Trachtenberg
More on Trump’s nominee to lead the office investigating Jack Smith:
➡️ He said that the descendants of slaves should pay reparations to the descendants of slave owners
➡️ He urged Congress to make J6 a national holiday
➡️ He called for Trump’s birthday to be made a national holiday (“MAGA Day”)
➡️ He said that the descendants of slaves should pay reparations to the descendants of slave owners
➡️ He urged Congress to make J6 a national holiday
➡️ He called for Trump’s birthday to be made a national holiday (“MAGA Day”)
August 3, 2025 at 12:10 AM
More on Trump’s nominee to lead the office investigating Jack Smith:
➡️ He said that the descendants of slaves should pay reparations to the descendants of slave owners
➡️ He urged Congress to make J6 a national holiday
➡️ He called for Trump’s birthday to be made a national holiday (“MAGA Day”)
➡️ He said that the descendants of slaves should pay reparations to the descendants of slave owners
➡️ He urged Congress to make J6 a national holiday
➡️ He called for Trump’s birthday to be made a national holiday (“MAGA Day”)
Reposted by Mark Trachtenberg
Republican Senators will get a partisan judge who supports their policy preferences for this seat whether it's Bove or someone else. Supporting Bove instead of demanding a different choice at this point is accepting/endorsing the most explicit attack possible on the republic and the rule of law.
Breaking news: A new whistleblower has shared evidence with lawmakers suggesting Emil Bove, the controversial former attorney for President Trump and current top Justice Department official, misled lawmakers during his confirmation hearing.
Whistleblower evidence suggests Trump judicial nominee Emil Bove misled Senate
A third whistleblower has new information about a Justice Department official the president has nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit.
www.washingtonpost.com
July 28, 2025 at 9:16 PM
Republican Senators will get a partisan judge who supports their policy preferences for this seat whether it's Bove or someone else. Supporting Bove instead of demanding a different choice at this point is accepting/endorsing the most explicit attack possible on the republic and the rule of law.
Reposted by Mark Trachtenberg
The self harm that America is doing to itself must be studied and unpacked. As a former US ntl security official, this is frankly sheer torture to witness. A superpower killing itself. Willingly. I’ll add that friends of America in Europe r also watching this and wondering, why?
Today I stood in solidarity with the over 1300 State Dept public servants who were fired by Trump and Rubio. These are American patriots who’ve dedicated their lives to advancing US interests & values.
This is America in Retreat. Our adversaries are smiling. A bad day for America.
This is America in Retreat. Our adversaries are smiling. A bad day for America.
Standing in solidarity with fired State Department employees
YouTube video by Senator Chris Van Hollen
youtube.com
July 12, 2025 at 12:02 PM
The self harm that America is doing to itself must be studied and unpacked. As a former US ntl security official, this is frankly sheer torture to witness. A superpower killing itself. Willingly. I’ll add that friends of America in Europe r also watching this and wondering, why?
Seen in upstate NY
July 11, 2025 at 3:01 AM
Seen in upstate NY
Exactly right.
History shows that anti-Zionist attacks backfire by generating support for Zionism, @yair-rosenberg.bsky.social argues:
America’s Anti-Jewish Assassins Are Making the Case for Zionism
History shows that violence against Jews creates more Zionists.
bit.ly
June 8, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Exactly right.
The word of the day: “schadenfreude!” https://www.dictionary.com/browse/schadenfreude. Brought to you by Elmo!
June 5, 2025 at 7:20 PM
The word of the day: “schadenfreude!” https://www.dictionary.com/browse/schadenfreude. Brought to you by Elmo!
Superb op-ed by my friend @kovarsky.bsky.social on Trump’s flagrant abuse of the pardon power. Ds should campaign on a constitutional amendment eliminating or severely circumscribing that power.
June 4, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Superb op-ed by my friend @kovarsky.bsky.social on Trump’s flagrant abuse of the pardon power. Ds should campaign on a constitutional amendment eliminating or severely circumscribing that power.
Reposted by Mark Trachtenberg
As a cancer survivor, it pains me to hear people imagine coverups about Biden’s cancer. Here’s something I wrote last year for @wbur.org @cogwbur.bsky.social about what it’s like to get a cancer diagnosis and how it’s insensitive of us to make assumptions about others. www.wbur.org/cognoscenti/...
What the Kate Middleton story says about us
It's easy to talk about a photoshopped picture or an alleged affair and to demand more information, writes Ellen Braaten. It's much harder to discuss the fears of a mother who may not see her children...
www.wbur.org
May 19, 2025 at 3:08 AM
As a cancer survivor, it pains me to hear people imagine coverups about Biden’s cancer. Here’s something I wrote last year for @wbur.org @cogwbur.bsky.social about what it’s like to get a cancer diagnosis and how it’s insensitive of us to make assumptions about others. www.wbur.org/cognoscenti/...
Reposted by Mark Trachtenberg
"Trump has always been an ignoramus who masks his intellectual shortcomings with bombast and declarations of his own brilliance, but his rambling nonsensical responses in these latest interviews should set off alarms." — @playtyperguy.com
Trump's brain is gone
It really should be a bigger story.
www.publicnotice.co
May 2, 2025 at 8:17 PM
"Trump has always been an ignoramus who masks his intellectual shortcomings with bombast and declarations of his own brilliance, but his rambling nonsensical responses in these latest interviews should set off alarms." — @playtyperguy.com
Reposted by Mark Trachtenberg
Strangely, the official who is exploiting legit concerns about antisemitism to revoke hundreds of students’ visas and undermine democracy has… no qualms about sitting down with an antisemite who thinks “Hitler actually had some decent points.” 🤔
Secretary of State Marco Rubio just sat down for a one-on-one interview with a man who, as @brandyzadrozny.bsky.social has reported, has claimed that "Jewish influence on the West" has led to "white genocide" and once said "Hitler actually had some decent points."
www.nbcnews.com/tech/interne...
www.nbcnews.com/tech/interne...
April 17, 2025 at 2:50 AM
Strangely, the official who is exploiting legit concerns about antisemitism to revoke hundreds of students’ visas and undermine democracy has… no qualms about sitting down with an antisemite who thinks “Hitler actually had some decent points.” 🤔