“A republic, if you can keep it.” Ben Franklin 🏳️🌈
@paynen.bsky.social
I post a little and repost a lot.
Just trying to do my part illuminating the dark corners in the fight to retain our democracy.
Trigger finger blocks for bots and bullshit.
Just trying to do my part illuminating the dark corners in the fight to retain our democracy.
Trigger finger blocks for bots and bullshit.
Reposted by “A republic, if you can keep it.” Ben Franklin 🏳️🌈
Reposted by “A republic, if you can keep it.” Ben Franklin 🏳️🌈
SEN. KAINE: “You said American whites are victims of a cultural genocide… are they represented in the senate? House? Presidency? CEO’s?”
Trump’s white nationalist pick for a top state department spot Jeremy Carl skewered by @kaine.senate.gov
Trump’s white nationalist pick for a top state department spot Jeremy Carl skewered by @kaine.senate.gov
February 13, 2026 at 2:17 PM
SEN. KAINE: “You said American whites are victims of a cultural genocide… are they represented in the senate? House? Presidency? CEO’s?”
Trump’s white nationalist pick for a top state department spot Jeremy Carl skewered by @kaine.senate.gov
Trump’s white nationalist pick for a top state department spot Jeremy Carl skewered by @kaine.senate.gov
Reposted by “A republic, if you can keep it.” Ben Franklin 🏳️🌈
The default assumption should be that they’re lying
February 13, 2026 at 10:33 PM
The default assumption should be that they’re lying
Reposted by “A republic, if you can keep it.” Ben Franklin 🏳️🌈
NEWS: LA Lakers Co-Owner’s Firm Linked to Proposed $80 Million ICE Warehouse Deal in Texas — a massive facility that could detain up to 9,500 people.
LA Lakers Co-Owner’s Firm Linked to Proposed $80 Million ICE Warehouse Deal in Texas
The unwelcome facility would detain up to 9,500 people
meidasnews.com
February 14, 2026 at 12:04 AM
NEWS: LA Lakers Co-Owner’s Firm Linked to Proposed $80 Million ICE Warehouse Deal in Texas — a massive facility that could detain up to 9,500 people.
Reposted by “A republic, if you can keep it.” Ben Franklin 🏳️🌈
So this is "wild revelation" no. 1.
Is Donald Trump's concern that the Noem-Lewandowski relationship is
(a) consensual?
(b) between legal adults?
or
(c) both (a) and (b)?
www.yahoo.com/news/article...
Is Donald Trump's concern that the Noem-Lewandowski relationship is
(a) consensual?
(b) between legal adults?
or
(c) both (a) and (b)?
www.yahoo.com/news/article...
February 13, 2026 at 11:25 PM
So this is "wild revelation" no. 1.
Is Donald Trump's concern that the Noem-Lewandowski relationship is
(a) consensual?
(b) between legal adults?
or
(c) both (a) and (b)?
www.yahoo.com/news/article...
Is Donald Trump's concern that the Noem-Lewandowski relationship is
(a) consensual?
(b) between legal adults?
or
(c) both (a) and (b)?
www.yahoo.com/news/article...
Reposted by “A republic, if you can keep it.” Ben Franklin 🏳️🌈
It's clearly a cover up, and they think we’re all stupid and won't notice.
February 13, 2026 at 9:30 PM
It's clearly a cover up, and they think we’re all stupid and won't notice.
Reposted by “A republic, if you can keep it.” Ben Franklin 🏳️🌈
Same, Lady Gaga.
Same.
Same.
February 13, 2026 at 5:05 PM
Same, Lady Gaga.
Same.
Same.
Reposted by “A republic, if you can keep it.” Ben Franklin 🏳️🌈
Senator @gallego.senate.gov warns that Trump’s "mob boss" foreign policy is driving our closest allies straight into the arms of China. While Trump picks fights with neighbors, Beijing is building the future of the Americas. Read the full op-ed:
Senator Ruben Gallego: A New Marshall Plan
A new op-ed from Senator Gallego as part of the Meidas Defense initiative
www.meidasplus.com
February 13, 2026 at 8:52 PM
Senator @gallego.senate.gov warns that Trump’s "mob boss" foreign policy is driving our closest allies straight into the arms of China. While Trump picks fights with neighbors, Beijing is building the future of the Americas. Read the full op-ed:
Reposted by “A republic, if you can keep it.” Ben Franklin 🏳️🌈
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem resigns as DP World CEO after being named in Epstein files.
Bin Sulayem’s name was redacted in at least one of the emails in the Epstein files, but Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., named him as the recipient of an email Epstein wrote, telling him he “loved the torture video.”
Bin Sulayem’s name was redacted in at least one of the emails in the Epstein files, but Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., named him as the recipient of an email Epstein wrote, telling him he “loved the torture video.”
Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem—”Close Personal Friend” Of Epstein— Resigns As CEO Of DP World
Billionaire Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem resigns as DP World CEO after being named in Epstein files.
www.forbes.com
February 13, 2026 at 11:08 PM
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem resigns as DP World CEO after being named in Epstein files.
Bin Sulayem’s name was redacted in at least one of the emails in the Epstein files, but Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., named him as the recipient of an email Epstein wrote, telling him he “loved the torture video.”
Bin Sulayem’s name was redacted in at least one of the emails in the Epstein files, but Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., named him as the recipient of an email Epstein wrote, telling him he “loved the torture video.”
Reposted by “A republic, if you can keep it.” Ben Franklin 🏳️🌈
February 13, 2026 at 12:19 PM
Reposted by “A republic, if you can keep it.” Ben Franklin 🏳️🌈
This is a breathtaking article about the complete clown show at DHS being overseen by Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski (gift link)
A Pilot Fired Over Kristi Noem’s Missing Blanket and the Constant Chaos Inside DHS
Secretary faces fire for confrontational immigration crackdown and self-promotional style; White House to wind down Minnesota operations.
www.wsj.com
February 13, 2026 at 3:55 PM
This is a breathtaking article about the complete clown show at DHS being overseen by Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski (gift link)
Reposted by “A republic, if you can keep it.” Ben Franklin 🏳️🌈
Before people get too excited about Massie - he voted for the horrible voter suppression bill.
We can still, however, enjoy him being a thorn in Mango Mussolini’s side. 🫣
We can still, however, enjoy him being a thorn in Mango Mussolini’s side. 🫣
February 13, 2026 at 8:28 PM
Before people get too excited about Massie - he voted for the horrible voter suppression bill.
We can still, however, enjoy him being a thorn in Mango Mussolini’s side. 🫣
We can still, however, enjoy him being a thorn in Mango Mussolini’s side. 🫣
Reposted by “A republic, if you can keep it.” Ben Franklin 🏳️🌈
AOC on Bondi: “The redactions of the names of perpetrators, the holding of 3 million files, the unexplained moving of Maxwell into a new cushy facility—
All of these things are what she personally oversaw, & that’s before even digging into whatever questions may arise from her history in Florida”
All of these things are what she personally oversaw, & that’s before even digging into whatever questions may arise from her history in Florida”
February 12, 2026 at 8:25 PM
AOC on Bondi: “The redactions of the names of perpetrators, the holding of 3 million files, the unexplained moving of Maxwell into a new cushy facility—
All of these things are what she personally oversaw, & that’s before even digging into whatever questions may arise from her history in Florida”
All of these things are what she personally oversaw, & that’s before even digging into whatever questions may arise from her history in Florida”
Reposted by “A republic, if you can keep it.” Ben Franklin 🏳️🌈
Reposted by “A republic, if you can keep it.” Ben Franklin 🏳️🌈
Medicare for all, paid leave, universal childcare.
Busting up big corporations and tackling Wall Street’s greed.
Getting big money out of politics.
Supporting unions and fighting for higher wages.
If Dems want to win back working people, this is the agenda they must support.
Busting up big corporations and tackling Wall Street’s greed.
Getting big money out of politics.
Supporting unions and fighting for higher wages.
If Dems want to win back working people, this is the agenda they must support.
February 13, 2026 at 7:15 PM
Medicare for all, paid leave, universal childcare.
Busting up big corporations and tackling Wall Street’s greed.
Getting big money out of politics.
Supporting unions and fighting for higher wages.
If Dems want to win back working people, this is the agenda they must support.
Busting up big corporations and tackling Wall Street’s greed.
Getting big money out of politics.
Supporting unions and fighting for higher wages.
If Dems want to win back working people, this is the agenda they must support.
Reposted by “A republic, if you can keep it.” Ben Franklin 🏳️🌈
Reposted by “A republic, if you can keep it.” Ben Franklin 🏳️🌈
You might think that the inhumane conditions at America's concentration camps is because of this administration's usual lazy incompetence, but, no, it's because of this administration's usual vicious cruelty.
February 13, 2026 at 7:42 PM
You might think that the inhumane conditions at America's concentration camps is because of this administration's usual lazy incompetence, but, no, it's because of this administration's usual vicious cruelty.
Reposted by “A republic, if you can keep it.” Ben Franklin 🏳️🌈
Security detail provided by the US Marshals Service for budget chief and Project 2025 architect Russell Vought is being paid for by the $15M left in funding for the now gutted USAID.
Cuts in USAID will contribute to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, with 2/3 of them being children.
Cuts in USAID will contribute to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, with 2/3 of them being children.
Russell Vought raided USAID budgets he helped gut to pay for his own security
The White House budget office reportedly set aside $15 million of remaining funds to protect the Project 2025 guy, according to Reuters.
www.motherjones.com
February 13, 2026 at 10:39 PM
Security detail provided by the US Marshals Service for budget chief and Project 2025 architect Russell Vought is being paid for by the $15M left in funding for the now gutted USAID.
Cuts in USAID will contribute to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, with 2/3 of them being children.
Cuts in USAID will contribute to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, with 2/3 of them being children.
Reposted by “A republic, if you can keep it.” Ben Franklin 🏳️🌈
"To put a gigantic copper mine (or two) on the edge of the Boundary Waters would be like capping Old Faithful for a geothermal plant or clearcutting the forests at the foot of the Tetons — most Americans wouldn’t support it if they knew about it."
www.earthisland.org/journal/inde...
www.earthisland.org/journal/inde...
While ICE raids grab headlines, Trump mounts quieter attack on Minnesota’s Boundary Waters
As the federal siege of Minnesota continues, the Boundary Waters wilderness is also under attack.
https://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/articles/entry/while-ice-raids-grab-headlines-trump-mounts-quieter-attack-on-minnesotas-boundary-waters##
February 12, 2026 at 8:56 PM
"To put a gigantic copper mine (or two) on the edge of the Boundary Waters would be like capping Old Faithful for a geothermal plant or clearcutting the forests at the foot of the Tetons — most Americans wouldn’t support it if they knew about it."
www.earthisland.org/journal/inde...
www.earthisland.org/journal/inde...
Reposted by “A republic, if you can keep it.” Ben Franklin 🏳️🌈
He’s now at 1.5 million mentions in the Epstein files. I don’t even have to say who it is, you already know.
February 13, 2026 at 9:59 PM
He’s now at 1.5 million mentions in the Epstein files. I don’t even have to say who it is, you already know.
Reposted by “A republic, if you can keep it.” Ben Franklin 🏳️🌈
AOC: "Extreme level of wealth inequality leads to social instability and drives authoritarianism, right-wing populism, and really dangerous domestic internal politics. That is a direct outcome of the failure of democracies over decades to deliver."
February 13, 2026 at 5:50 PM
AOC: "Extreme level of wealth inequality leads to social instability and drives authoritarianism, right-wing populism, and really dangerous domestic internal politics. That is a direct outcome of the failure of democracies over decades to deliver."
Reposted by “A republic, if you can keep it.” Ben Franklin 🏳️🌈
Get it? See, it's funny 'cuz our President is a pathological liar who rarely, if ever, tells the truth.
February 13, 2026 at 7:29 PM
Get it? See, it's funny 'cuz our President is a pathological liar who rarely, if ever, tells the truth.
Reposted by “A republic, if you can keep it.” Ben Franklin 🏳️🌈
On Thanksgiving, the immigrant children held at the Dilley detention center gathered in the gym for what they thought was a holiday feast.
The kids salivated over a spread of turkey, sandwiches, pastries and pies, a family told me.
But the food wasn’t for detainees — it was for the staff.
The kids salivated over a spread of turkey, sandwiches, pastries and pies, a family told me.
But the food wasn’t for detainees — it was for the staff.
February 13, 2026 at 7:41 PM
On Thanksgiving, the immigrant children held at the Dilley detention center gathered in the gym for what they thought was a holiday feast.
The kids salivated over a spread of turkey, sandwiches, pastries and pies, a family told me.
But the food wasn’t for detainees — it was for the staff.
The kids salivated over a spread of turkey, sandwiches, pastries and pies, a family told me.
But the food wasn’t for detainees — it was for the staff.
Reposted by “A republic, if you can keep it.” Ben Franklin 🏳️🌈
Last year we got a tip about a children's pastor who'd managed to stay in ministry for decades even as allegations of sex abuse trailed him across four states.
I kept pulling thread and found something far bigger: a 50-year pattern of abuse and cover-up in the largest Pentecostal denomination 🧵 1/
I kept pulling thread and found something far bigger: a 50-year pattern of abuse and cover-up in the largest Pentecostal denomination 🧵 1/
October 30, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Last year we got a tip about a children's pastor who'd managed to stay in ministry for decades even as allegations of sex abuse trailed him across four states.
I kept pulling thread and found something far bigger: a 50-year pattern of abuse and cover-up in the largest Pentecostal denomination 🧵 1/
I kept pulling thread and found something far bigger: a 50-year pattern of abuse and cover-up in the largest Pentecostal denomination 🧵 1/
Reposted by “A republic, if you can keep it.” Ben Franklin 🏳️🌈
Jeffrey Epstein's December 20, 2016 email to Bill Gates: "come to visit the island. new administration people visiting."
What was the upcoming administration in December2016? Oh!
What was the upcoming administration in December2016? Oh!
February 13, 2026 at 8:37 PM
Jeffrey Epstein's December 20, 2016 email to Bill Gates: "come to visit the island. new administration people visiting."
What was the upcoming administration in December2016? Oh!
What was the upcoming administration in December2016? Oh!