Steve Saideman
@smsaideman.bsky.social
#CivMil relations; Director, @CdsnRcds; saideman.blogspot.com; Co-host, Battle Rhythm podcast cdsn-rcds.com/battlerhythm, International Relations professor. Used to study nationalism/ethnic conflict.
When was the last time Trump used an accurate number?
The man is as innumerate as he is illiterate and ignorant.
The man is as innumerate as he is illiterate and ignorant.
"construction jobs are way up" [EXTREMELY LOUD INCORRECT BUZZER]
February 10, 2026 at 9:47 PM
When was the last time Trump used an accurate number?
The man is as innumerate as he is illiterate and ignorant.
The man is as innumerate as he is illiterate and ignorant.
Reposted by Steve Saideman
Nope. No one is going to buy this, kids don't give a shit about the wizard boy anymore and remaining adult fans have moved on because JKR. You can't mine nostalgia from nightmare creatures, well is poisoned.
Hasbro and Warner Bros. Discovery have signed a multi-year deal starting in 2027 to produce Harry Potter film and television series dolls, role play, action figures, collectibles, interactive plush, board games, and more to be revealed later this year - bwnews.pr/45UKdKL
February 10, 2026 at 8:06 PM
Nope. No one is going to buy this, kids don't give a shit about the wizard boy anymore and remaining adult fans have moved on because JKR. You can't mine nostalgia from nightmare creatures, well is poisoned.
Sounds like he fits right into this administration. I am surprised he is not at least a Deputy Secretary.
This is the second time an ICE employee has been arrested in in a Bloomington, MN underage sex trafficking sting www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/ne...
Police in Bloomington, MN just announced that one of the guys they arrested in an underage sex trafficking sting was a **background checker for ICE agents.**
He had a high security clearance in the Trump administration... and he was caught trying to abuse children. Sickening.
He had a high security clearance in the Trump administration... and he was caught trying to abuse children. Sickening.
February 10, 2026 at 9:43 PM
Sounds like he fits right into this administration. I am surprised he is not at least a Deputy Secretary.
Reposted by Steve Saideman
Failing the "don't give a wannabe dictator a secret police" test is so bad because it often leads to "don't let an archipelago of concentration camps dot your empire."
February 10, 2026 at 9:34 PM
Failing the "don't give a wannabe dictator a secret police" test is so bad because it often leads to "don't let an archipelago of concentration camps dot your empire."
Reposted by Steve Saideman
ALERT: A 14-year-old girl described being zip-tied during Idaho raid, sparking fresh questions about ICE tactics
www.cbsnews.com/news/feds-zi...
www.cbsnews.com/news/feds-zi...
A 14-year-old girl described being zip-tied during Idaho raid, sparking fresh questions about ICE tactics
A 14-year-old girl said she was "crying" and "struggling to breathe" when law enforcement officers herded her onto a racetrack with other detainees and zip-tied her hands.
www.cbsnews.com
February 10, 2026 at 9:30 PM
ALERT: A 14-year-old girl described being zip-tied during Idaho raid, sparking fresh questions about ICE tactics
www.cbsnews.com/news/feds-zi...
www.cbsnews.com/news/feds-zi...
Reposted by Steve Saideman
Freedom House Ambulance Service was the first community-based Emergency Medical Service in the US.
It was started by Black men in the Hill District of Pittsburgh (Hill Street Blues was based in part on the Hill District). At the time, EMS was a dash to the hospital in the back of a paddy wagon.
It was started by Black men in the Hill District of Pittsburgh (Hill Street Blues was based in part on the Hill District). At the time, EMS was a dash to the hospital in the back of a paddy wagon.
February 10, 2026 at 7:51 PM
Freedom House Ambulance Service was the first community-based Emergency Medical Service in the US.
It was started by Black men in the Hill District of Pittsburgh (Hill Street Blues was based in part on the Hill District). At the time, EMS was a dash to the hospital in the back of a paddy wagon.
It was started by Black men in the Hill District of Pittsburgh (Hill Street Blues was based in part on the Hill District). At the time, EMS was a dash to the hospital in the back of a paddy wagon.
Reposted by Steve Saideman
New from me at TVO: Okay, I had to write about the bridge thing. www.tvo.org/article/anal...
ANALYSIS: No, Donald Trump can't have the Gordie Howe Bridge | TVO Today
The U.S. doesn’t get to steal critical infrastructure because the president’s poll numbers are in the sewer.
www.tvo.org
February 10, 2026 at 5:57 PM
New from me at TVO: Okay, I had to write about the bridge thing. www.tvo.org/article/anal...
Reposted by Steve Saideman
While Amazon touts the surveillance state enabled by its Ring cameras, remember...
Amazon's U.S. tax bill dropped by 87% in 2025, mostly thanks to Trump's tax cuts.
Meanwhile, its profits jumped by 45% to nearly $90 billion — and it announced 30,000 job cuts.
Is this the world we want to live in?
Amazon's U.S. tax bill dropped by 87% in 2025, mostly thanks to Trump's tax cuts.
Meanwhile, its profits jumped by 45% to nearly $90 billion — and it announced 30,000 job cuts.
Is this the world we want to live in?
February 10, 2026 at 6:31 PM
While Amazon touts the surveillance state enabled by its Ring cameras, remember...
Amazon's U.S. tax bill dropped by 87% in 2025, mostly thanks to Trump's tax cuts.
Meanwhile, its profits jumped by 45% to nearly $90 billion — and it announced 30,000 job cuts.
Is this the world we want to live in?
Amazon's U.S. tax bill dropped by 87% in 2025, mostly thanks to Trump's tax cuts.
Meanwhile, its profits jumped by 45% to nearly $90 billion — and it announced 30,000 job cuts.
Is this the world we want to live in?
Reposted by Steve Saideman
Donald Trump is taxing Americans at levels not seen in decades. His tariffs increased taxes on US households by an average of $1,000 last year and will cost families another $1,300 in 2026. taxfoundation.org/research/all...
February 10, 2026 at 5:15 PM
Donald Trump is taxing Americans at levels not seen in decades. His tariffs increased taxes on US households by an average of $1,000 last year and will cost families another $1,300 in 2026. taxfoundation.org/research/all...
Reposted by Steve Saideman
see that's not particularly difficult messaging
I will not support any funding deal that puts money in the hands of Stephen Miller, Kristi Noem, and this violent agency. Defund and abolish ICE now.
February 10, 2026 at 5:16 PM
see that's not particularly difficult messaging
Reposted by Steve Saideman
I will reiterate: for every bit of damage, violence, or theatrical incompetence that draws public attention, there are a *thousand* things the Trumpists are doing behind the scenes, outside of public attention, that are just as ruinous to our country and our future.
February 10, 2026 at 5:24 PM
I will reiterate: for every bit of damage, violence, or theatrical incompetence that draws public attention, there are a *thousand* things the Trumpists are doing behind the scenes, outside of public attention, that are just as ruinous to our country and our future.
Reposted by Steve Saideman
Alarming new revelations about ICE's use of administrative subpoenas to get information about people the administration wanted to detain and deport because of their protests against government policies. theintercept.com/2026/02/10/g...
Google Handed ICE Student Journalist’s Bank and Credit Card Numbers
Amandla Thomas-Johnson didn't know how much information ICE requested in a subpoena now. Google never gave him a chance to fight it.
theintercept.com
February 10, 2026 at 5:16 PM
Alarming new revelations about ICE's use of administrative subpoenas to get information about people the administration wanted to detain and deport because of their protests against government policies. theintercept.com/2026/02/10/g...
Reposted by Steve Saideman
🔥
Rep. Delia Ramirez to DHS officials: "I have as much respect for you as I do for the last white men who put on masks to terrorize communities of color. I have no respect for the inheritors of the Klanhood and the slave patrol. Those activities were criminal and so are yours."
February 10, 2026 at 5:24 PM
🔥
Reposted by Steve Saideman
ICE is currently holding around 80,000 detainees. Nazi Germany didn't reach this number in its formal camp system until 1942, nine years after seizing power and three years into the war.
February 10, 2026 at 3:42 AM
ICE is currently holding around 80,000 detainees. Nazi Germany didn't reach this number in its formal camp system until 1942, nine years after seizing power and three years into the war.
Reposted by Steve Saideman
"yes, I did take my kids to the pedophile island, which I previously lied about publicly and you should not read into that. I mean come on guys, it's not like I LEFT them there"
VAN HOLLEN: Did you in fact make the visit to Epstein's private island?
LUTNICK: I did have lunch w/ him as I was on a boat going across on a family vacation. My wife was with me as were my 4 children and nannies. We had lunch on the island. That's true. For an hour. We left with all of my children
LUTNICK: I did have lunch w/ him as I was on a boat going across on a family vacation. My wife was with me as were my 4 children and nannies. We had lunch on the island. That's true. For an hour. We left with all of my children
February 10, 2026 at 5:06 PM
"yes, I did take my kids to the pedophile island, which I previously lied about publicly and you should not read into that. I mean come on guys, it's not like I LEFT them there"
Reposted by Steve Saideman
This is true, and even if we get rid of Trump, we still have to reckon with the fact that a substantial proportion of US economic and political elites were *eager* to jump on the fascism train. They will still be the same people when Trump is gone.
The political dynamics of 2025 were shaped by Democrats and Republicans over-reading Trump's victory in the same way. That turns out to be a problem for a LOT of rich and powerful people who made a very large bet on the theory that MAGA had won the culture war. www.offmessage.net/p/trump-has-...
Trump Has Lost The Culture
And his greediest collaborators are awakening to the fact that they made a terrible bet.
www.offmessage.net
February 10, 2026 at 5:27 PM
This is true, and even if we get rid of Trump, we still have to reckon with the fact that a substantial proportion of US economic and political elites were *eager* to jump on the fascism train. They will still be the same people when Trump is gone.
Reposted by Steve Saideman
"no deportation officer has been murdered in the line of duty since the creation of ICE after 9/11."
Excellent fact check from @vermontgmg.bsky.social that ought to be required reading for reporters & pundits alike as MAGA amps up 'it's actually it's ICE agents that are in danger' lies.
Excellent fact check from @vermontgmg.bsky.social that ought to be required reading for reporters & pundits alike as MAGA amps up 'it's actually it's ICE agents that are in danger' lies.
Here's what DHS doesn't want you to know: Working for ICE is one of the safest jobs in America — and last year was the second-safest year for the agency on record.
And the doxxing? It hasn't actually happened even once.
The masks are justified by a lie. www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/ice-s-mask...
And the doxxing? It hasn't actually happened even once.
The masks are justified by a lie. www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/ice-s-mask...
ICE's Masks Are All a Lie
Working for ICE is actually less dangerous than being an elementary school student in America.
www.doomsdayscenario.co
February 10, 2026 at 5:28 PM
"no deportation officer has been murdered in the line of duty since the creation of ICE after 9/11."
Excellent fact check from @vermontgmg.bsky.social that ought to be required reading for reporters & pundits alike as MAGA amps up 'it's actually it's ICE agents that are in danger' lies.
Excellent fact check from @vermontgmg.bsky.social that ought to be required reading for reporters & pundits alike as MAGA amps up 'it's actually it's ICE agents that are in danger' lies.
Reposted by Steve Saideman
Does Greer think *all* of Canada’s GDP relies on exports? Does he know how to calculate GDP?
Historically, 75% of our *exports* have gone to the U.S. but that only ever translated into 17% of GDP.
And Canadian businesses are actively pursuing other markets. www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/36-28...
Historically, 75% of our *exports* have gone to the U.S. but that only ever translated into 17% of GDP.
And Canadian businesses are actively pursuing other markets. www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/36-28...
February 10, 2026 at 2:03 PM
Does Greer think *all* of Canada’s GDP relies on exports? Does he know how to calculate GDP?
Historically, 75% of our *exports* have gone to the U.S. but that only ever translated into 17% of GDP.
And Canadian businesses are actively pursuing other markets. www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/36-28...
Historically, 75% of our *exports* have gone to the U.S. but that only ever translated into 17% of GDP.
And Canadian businesses are actively pursuing other markets. www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/36-28...
when people question whether the US is now an autocracy, this is one of the things I point to: no rule of law without due process.
"If the government may simply seize *someone* without due process, there is no check on its ability to seize *anyone*."
Perhaps the most fundamental check against tyranny. And it is gravely threatened.
Perhaps the most fundamental check against tyranny. And it is gravely threatened.
BONUS RULING: Judge Thomas Johnston, a George W. Bush appoiintee in West Virginia, used a recent ruling to warn of the dangers of defying due process for immigrants because of what it could also mean for Americans. It's worth a read.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
February 10, 2026 at 2:25 PM
when people question whether the US is now an autocracy, this is one of the things I point to: no rule of law without due process.
Reposted by Steve Saideman
"If the government may simply seize *someone* without due process, there is no check on its ability to seize *anyone*."
Perhaps the most fundamental check against tyranny. And it is gravely threatened.
Perhaps the most fundamental check against tyranny. And it is gravely threatened.
BONUS RULING: Judge Thomas Johnston, a George W. Bush appoiintee in West Virginia, used a recent ruling to warn of the dangers of defying due process for immigrants because of what it could also mean for Americans. It's worth a read.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
February 10, 2026 at 1:40 PM
"If the government may simply seize *someone* without due process, there is no check on its ability to seize *anyone*."
Perhaps the most fundamental check against tyranny. And it is gravely threatened.
Perhaps the most fundamental check against tyranny. And it is gravely threatened.
Reposted by Steve Saideman
Articles like this are why I just laugh when my colleagues say that studying media and pop culture isn't "real political science."
Analysis: Weeks before he set foot on the stage, Bad Bunny’s halftime performance had already become a media event.
But if you were looking for political commentary, the closest that you got was when he said “God bless America” in English.
But if you were looking for political commentary, the closest that you got was when he said “God bless America” in English.
Analysis | Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show was expected to provoke. Did it?
The Bad Bunny Super Bowl show nodded to injustices in Puerto Rico but mostly evoked wholesome family values that meshed with the more sentimental commercials.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 10, 2026 at 2:19 PM
Articles like this are why I just laugh when my colleagues say that studying media and pop culture isn't "real political science."
Reposted by Steve Saideman
The president is monetizing the presidency & it is basically just background noise at this point
We have concentration camps & it is basically just background noise at this point
We are threatening the sovereignty of our NATO allies & it is basically just background noise at this point
Etc.
We have concentration camps & it is basically just background noise at this point
We are threatening the sovereignty of our NATO allies & it is basically just background noise at this point
Etc.
We are murdering people and it is basically just background noise at this point. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/u...
U.S. Boat Strike Kills 2 in Pacific, With One Survivor
www.nytimes.com
February 10, 2026 at 2:07 PM
The president is monetizing the presidency & it is basically just background noise at this point
We have concentration camps & it is basically just background noise at this point
We are threatening the sovereignty of our NATO allies & it is basically just background noise at this point
Etc.
We have concentration camps & it is basically just background noise at this point
We are threatening the sovereignty of our NATO allies & it is basically just background noise at this point
Etc.
Reposted by Steve Saideman
This is literally what CURRENT LAW requires. It’s in the Constitution! www.politico.com/news/2026/02...
February 10, 2026 at 3:18 AM
This is literally what CURRENT LAW requires. It’s in the Constitution! www.politico.com/news/2026/02...
Reposted by Steve Saideman
Was not expecting the “China is coming for our Stanley Cup playoffs” twist in this unhinged rant.
Yes, this is a real thing posted by the deranged lunatic today.
It must be so embarrassing to have to try to defend this nutjob
It must be so embarrassing to have to try to defend this nutjob
February 10, 2026 at 2:29 AM
Was not expecting the “China is coming for our Stanley Cup playoffs” twist in this unhinged rant.
Reposted by Steve Saideman
How is it possible that anything about the funding fight does not include at the absolute minimum releasing every child from these concentration camps?
1/ ProPublica collected handwritten letters in mid-January from children held at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center, the same facility where 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos was taken.
Hundreds of kids are still detained.
We’ll let the children’s words speak for themselves. 🧵
Hundreds of kids are still detained.
We’ll let the children’s words speak for themselves. 🧵
February 9, 2026 at 10:04 PM
How is it possible that anything about the funding fight does not include at the absolute minimum releasing every child from these concentration camps?