Thor Benson
@thorbenson.bsky.social
Writer. Featured in Rolling Stone, WIRED, Zeteo and elsewhere. I write about politics, tech and society.
Subscribe to my newsletter: madness.ghost.io
Subscribe to my newsletter: madness.ghost.io
It's nice for Europe to see one of our best people for once
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 6:16 PM
It's nice for Europe to see one of our best people for once
New AP poll finds 69 percent of Americans think the country is moving in the wrong direction
NEW POLL: Trump Approval Crashes To 36 In AP Survey — Getting Clobbered on Deportation Crackdown
President Donald Trump's approval took a hit in the latest Associated Press poll, dropping to 36 percent amid overwhelmingly unpopular deportation operations.
www.mediaite.com
February 13, 2026 at 4:49 PM
New AP poll finds 69 percent of Americans think the country is moving in the wrong direction
Happy black cat day
February 13, 2026 at 3:21 PM
Happy black cat day
Hague
there's fierce competition, but this is one of the most stomach-turning things I've read in some time
Exclusive: White House uses USAID funds for budget director Vought's security, documents show
The White House budget office is using millions of dollars from the former U.S. foreign aid agency to pay for the security detail of Russell Vought, President Donald Trump's budget chief and an archit...
www.reuters.com
February 13, 2026 at 2:30 PM
Hague
Reposted by Thor Benson
There must be a dozen fireable offenses listed in this piece:
*Noem firing civil servants without cause
*Her boyfriend using govt resources to boost her profile, punishing officials who would not give him a gun
*Massive waste on ads, planes, delayed contracts, pushing favored firms
*Noem firing civil servants without cause
*Her boyfriend using govt resources to boost her profile, punishing officials who would not give him a gun
*Massive waste on ads, planes, delayed contracts, pushing favored firms
February 13, 2026 at 5:20 AM
There must be a dozen fireable offenses listed in this piece:
*Noem firing civil servants without cause
*Her boyfriend using govt resources to boost her profile, punishing officials who would not give him a gun
*Massive waste on ads, planes, delayed contracts, pushing favored firms
*Noem firing civil servants without cause
*Her boyfriend using govt resources to boost her profile, punishing officials who would not give him a gun
*Massive waste on ads, planes, delayed contracts, pushing favored firms
Vomiting toddler and college professor poised to deliver clashing visions
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are poised to deliver clashing visions of U.S. global leadership at the Munich Security Conference as European leaders recoil at America’s populist politics.
Ocasio-Cortez, Rubio to offer dueling visions of world order in Munich
The potential 2028 presidential candidates will sound off on a range of burgeoning crises as European leaders recoil at America’s populist politics.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 13, 2026 at 4:37 AM
Vomiting toddler and college professor poised to deliver clashing visions
Reposted by Thor Benson
honestly tired of trying to convince people that trump's immigration policy is not really about violent undocumented immigrants or even just undocumented immigrants, but immigrants in general and even non-white people more broadly.
cool, cool. so we are sort of like citizens, but not really?
February 13, 2026 at 2:38 AM
honestly tired of trying to convince people that trump's immigration policy is not really about violent undocumented immigrants or even just undocumented immigrants, but immigrants in general and even non-white people more broadly.
Congress should bring in Corey Lewandowski for questioning considering he's apparently the shadow secretary/fuckboy of DHS
February 13, 2026 at 3:52 AM
Congress should bring in Corey Lewandowski for questioning considering he's apparently the shadow secretary/fuckboy of DHS
This is an administration of alphas. When someone forgets our blankie, we fire them. That's right. Deal with it
The details of the Kristi Noem blanket incident are just fucking perfect
February 13, 2026 at 3:42 AM
This is an administration of alphas. When someone forgets our blankie, we fire them. That's right. Deal with it
Reposted by Thor Benson
“.. Noem and Lewandowski frequently berate senior level staff, give polygraph tests to employees they don’t trust and have fired employees—in one incident, Lewandowski fired a U.S. Coast Guard pilot after Noem’s blanket was left behind on a plane ..”
@wsj.com
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
@wsj.com
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
February 13, 2026 at 2:09 AM
“.. Noem and Lewandowski frequently berate senior level staff, give polygraph tests to employees they don’t trust and have fired employees—in one incident, Lewandowski fired a U.S. Coast Guard pilot after Noem’s blanket was left behind on a plane ..”
@wsj.com
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
@wsj.com
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
Reposted by Thor Benson
BREAKING: The Trump administraiton has committed a mass violation of ICE detainees' constitutional rights in MN, effectively blocking their acess to attorneys in the Whipple building, a judge ruled tonight.
The judge: Trump appointeee Nancy Brasel
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
The judge: Trump appointeee Nancy Brasel
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
February 13, 2026 at 12:00 AM
BREAKING: The Trump administraiton has committed a mass violation of ICE detainees' constitutional rights in MN, effectively blocking their acess to attorneys in the Whipple building, a judge ruled tonight.
The judge: Trump appointeee Nancy Brasel
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
The judge: Trump appointeee Nancy Brasel
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Reposted by Thor Benson
Reposted by Thor Benson
these people are really laser-focused on ruining the entire planet in every way as comprehensively as possible
February 12, 2026 at 10:49 PM
these people are really laser-focused on ruining the entire planet in every way as comprehensively as possible
Well, sir, it all started when they took a guy off of the Cracker Barrel sign
Trump nominated a legit white nationalist to a top post at the State Department. I asked him some basic questions about his belief in the “erasure of white culture”. Watch this embarrassing, fumbling answer. Like he has never before been asked to explain his views.
February 12, 2026 at 11:01 PM
Well, sir, it all started when they took a guy off of the Cracker Barrel sign
Reposted by Thor Benson
As we dig into this scandal, can we revisit the question about why the president's son-in-law, who has no formal role in this administration, keeps showing up at high-level negotiations with actual world leaders?
Breaking WSJ:
The highly classified whistleblower complaint against Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is related to a conversation intercepted last spring in which two foreign nationals discussed Jared Kushner, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter.
The highly classified whistleblower complaint against Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is related to a conversation intercepted last spring in which two foreign nationals discussed Jared Kushner, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter.
Gabbard Whistleblower Complaint Based on Intercepted Conversation About Jared Kushner
The substance of the conversation, which covered in part issues related to Iran, isn’t known.
www.wsj.com
February 12, 2026 at 10:23 PM
As we dig into this scandal, can we revisit the question about why the president's son-in-law, who has no formal role in this administration, keeps showing up at high-level negotiations with actual world leaders?
I'm not sure if this is the message people are looking for from the secretary of health and human services
RFK Jr: I'm not scared of a germ. I used to snort cocaine off of toilet seats.
February 12, 2026 at 8:40 PM
I'm not sure if this is the message people are looking for from the secretary of health and human services
Thank you
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons: "Sometimes the media is our biggest enemy."
February 12, 2026 at 6:45 PM
Thank you
Reposted by Thor Benson
BREAKING: Judge blocks Hegseth effort to punish Sen. Kelly.
"This Court has all it needs to conclude that Defendants have trampled on Senator Kelly's First Amendment freedoms and threatened the constitutional liberties of millions of military retirees."
Background: www.lawdork.com/p/breaking-k...
"This Court has all it needs to conclude that Defendants have trampled on Senator Kelly's First Amendment freedoms and threatened the constitutional liberties of millions of military retirees."
Background: www.lawdork.com/p/breaking-k...
![UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
MARK KELLY,
Plaintiff,
Civil Case No. 26-81 (RJL)
V.
PETE HEGSETH, et al.,
Defendants.
MEMORANDUM OPINION
February 12, 2026 [Dkt. #2]
United States Senator Mark Kelly, a retired naval officer, has been censured by
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth for voicing certain opinions on military actions and
policy. In addition, he has been subjected to proceedings to possibly reduce his retirement
rank and pay and threatened with criminal prosecution if he continues to speak out on these
issues.
Secretary Hegseth relies on the well-established doctrine that military
servicemembers enjoy less vigorous First Amendment protections given the fundamental
obligation for obedience and discipline in the armed forces. Unfortunately for Secretary
Hegseth, no court has ever extended those principles to retired servicemembers, much less a retired servicemember serving in Congress and exercising oversight responsibility over
the military. This Court will not be the first to do so!](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:36eqtmzysqf7wsslczw4uxcd/bafkreiclbgaenrhgnor6zvmnfql4d3olwzqp7zikm3maum5ylc4m6epys4@jpeg)
February 12, 2026 at 5:41 PM
BREAKING: Judge blocks Hegseth effort to punish Sen. Kelly.
"This Court has all it needs to conclude that Defendants have trampled on Senator Kelly's First Amendment freedoms and threatened the constitutional liberties of millions of military retirees."
Background: www.lawdork.com/p/breaking-k...
"This Court has all it needs to conclude that Defendants have trampled on Senator Kelly's First Amendment freedoms and threatened the constitutional liberties of millions of military retirees."
Background: www.lawdork.com/p/breaking-k...
Reposted by Thor Benson
Yet another way Trump is hurting our standing in the world, in addition to costing us billions in tourism dollars by shutting out visitors, is by crushing the power of the American passport and making it harder for his own citizens to travel. My latest: www.cntraveler.com/story/the-am...
The American Passport Is Losing Its Power
As the Trump Administration makes it more difficult for people to visit the US, other nations are starting to respond in kind.
www.cntraveler.com
February 12, 2026 at 5:36 PM
Yet another way Trump is hurting our standing in the world, in addition to costing us billions in tourism dollars by shutting out visitors, is by crushing the power of the American passport and making it harder for his own citizens to travel. My latest: www.cntraveler.com/story/the-am...
Reposted by Thor Benson
"Federal agents have fired so much tear gas near Mindy King’s apartment in Portland, Ore., that she and her 13-year-old son bought gas masks to wear inside."
For Months, Tear Gas Has Entered Their Homes. Now They’re Suing ICE. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/c...
For Months, Tear Gas Has Entered Their Homes. Now They’re Suing ICE.
www.nytimes.com
February 12, 2026 at 4:19 PM
"Federal agents have fired so much tear gas near Mindy King’s apartment in Portland, Ore., that she and her 13-year-old son bought gas masks to wear inside."
Reposted by Thor Benson
Free speech something something
February 12, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Free speech something something
Waiting to see which city ICE invades next like some kind of fucked up game show
February 12, 2026 at 4:01 PM
Waiting to see which city ICE invades next like some kind of fucked up game show
It's like none of these guys have heard the story about the scorpion and the frog
"In a letter to chief executive Tim Cook, FTC chair Andrew Ferguson cited recent press coverage of a report from conservative media watchdog Media Research Center which claimed that Apple has promoted “leftist outlets” in its news feed."
www.ft.com/content/0c25...
www.ft.com/content/0c25...
Apple faces new tensions with Trump administration
US regulator issues warning to iPhone maker about its News platform following controversy over Super Bowl half-time show
www.ft.com
February 12, 2026 at 3:52 PM
It's like none of these guys have heard the story about the scorpion and the frog
What's next? Encouraging people to vote?
RON JOHNSON: Did you ever encourage people to go out there and exercise their First Amendment rights?
KEITH ELLISON: I freely admit being in favor of the First Amendment
KEITH ELLISON: I freely admit being in favor of the First Amendment
February 12, 2026 at 3:28 PM
What's next? Encouraging people to vote?