Pat McDermott
@twinsetpat.bsky.social
knitter, museum goer, jazz lover, gardener, pesto maker
Reposted by Pat McDermott
"The main legacy of Merrick Garlandism isn’t failure to mete out justice for past crimes; its that he created incentives for future ones. If they could transgress as far as they did and get away with it, why not go further?"
I *think* the attempt to speedrun authoritarianism has failed. The new acute danger is greater political violence (Trump calling for hangings, etc). But the concerted danger is down the line, when MAGA realizes the bill for all this corruption will come due. www.offmessage.net/p/maga-disar...
MAGA Disarray And The Accumulated Debt Of Corruption
They'd bring America down rather than face accountability, but accountability is not optional.
www.offmessage.net
November 22, 2025 at 6:41 PM
"The main legacy of Merrick Garlandism isn’t failure to mete out justice for past crimes; its that he created incentives for future ones. If they could transgress as far as they did and get away with it, why not go further?"
Reposted by Pat McDermott
ICYMI: I spoke with CBS Sunday Morning about my book, There Is No Place for Us, alongside the families whose desperate efforts to secure housing the book follows—people working nonstop and still being pushed into homelessness.
When the employed are pushed into homelessness
In America we are taught hard work is the key to success. But despite having full-time jobs, many families are locked out of the rental housing market, due to low wages, soaring rents and poor credit,...
www.cbsnews.com
November 22, 2025 at 5:34 PM
ICYMI: I spoke with CBS Sunday Morning about my book, There Is No Place for Us, alongside the families whose desperate efforts to secure housing the book follows—people working nonstop and still being pushed into homelessness.
Reposted by Pat McDermott
Texas' abortion ban has killed another woman.
Let's be very clear: Republicans are killing women. Democrats need to start calling them murderers loudly and often.
www.propublica.org/article/texa...
Let's be very clear: Republicans are killing women. Democrats need to start calling them murderers loudly and often.
www.propublica.org/article/texa...
“Ticking Time Bomb”: A Pregnant Mother Kept Getting Sicker. She Died After She Couldn’t Get an Abortion in Texas.
Walker is one of several women ProPublica found with underlying health conditions who died when they couldn’t access abortions.
www.propublica.org
November 19, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Texas' abortion ban has killed another woman.
Let's be very clear: Republicans are killing women. Democrats need to start calling them murderers loudly and often.
www.propublica.org/article/texa...
Let's be very clear: Republicans are killing women. Democrats need to start calling them murderers loudly and often.
www.propublica.org/article/texa...
Reposted by Pat McDermott
Mississippi has long failed to count and report all deaths in local jails that serve the state’s 82 counties, despite a federal requirement to do so. These often dangerous facilities operate virtually free of any state oversight.
Why No One Knows How Many People Die in Mississippi’s Jails
Mississippi has long failed to count and report all deaths in local jails that serve the state’s 82 counties, despite a federal requirement to do so.
buff.ly
November 22, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Mississippi has long failed to count and report all deaths in local jails that serve the state’s 82 counties, despite a federal requirement to do so. These often dangerous facilities operate virtually free of any state oversight.
Reposted by Pat McDermott
russia rejecting the peace plan that looks like it was written by russia.
Russia flat out rejects Trump's 28-point peace plan: "Even in a reduced military and territorial form, Ukraine would remain a significant danger, requiring us to keep our forces on the western borders."
November 22, 2025 at 7:45 PM
russia rejecting the peace plan that looks like it was written by russia.
Reposted by Pat McDermott
“If the person is a U. S. citizen or otherwise lawfully in the United States, that individual will be free to go after the brief encounter.” -Brett Kavanaugh bsky.app/profile/grza...
The teenager told officers he was a U.S. citizen, but an officer broke the car’s driver’s side window and detained him. In a video, the boy can be heard telling an officer that he is a citizen, to which the officer replies, “Get out of the car” and “I don’t care.”
www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...
www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...
High school senior, a U.S. citizen, detained by ICE in Oregon
The 17-year-old was held more than five hours Friday in an ICE facility, his brother said.
www.oregonlive.com
November 22, 2025 at 5:23 PM
“If the person is a U. S. citizen or otherwise lawfully in the United States, that individual will be free to go after the brief encounter.” -Brett Kavanaugh bsky.app/profile/grza...
Reposted by Pat McDermott
Just putting this down on paper since I'm seeing so many people expressing so confidently that nobody in the Trump admin will ever see jail time for the crimes they're committing now.
We've done it before. We can do it again.
We've done it before. We can do it again.
November 22, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Just putting this down on paper since I'm seeing so many people expressing so confidently that nobody in the Trump admin will ever see jail time for the crimes they're committing now.
We've done it before. We can do it again.
We've done it before. We can do it again.
Reposted by Pat McDermott
Jail or prison time served by high-ranking Nixon officials as a result of Watergate:
Attorney General: 19 months.
Chief of Staff: 18 months.
White House Counsel #1: 18 months.
White House Counsel #2: 4 months.
Secretary to the President: 8 months.
Special Counsel: 7 months.
Attorney General: 19 months.
Chief of Staff: 18 months.
White House Counsel #1: 18 months.
White House Counsel #2: 4 months.
Secretary to the President: 8 months.
Special Counsel: 7 months.
November 22, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Jail or prison time served by high-ranking Nixon officials as a result of Watergate:
Attorney General: 19 months.
Chief of Staff: 18 months.
White House Counsel #1: 18 months.
White House Counsel #2: 4 months.
Secretary to the President: 8 months.
Special Counsel: 7 months.
Attorney General: 19 months.
Chief of Staff: 18 months.
White House Counsel #1: 18 months.
White House Counsel #2: 4 months.
Secretary to the President: 8 months.
Special Counsel: 7 months.
Reposted by Pat McDermott
Congressional Democrats who served in the military’s video reminding US personnel they have a duty to refuse illegal orders, and lawmakers will get their back if they have to, was very good.
And as @gregsargent.bsky.social notes, it jammed Mike Johnson, who’s been thwarting Congressional oversight.
And as @gregsargent.bsky.social notes, it jammed Mike Johnson, who’s been thwarting Congressional oversight.
The correct answer to MAGA outrage over the Dem video is this: Are you effing kidding me? Of course it's reasonable to warn that Trump might be giving illegal orders.
The evidence is strong that he actually is giving illegal orders! I went through that evidence here:
newrepublic.com/article/2035...
The evidence is strong that he actually is giving illegal orders! I went through that evidence here:
newrepublic.com/article/2035...
Is Trump Giving Illegal Orders? Dems Just Blew That Question Wide Open
From the boat bombings to deportations to prosecutions, the evidence mounts. And the speaker of the House could get to the bottom of it if he wanted to. Yeah, right.
newrepublic.com
November 22, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Congressional Democrats who served in the military’s video reminding US personnel they have a duty to refuse illegal orders, and lawmakers will get their back if they have to, was very good.
And as @gregsargent.bsky.social notes, it jammed Mike Johnson, who’s been thwarting Congressional oversight.
And as @gregsargent.bsky.social notes, it jammed Mike Johnson, who’s been thwarting Congressional oversight.
Reposted by Pat McDermott
The Washington Post editorial board decided the Epstein files have “no public interest” before even seeing them. That’s a stunning position for any newsroom to take. Praising Clay Higgins as the lone ‘no’ vote, too? No wonder no one trusts legacy media. Absolutely disgusting.
November 22, 2025 at 6:42 PM
The Washington Post editorial board decided the Epstein files have “no public interest” before even seeing them. That’s a stunning position for any newsroom to take. Praising Clay Higgins as the lone ‘no’ vote, too? No wonder no one trusts legacy media. Absolutely disgusting.
Reposted by Pat McDermott
This is an incredibly strange thing to publish after a law has been enacted requiring the doors to be released.
The Washington Post editorial board decided the Epstein files have “no public interest” before even seeing them. That’s a stunning position for any newsroom to take. Praising Clay Higgins as the lone ‘no’ vote, too? No wonder no one trusts legacy media. Absolutely disgusting.
November 22, 2025 at 7:28 PM
This is an incredibly strange thing to publish after a law has been enacted requiring the doors to be released.
Reposted by Pat McDermott
President Zelenskyy says Ukraine's team will meet with delegates from the US, UK, France + Germany in Switzerland tomorrow.
They hope to rewrite the DimWit "surrender plan", but first get the deadline extended beyond Thursday.
They hope to rewrite the DimWit "surrender plan", but first get the deadline extended beyond Thursday.
November 22, 2025 at 6:16 PM
President Zelenskyy says Ukraine's team will meet with delegates from the US, UK, France + Germany in Switzerland tomorrow.
They hope to rewrite the DimWit "surrender plan", but first get the deadline extended beyond Thursday.
They hope to rewrite the DimWit "surrender plan", but first get the deadline extended beyond Thursday.
Reposted by Pat McDermott
Anyway Washington loves a simple slogan-y explanation. To which I say: I ROLL MY EYES. I ROLL MY EYES HEAVILY, SIR.
November 22, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Anyway Washington loves a simple slogan-y explanation. To which I say: I ROLL MY EYES. I ROLL MY EYES HEAVILY, SIR.
Reposted by Pat McDermott
I say all this because I see Dems and pundits saying that politics now and in 2026 are all about affordability. And maybe, sure. But if I were a Dem, I wouldn't put all my eggs in that basket. You just flat-out have to have candidates voters like.
November 22, 2025 at 7:31 PM
I say all this because I see Dems and pundits saying that politics now and in 2026 are all about affordability. And maybe, sure. But if I were a Dem, I wouldn't put all my eggs in that basket. You just flat-out have to have candidates voters like.
Reposted by Pat McDermott
3) Yes of course Mamdani and Sherrill and Spanberger talked about prices a lot. Know what else they all have in common? They're good candidates!
November 22, 2025 at 7:30 PM
3) Yes of course Mamdani and Sherrill and Spanberger talked about prices a lot. Know what else they all have in common? They're good candidates!
Reposted by Pat McDermott
2) Voters' perceptions of the economy are VERY partisan. Very! Democrats always view the economy as bad under Republicans and vice versa. Independents do swing some of course. So were these latest elections all about independents? But then, we know a bunch of Trump voters stayed home. 3/
November 22, 2025 at 7:28 PM
2) Voters' perceptions of the economy are VERY partisan. Very! Democrats always view the economy as bad under Republicans and vice versa. Independents do swing some of course. So were these latest elections all about independents? But then, we know a bunch of Trump voters stayed home. 3/
Reposted by Pat McDermott
1) Normal partisan fluctuations. Newly elected presidents tend to get beaten down in midterms. And if that president is on his second term, there's probably some voter fatigue (not to mention if that fatigue is increased by a shutdown and ugly scandal around a sexual predator). 2/
November 22, 2025 at 7:00 PM
1) Normal partisan fluctuations. Newly elected presidents tend to get beaten down in midterms. And if that president is on his second term, there's probably some voter fatigue (not to mention if that fatigue is increased by a shutdown and ugly scandal around a sexual predator). 2/
Reposted by Pat McDermott
I have no doubt that high prices are pissing people off (myself included) and worrying them. However: I am skeptical that *~*~*affordability*~*~* is the magic explanation for either this year's elections OR Trump's declining approval.
And here's why: 1/
And here's why: 1/
November 22, 2025 at 6:58 PM
I have no doubt that high prices are pissing people off (myself included) and worrying them. However: I am skeptical that *~*~*affordability*~*~* is the magic explanation for either this year's elections OR Trump's declining approval.
And here's why: 1/
And here's why: 1/
Reposted by Pat McDermott
Hungary will now block absolutely any aid to Ukraine – Europe must immediately adopt the US plan, – Orban.
November 22, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Hungary will now block absolutely any aid to Ukraine – Europe must immediately adopt the US plan, – Orban.
Reposted by Pat McDermott
Facts. He’s a danger to this nation. There aren’t reforms that can fix what he has done. What’s been undone will take possibly decades to repair. He must go. Thank you @gregggonsalves.bsky.social
RFK Jr., American Psycho
He needs to go. Now.
www.thenation.com
November 22, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Facts. He’s a danger to this nation. There aren’t reforms that can fix what he has done. What’s been undone will take possibly decades to repair. He must go. Thank you @gregggonsalves.bsky.social
Reposted by Pat McDermott
I can't decide if I'm annoyed or grateful that Olivia Nuzzi is causing a lot of male journalists to tell on themselves. A little of both, but definitely seeing some men I will never fully respect again.
November 21, 2025 at 8:38 PM
I can't decide if I'm annoyed or grateful that Olivia Nuzzi is causing a lot of male journalists to tell on themselves. A little of both, but definitely seeing some men I will never fully respect again.
Reposted by Pat McDermott
After reporting by ProPublica and other publications, the administration is dropping an effort that could have led 830,000 people to lose eligibility for Social Security disability payments.
How the Trump Administration Abandoned Plans for a Major Cut in Disability Benefits for Older Workers
After meeting with advocates, the Trump administration confirmed it has scrapped a controversial regulation that would have cut disability benefits for older workers.
www.propublica.org
November 22, 2025 at 7:00 PM
After reporting by ProPublica and other publications, the administration is dropping an effort that could have led 830,000 people to lose eligibility for Social Security disability payments.
Reposted by Pat McDermott
This is achingly beautiful and almost too painful to read in places (but you still should). The cruelty of cancer, the longing to be with your children — and the twist of fate, being RFK Jr’s cousin as he unwinds U.S. health research.
A Battle with My Blood
When I was diagnosed with leukemia, my first thought was that this couldn’t be happening to me, to my family.
www.newyorker.com
November 22, 2025 at 7:24 PM
This is achingly beautiful and almost too painful to read in places (but you still should). The cruelty of cancer, the longing to be with your children — and the twist of fate, being RFK Jr’s cousin as he unwinds U.S. health research.
Reposted by Pat McDermott
“…I watched as Bobby cut nearly a half billion dollars for research into mRNA vaccines, technology that could be used against certain cancers; slashed billions in funding from the NIH, the world’s largest sponsor of medical research; & threatened to oust the panel of medical experts charged…” (21/n)
In this tough and moving essay, Caroline Kennedy's 35-year-old daughter Tatiana Schlossberg reveals that she is terminally ill with leukemia. She has some choice words about how her cousin Bobby has made the limited time she has left worse. www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...
A Battle with My Blood
When I was diagnosed with leukemia, my first thought was that this couldn’t be happening to me, to my family.
www.newyorker.com
November 22, 2025 at 7:24 PM
“…I watched as Bobby cut nearly a half billion dollars for research into mRNA vaccines, technology that could be used against certain cancers; slashed billions in funding from the NIH, the world’s largest sponsor of medical research; & threatened to oust the panel of medical experts charged…” (21/n)
Reposted by Pat McDermott
So, MAGAs on Team Alzheimer’s too.
Awful: Numerous scientists and researchers were just fired at NIH's center for treating Alzheimer's, sources tell me. They fear Trump-Musk cuts could dramatically set back our ability to treat dementias.
New reporting from me here:
newrepublic.com/article/1917...
New reporting from me here:
newrepublic.com/article/1917...
Oops: Trump-Musk Cuts Just Wrecked an NIH Org Championed by GOPers
Republicans once lavished praise on an NIH center that deals with Alzheimer’s. Donald Trump and Elon Musk are hobbling it. What will those Republicans say now?
newrepublic.com
February 20, 2025 at 3:17 PM
So, MAGAs on Team Alzheimer’s too.