Christine Villaverde
@villaverde4nc.bsky.social
Wife & Mom of 3 Boys; Proud Military Family; Former Police Officer. Pursuing Ph.D. in Public Policy and Chairwoman for Anchoring Democracy. Morals and Ethics Matter. Supporter and defender of the Constitution.
Pinned
Liberty consists not solely in the enjoyment of rights, but in the moral exercise of political citizenship. www.anchoringdemocracy.org
Weird how some presidents managed to grasp 'don't use the military to punish states that didn't vote for you' without needing a constitutional law seminar.
@barackobama.bsky.social: "When I was POTUS, I suppose I could have simply unilaterally ordered the military to go into some red state and harass and intimidate a governor or cut off funding for states that didn't vote for me... but that is contrary to how I think our democracy is supposed to work."
February 14, 2026 at 5:58 PM
Weird how some presidents managed to grasp 'don't use the military to punish states that didn't vote for you' without needing a constitutional law seminar.
Turns out state officials in 2017 weren't being paranoid when DHS promised the "critical infrastructure" designation was just about voluntary cybersecurity help. Now here is Secretary Noem claiming DHS has "some authority" over elections and bragging about making sure "the right people" vote.
Kristi Noem: "When it gets to Election Day, we've been proactive to make sure we have the right people voting, electing the right leaders to lead this country."
February 14, 2026 at 4:34 PM
Turns out state officials in 2017 weren't being paranoid when DHS promised the "critical infrastructure" designation was just about voluntary cybersecurity help. Now here is Secretary Noem claiming DHS has "some authority" over elections and bragging about making sure "the right people" vote.
Reposted by Christine Villaverde
“The right people voting”, that sends shivers down my spine. As a judge of elections, I want all registered voters to be able and free to vote without fear or intimidation. So help me if anyone tries to interfere with that basic right. Please VOTE
February 14, 2026 at 2:59 PM
“The right people voting”, that sends shivers down my spine. As a judge of elections, I want all registered voters to be able and free to vote without fear or intimidation. So help me if anyone tries to interfere with that basic right. Please VOTE
The persuasive kernel here, that institutional accountability mechanisms seem weakened, deserves engagement. But the solution isn't private economic coercion; it's strengthening constitutional constraints, federalism, and congressional reassertion of authority over administrative action.
One of the better ideas I’ve seen. Scott Galloway with his “Resist and Unsubscribe.
Resistandunsubscribe.com
Resistandunsubscribe.com
February 14, 2026 at 3:19 PM
The persuasive kernel here, that institutional accountability mechanisms seem weakened, deserves engagement. But the solution isn't private economic coercion; it's strengthening constitutional constraints, federalism, and congressional reassertion of authority over administrative action.
Trump wants to bypass Congress with an Executive Order. The Constitution literally says Congress writes election rules, but apparently someone skipped learning about Article I when they took office. Trump can't just declare by executive fiat 'I'll do it myself' because he is not getting his way.
February 14, 2026 at 12:00 AM
Trump wants to bypass Congress with an Executive Order. The Constitution literally says Congress writes election rules, but apparently someone skipped learning about Article I when they took office. Trump can't just declare by executive fiat 'I'll do it myself' because he is not getting his way.
The President has no constitutional authority to unilaterally impose election laws without congressional approval, making this threat to bypass Congress a direct violation of separation of powers.
February 13, 2026 at 11:34 PM
The President has no constitutional authority to unilaterally impose election laws without congressional approval, making this threat to bypass Congress a direct violation of separation of powers.
The particularly acute danger right now is that "questioning" gets deliberately conflated with "opposing" or "undermining." But this represents authoritarian logic: in a constitutional republic, vigorous questioning of government action is not just permissible but obligatory.
February 13, 2026 at 9:49 PM
The particularly acute danger right now is that "questioning" gets deliberately conflated with "opposing" or "undermining." But this represents authoritarian logic: in a constitutional republic, vigorous questioning of government action is not just permissible but obligatory.
This Administration has replaced presidential complaints with systematic state retaliation—wielding regulatory power, criminal investigations, and career destruction to force ideological submission in a pattern that is authoritarian statecraft, not political debate.
Donald Trump’s second term is not the free-speech Presidency he promised but a free-speech crackdown without modern precedent. newyorkermag.visitlink.me/khDyXz
Donald Trump’s Disingenuous Promise to Champion Free Speech
It is Donald Trump’s systematic campaign to stamp out dissent and punish those who disagree with him that will be remembered as among the most singularly un-American aspects of his disruptive tenure.
newyorkermag.visitlink.me
February 13, 2026 at 5:56 PM
This Administration has replaced presidential complaints with systematic state retaliation—wielding regulatory power, criminal investigations, and career destruction to force ideological submission in a pattern that is authoritarian statecraft, not political debate.
"There's a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious... you've got to put your bodies upon the gears... and you've got to make it stop"—Savio's call to transform passive resistance into active disruption, making injustice impossible rather than merely morally objectionable.
February 13, 2026 at 5:17 PM
"There's a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious... you've got to put your bodies upon the gears... and you've got to make it stop"—Savio's call to transform passive resistance into active disruption, making injustice impossible rather than merely morally objectionable.
Political dynasties and nepotistic networks create governance by insider class rather than representative democracy. The mockery in this image captures genuine public frustration with officials who treat government as family business rather than public trust.
February 13, 2026 at 1:55 PM
Political dynasties and nepotistic networks create governance by insider class rather than representative democracy. The mockery in this image captures genuine public frustration with officials who treat government as family business rather than public trust.
The nation's top cop showing up to congressional oversight with a "Burn Book" instead of actual answers proves she thinks accountability is a roast battle she's supposed to win rather than a constitutional obligation she's required to meet.
February 13, 2026 at 1:47 PM
The nation's top cop showing up to congressional oversight with a "Burn Book" instead of actual answers proves she thinks accountability is a roast battle she's supposed to win rather than a constitutional obligation she's required to meet.
It is utterly unconscionable that the Attorney General can shrug off pursuing justice for Epstein's victims as though their suffering merits no federal response—this video should only exist as satire, yet here we are. x.com/i/status/202...
x.com
February 13, 2026 at 12:51 AM
It is utterly unconscionable that the Attorney General can shrug off pursuing justice for Epstein's victims as though their suffering merits no federal response—this video should only exist as satire, yet here we are. x.com/i/status/202...
Accusing someone of sedition for correctly stating military law is itself an attack on lawful military practice and constitutional governance. If stating accurate legal principles constitutes sedition, then every JAG officer, military instructor, and oath of office is seditious.
February 12, 2026 at 10:07 PM
Accusing someone of sedition for correctly stating military law is itself an attack on lawful military practice and constitutional governance. If stating accurate legal principles constitutes sedition, then every JAG officer, military instructor, and oath of office is seditious.
This is how the system is supposed to work. Military officers don't owe personal loyalty to political appointees - they owe loyalty to the Constitution. Kelly reminding servicemembers of their legal obligations is the opposite of sedition; it's upholding constitutional governance.
February 12, 2026 at 7:32 PM
This is how the system is supposed to work. Military officers don't owe personal loyalty to political appointees - they owe loyalty to the Constitution. Kelly reminding servicemembers of their legal obligations is the opposite of sedition; it's upholding constitutional governance.
The SAVE Act instills groundless fear about election integrity despite zero evidence of widespread fraud, federalizes what the Constitution explicitly reserves to the States, and teaches millions of Americans that violence is their only recourse against "stolen" elections.
February 12, 2026 at 5:37 PM
The SAVE Act instills groundless fear about election integrity despite zero evidence of widespread fraud, federalizes what the Constitution explicitly reserves to the States, and teaches millions of Americans that violence is their only recourse against "stolen" elections.
When Trump's this terrified of Thomas Massie, you know Massie's doing exactly what the Founders intended a congressman to do.
February 12, 2026 at 5:22 PM
When Trump's this terrified of Thomas Massie, you know Massie's doing exactly what the Founders intended a congressman to do.
When government becomes predator rather than protector, communities that refuse to abandon each other become the last defense of ordered liberty, and that neighborhood solidarity is the constitutional foundation itself.
They thought they could break us, but a love for our neighbors and a resolve to endure can outlast an occupation. These patriots of Minneapolis are showing that it’s not just about resistance — standing with our neighbors is deeply American.
February 12, 2026 at 4:03 PM
When government becomes predator rather than protector, communities that refuse to abandon each other become the last defense of ordered liberty, and that neighborhood solidarity is the constitutional foundation itself.
The affidavit speculates about what "could" be illegal voting irregularities rather than swearing to what is illegal, replacing the Fourth Amendment's demand for actual facts with a lawyer's hypothetical argument about possible crimes.
February 12, 2026 at 4:01 PM
The affidavit speculates about what "could" be illegal voting irregularities rather than swearing to what is illegal, replacing the Fourth Amendment's demand for actual facts with a lawyer's hypothetical argument about possible crimes.
A drawdown is tactical retreat, not reform. ICE's warrantless home invasions require permanent structural constraints including judicial oversight, civil liability, and federalism protections, not temporary reduction in politically inconvenient locations.
Tom Homan:
February 12, 2026 at 2:43 PM
A drawdown is tactical retreat, not reform. ICE's warrantless home invasions require permanent structural constraints including judicial oversight, civil liability, and federalism protections, not temporary reduction in politically inconvenient locations.
Legislators who respond to "Are you violating rights now?" with "But the other guy did it first!" have abandoned their oath to the Constitution in favor of partisan tribalism.
Rep. Jason Smith: "Why should you ban ICE from being at polling places? Illegals are not supposed to vote in America. It does not make sense."
February 12, 2026 at 1:59 PM
Legislators who respond to "Are you violating rights now?" with "But the other guy did it first!" have abandoned their oath to the Constitution in favor of partisan tribalism.
When Congress must stop rather than authorize tariffs, and POTUS threatens to destroy anyone who dares exercise the commerce power the Constitution actually gave them, the separation of powers hasn't drifted—it has collapsed into executive supremacy enforced by political terror.
February 12, 2026 at 1:53 PM
When Congress must stop rather than authorize tariffs, and POTUS threatens to destroy anyone who dares exercise the commerce power the Constitution actually gave them, the separation of powers hasn't drifted—it has collapsed into executive supremacy enforced by political terror.
The position that accurately informing servicemembers of their legal duty to disobey unlawful orders should be criminal is itself a repudiation of the Nuremberg Principles established specifically to ensure "just following orders" could never again excuse atrocities.
DOJ prosecutors tried to indict six lawmakers for reminding service members to obey the Constitution — and a grand jury refused.
@jvl.bsky.social and @eggerdc.bsky.social give their takes on what the failed case reveals about Trump’s Justice Dept. and the GOP’s shifting red lines.
@jvl.bsky.social and @eggerdc.bsky.social give their takes on what the failed case reveals about Trump’s Justice Dept. and the GOP’s shifting red lines.
February 12, 2026 at 2:04 AM
The position that accurately informing servicemembers of their legal duty to disobey unlawful orders should be criminal is itself a repudiation of the Nuremberg Principles established specifically to ensure "just following orders" could never again excuse atrocities.
And he said that with a straight face.
February 12, 2026 at 1:30 AM
And he said that with a straight face.
If true, weaponizing the DOJ to silence critics over legitimate concerns like burying the Epstein files betrays the pro-accountability principles MAGA claimed to champion.
February 12, 2026 at 1:20 AM
If true, weaponizing the DOJ to silence critics over legitimate concerns like burying the Epstein files betrays the pro-accountability principles MAGA claimed to champion.