@zpleat.bsky.social
Research at Media Matters for America, currently focusing on economic news coverage. All posts are my own views but are backed by the Commissariat. he/him. https://www.mediamatters.org/author/zachary-pleat
Reposted
Just once I'd like to hear a TV news anchor say, "Sir, that's not true, and if you keep insisting it is, we're going to end this interview to protect our viewers from further disinformation. And we won't invite you back."
HASSETT: Gas prices dropped below $2 a gallon in a lot of places
CORDES: Gas prices on average are still at $3 a galloon
HASSETT: For a few states they got below $2
CORDES: Gas prices on average are still at $3 a galloon
HASSETT: For a few states they got below $2
November 30, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Just once I'd like to hear a TV news anchor say, "Sir, that's not true, and if you keep insisting it is, we're going to end this interview to protect our viewers from further disinformation. And we won't invite you back."
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The conservative cultural project right now is to use the coercive power of the state to do affirmative action for bigots.
OU has put the professor here on administrative leave:
November 30, 2025 at 8:50 PM
The conservative cultural project right now is to use the coercive power of the state to do affirmative action for bigots.
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They’re simultaneously arguing that soldiers have to follow all orders from the president, legal or not, but they get to ignore orders from a federal judge if they feel they’re not legal.
KARL: Did you know about the judge's order when you issued your order for the planes to continue?
KRISTI NOEM: This is an activist judge. We comply with all federal orders that are lawful and binding.
KRISTI NOEM: This is an activist judge. We comply with all federal orders that are lawful and binding.
November 30, 2025 at 5:43 PM
They’re simultaneously arguing that soldiers have to follow all orders from the president, legal or not, but they get to ignore orders from a federal judge if they feel they’re not legal.
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Former US military lawyers speak out:
"The Former JAGs Working Group unanimously considers both the giving and the execution of these orders, if true, to constitute war crimes, murder, or both."
Statement on Media Reports of Pentagon “No Quarter” Orders in Caribbean Boat Strikes
1/2
"The Former JAGs Working Group unanimously considers both the giving and the execution of these orders, if true, to constitute war crimes, murder, or both."
Statement on Media Reports of Pentagon “No Quarter” Orders in Caribbean Boat Strikes
1/2
November 29, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Former US military lawyers speak out:
"The Former JAGs Working Group unanimously considers both the giving and the execution of these orders, if true, to constitute war crimes, murder, or both."
Statement on Media Reports of Pentagon “No Quarter” Orders in Caribbean Boat Strikes
1/2
"The Former JAGs Working Group unanimously considers both the giving and the execution of these orders, if true, to constitute war crimes, murder, or both."
Statement on Media Reports of Pentagon “No Quarter” Orders in Caribbean Boat Strikes
1/2
Reposted
“why the fuck are we invading Venezuela” should really be on at least a couple of chyrons
November 29, 2025 at 2:36 PM
“why the fuck are we invading Venezuela” should really be on at least a couple of chyrons
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Donald Trump is explicitly ineligible to be president according to the black letter text of the 14th Amendment and BOTH emoluments clauses.
He is and always has been a fake president who was empowered by an illegitimate Supreme Court. This is the way.
He is and always has been a fake president who was empowered by an illegitimate Supreme Court. This is the way.
Mass pardons are coming. There will be no accountability without treating those as null and void. And that means a future administration taking an official position that Trump is not the legitimate president right now because he is disqualified by the 14th Amendment. The two things are inextricable.
November 28, 2025 at 9:57 PM
Donald Trump is explicitly ineligible to be president according to the black letter text of the 14th Amendment and BOTH emoluments clauses.
He is and always has been a fake president who was empowered by an illegitimate Supreme Court. This is the way.
He is and always has been a fake president who was empowered by an illegitimate Supreme Court. This is the way.
There's a reason Hegseth repeatedly defended war crimes when he worked at Fox: He wanted to do war crimes www.mediamatters.org/pete-hegseth... www.mediamatters.org/pete-hegseth...
November 28, 2025 at 6:15 PM
There's a reason Hegseth repeatedly defended war crimes when he worked at Fox: He wanted to do war crimes www.mediamatters.org/pete-hegseth... www.mediamatters.org/pete-hegseth...
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This is literally Nazi stuff, and Democrats need to fight back.
Trump: “I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries … denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquility, and deport any Foreign National who is a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western Civilization.“
November 28, 2025 at 5:03 AM
This is literally Nazi stuff, and Democrats need to fight back.
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As @gregsargent.bsky.social points out, Trump *has* given illegal orders.
But he’s also so allergic to democratic ideals that the very idea of a military (or any other institution) that serves the people rather than the ruler is totally illegible and incomprehensible to him.
But he’s also so allergic to democratic ideals that the very idea of a military (or any other institution) that serves the people rather than the ruler is totally illegible and incomprehensible to him.
November 26, 2025 at 4:53 PM
As @gregsargent.bsky.social points out, Trump *has* given illegal orders.
But he’s also so allergic to democratic ideals that the very idea of a military (or any other institution) that serves the people rather than the ruler is totally illegible and incomprehensible to him.
But he’s also so allergic to democratic ideals that the very idea of a military (or any other institution) that serves the people rather than the ruler is totally illegible and incomprehensible to him.
Reposted
This is the scandal. Trump isn’t targeting dangerous people. He’s targeting peaceful immigrants. Almost exclusively.
November 26, 2025 at 2:10 PM
This is the scandal. Trump isn’t targeting dangerous people. He’s targeting peaceful immigrants. Almost exclusively.
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What Pam Bondi and Lindsey Halligan did was not incompetence--It was intentional misconduct. They both must be disbarred. My new article: deanobeidallah.substack.com/p/what-pam-b...
What Pam Bondi and Lindsey Halligan did was not incompetence--It was intentional misconduct. They both must be disbarred.
Only way to deter other lawyers.
deanobeidallah.substack.com
November 25, 2025 at 2:18 PM
What Pam Bondi and Lindsey Halligan did was not incompetence--It was intentional misconduct. They both must be disbarred. My new article: deanobeidallah.substack.com/p/what-pam-b...
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🎯🎯🎯🎯
The Gaza protests not only “provoked intense political conflict.” Liberal and Dem leaders are still calling them antisemites for caring about liberal principles like human rights and international law…and they expect these same kids to come defend liberal democracy!
November 25, 2025 at 4:27 AM
🎯🎯🎯🎯
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This is something @ndrew.bsky.social has been saying for years… are we really going to subject our children to targeted harassment and physical inspections by agents of the state just because of a hypothetical scenario that would seem to be more like obvious cheating than sincere inclusiveness.
people get wrongfooted by terfs going “what if a man can just say he’s a woman and win the Olympics” but they will be a lot less sympathetic when that cashes out with “and that’s why the drunkest MAGA grandpas at the track meet are accusing your tomboy daughter of being a secret male”
November 24, 2025 at 11:04 PM
This is something @ndrew.bsky.social has been saying for years… are we really going to subject our children to targeted harassment and physical inspections by agents of the state just because of a hypothetical scenario that would seem to be more like obvious cheating than sincere inclusiveness.
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Really looks like the United States is about to launch a regime change war against Venezuela with:
-No casus belli
-No authorization from Congress
-No allies or international support
-No plan for a post-Maduro Venezuela
-No preparation for any sort of stabilization or containment of the fallout
-No casus belli
-No authorization from Congress
-No allies or international support
-No plan for a post-Maduro Venezuela
-No preparation for any sort of stabilization or containment of the fallout
November 24, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Really looks like the United States is about to launch a regime change war against Venezuela with:
-No casus belli
-No authorization from Congress
-No allies or international support
-No plan for a post-Maduro Venezuela
-No preparation for any sort of stabilization or containment of the fallout
-No casus belli
-No authorization from Congress
-No allies or international support
-No plan for a post-Maduro Venezuela
-No preparation for any sort of stabilization or containment of the fallout
Reposted
We really do have two different kinds of law now: District Court law (aka the law), and Supreme Court "law" (aka the U.S. House of Lords upholding Trump's personalist regime)
I don’t know what the Supreme Court will do, but I am confident that at the District Court level it is still the case that the Pentagon cannot recall a sitting US Senator to active duty in order to court martial him for something he said. Article 1, Section 6, among other constitutional provisions.
November 24, 2025 at 6:04 PM
We really do have two different kinds of law now: District Court law (aka the law), and Supreme Court "law" (aka the U.S. House of Lords upholding Trump's personalist regime)
Reposted
“Within the White House, Trump and his lieutenants aren’t planning on letting up…Trump has told some advisers that he wants RICO prosecutions and conspiracy charges leveled against the six Democrats, a source with direct knowledge of the matter tells Zeteo…
zeteo.com/p/how-we-gre...
zeteo.com/p/how-we-gre...
November 24, 2025 at 6:19 PM
“Within the White House, Trump and his lieutenants aren’t planning on letting up…Trump has told some advisers that he wants RICO prosecutions and conspiracy charges leveled against the six Democrats, a source with direct knowledge of the matter tells Zeteo…
zeteo.com/p/how-we-gre...
zeteo.com/p/how-we-gre...
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Trump massively inflated the threat from Venezuelan “narco-terrorists” smuggling fentanyl into the country. Reporting has shown the Trump administration’s excuses are built on lies.
Right-wing media praise Trump’s made-up excuses for war against Venezuela
President Donald Trump and right-wing media have been quick to cite fentanyl interdiction as the supposed justification for the administration’s likely illegal strikes against vessels in the Caribbean...
www.mediamatters.org
November 24, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Trump massively inflated the threat from Venezuelan “narco-terrorists” smuggling fentanyl into the country. Reporting has shown the Trump administration’s excuses are built on lies.
My latest: Right-wing media praise Trump’s made-up excuses for war against Venezuela www.mediamatters.org/national-sec... Trump massively inflated threat from Venezuelan “narco-terrorists” smuggling fentanyl into the US
Right-wing media praise Trump’s made-up excuses for war against Venezuela
President Donald Trump and right-wing media have been quick to cite fentanyl interdiction as the supposed justification for the administration’s likely illegal strikes against vessels in the Caribbean...
www.mediamatters.org
November 24, 2025 at 6:04 PM
My latest: Right-wing media praise Trump’s made-up excuses for war against Venezuela www.mediamatters.org/national-sec... Trump massively inflated threat from Venezuelan “narco-terrorists” smuggling fentanyl into the US
Gov. Youngkin sold out Virginia
This is spot-on.
The UVA "deal" might be the worst/most dangerous (so far). With the help of UVA's leadership, Trump coerced a leading U.S. university to foreswear all efforts (including 100% lawful measures) to achieve diversity.
A betrayal of our values.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The UVA "deal" might be the worst/most dangerous (so far). With the help of UVA's leadership, Trump coerced a leading U.S. university to foreswear all efforts (including 100% lawful measures) to achieve diversity.
A betrayal of our values.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The University of Virginia and Cornell deals with Trump set a dangerous precedent | Serena Mayeri and Amanda Shanor
The bespoke agreements are full of peril for the universities, allowing the federal government to quietly exert control
www.theguardian.com
November 24, 2025 at 2:35 AM
Gov. Youngkin sold out Virginia
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I don't understand how anyone can watch how blatantly Grok is manipulated to answer the way ownership desires it to and then act like the other LLM chatbots couldn't possibly be similarly but less obviously compromised to produce responses in whatever way corporate interests and priorities dictate.
November 23, 2025 at 7:13 PM
I don't understand how anyone can watch how blatantly Grok is manipulated to answer the way ownership desires it to and then act like the other LLM chatbots couldn't possibly be similarly but less obviously compromised to produce responses in whatever way corporate interests and priorities dictate.
There's gonna be quite a list of all the ways the Trump administration is undercutting health care for this country.
Tl;dr Republicans want to cut the list of "professional degrees" so that many fewer are eligible for the highest level of student loans. Fields cut include nursing, PT, public health. They forced this through a committee but it will have to go through regulatory process. Fight is just beginning.
ED Reaches Consensus On Loan Caps
A very limited number of degree programs would have access to the highest level of loans under a new set of regulations that the Department of Education and its negotiating committee signed off on Thu...
www.insidehighered.com
November 23, 2025 at 3:49 PM
There's gonna be quite a list of all the ways the Trump administration is undercutting health care for this country.
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Ryan Zinke was forced out for shit like this
Seriously tho, this is a well-reported piece that make it hard not to conclude that Patel is using government resources to enjoy the trappings of a mid-level celebrity, like hosting his buddies for a golf retreat in Scotland.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/23/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/23/u...
November 23, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Ryan Zinke was forced out for shit like this
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DOGE did not fail in any way to accomplish its goals.
Its goals were never efficiency or saving money.
Its goals were to destroy as much of government as possible forever, and to steal data for the Space Nazi.
DOGE is fading away like bank robbery gangs fade away after the robberies are done.
Its goals were never efficiency or saving money.
Its goals were to destroy as much of government as possible forever, and to steal data for the Space Nazi.
DOGE is fading away like bank robbery gangs fade away after the robberies are done.
Exclusive: DOGE 'doesn't exist' with eight months left on its charter reut.rs/4abeTdx
Exclusive: DOGE 'doesn't exist' with eight months left on its charter
The Department of Government Efficiency claimed to have slashed tens of billions of dollars in expenditures, but it was impossible for outside financial experts to verify that because the unit did not provide detailed public accounting of its work.
reut.rs
November 23, 2025 at 12:26 PM
DOGE did not fail in any way to accomplish its goals.
Its goals were never efficiency or saving money.
Its goals were to destroy as much of government as possible forever, and to steal data for the Space Nazi.
DOGE is fading away like bank robbery gangs fade away after the robberies are done.
Its goals were never efficiency or saving money.
Its goals were to destroy as much of government as possible forever, and to steal data for the Space Nazi.
DOGE is fading away like bank robbery gangs fade away after the robberies are done.
Reposted
The crimes are happening everywhere, all the time. We’re going to learn about staggering amounts of corruption.
www.npr.org/2025/11/21/n...
www.npr.org/2025/11/21/n...
November 23, 2025 at 2:39 AM
The crimes are happening everywhere, all the time. We’re going to learn about staggering amounts of corruption.
www.npr.org/2025/11/21/n...
www.npr.org/2025/11/21/n...