Andrew Selbst
@aselbst.bsky.social
UCLA Law Prof. Focused on law, tech, and justice. Posting is mostly rage at fascists, their journalist enablers, and feckless Dems who need to retire. Sometimes I even post about things people call me an expert in. He/him. http://ssrn.com/author=1328346
I remain convinced that the thing that broke Congress was banning pork in the Obama era. Without a supermajority, you need something not aligned w party positions to get people to break ranks and giving Congresspeople goodies for their jurisdiction was it.
I guess we never really tried bribes tho
I guess we never really tried bribes tho
This hidden provision is so crooked and selfish, it doesn't even apply to US Representatives. Just US Senators.
Look at this new outrage. To open govt, we're retroactively letting 8 Senators sue for $500K each over having had their J6 phone toll records looked at. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/u...
November 11, 2025 at 1:16 AM
I remain convinced that the thing that broke Congress was banning pork in the Obama era. Without a supermajority, you need something not aligned w party positions to get people to break ranks and giving Congresspeople goodies for their jurisdiction was it.
I guess we never really tried bribes tho
I guess we never really tried bribes tho
Yeah, this makes sense to me too. It’s still infuriating.
I scribbled down all my shutdown-related intrusive thoughts and put them in a blog post.
open.substack.com/pub/davekarp...
open.substack.com/pub/davekarp...
The Shutdown Surrender
I just... I mean... Whatever.
open.substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Yeah, this makes sense to me too. It’s still infuriating.
Schumer and all the others need to be primaried into oblivion, sent to a retirement home, and never heard from again
Great job, @schumer.senate.gov. You've changed the story from "GOP hurting millions of Americans to please unpopular, failing, delusional despot who's destroying his party" to "Dems are too weak and divided in the face of Trump's strength to take a stand and protect Americans"
November 10, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Schumer and all the others need to be primaried into oblivion, sent to a retirement home, and never heard from again
The Democrats are just the absolute *worst* at politics. No question that the Republicans were being blamed for the shutdown. It sucked a lot but at least the politics were working. Now, by caving for nothing, they invalidate all that and leave people asking what the point was? It’s now their fault.
I received this email about Democrats caving to end the shutdown from one of the SNAP recipients I spoke to:
November 10, 2025 at 3:24 PM
The Democrats are just the absolute *worst* at politics. No question that the Republicans were being blamed for the shutdown. It sucked a lot but at least the politics were working. Now, by caving for nothing, they invalidate all that and leave people asking what the point was? It’s now their fault.
Reposted by Andrew Selbst
The thing to make it about was the lawless authoritarianism. Just like last week’s elections were.
They were never going to get ACA subsidies, which is part of why it was a mistake to insist this was only about ACA subsidies and nothing else.
Sincere question: does anybody have any evidence that the GOP/WH would have eventually folded and extended the ACA subsidies if the shutdown continued?
I haven’t seen any. The President didn’t seem to feeling any pressure. No GOP Senator AFAIK expressed any concern. (Some Reps did)
I haven’t seen any. The President didn’t seem to feeling any pressure. No GOP Senator AFAIK expressed any concern. (Some Reps did)
November 10, 2025 at 6:12 AM
The thing to make it about was the lawless authoritarianism. Just like last week’s elections were.
Reposted by Andrew Selbst
How about we shut down the government for this very popular and specific goal and then, hear me out, we hold out for like a month and a half and then, ok this part is important, after a watershed election where we ran the table, ONLY THEN, fold and don't get the one thing we said we wanted.
November 10, 2025 at 2:31 AM
How about we shut down the government for this very popular and specific goal and then, hear me out, we hold out for like a month and a half and then, ok this part is important, after a watershed election where we ran the table, ONLY THEN, fold and don't get the one thing we said we wanted.
Trump pardoning the fake ejectors criminals the same day that Senate Dems cave on the shutdown for nothing but a promise to hold a vote on health care says all you really need to understand 2025 politics.
November 10, 2025 at 6:21 AM
Trump pardoning the fake ejectors criminals the same day that Senate Dems cave on the shutdown for nothing but a promise to hold a vote on health care says all you really need to understand 2025 politics.
Reposted by Andrew Selbst
Maybe pundits should spend more time in densely packed, left leaning urban areas where the "real Americans" live
November 5, 2025 at 2:51 AM
Maybe pundits should spend more time in densely packed, left leaning urban areas where the "real Americans" live
The really gratifying thing for me about NY is that more than any other politician active right now, Adams is *corrupt* in the same way Trump is corrupt, in the very traditional sense of the word.
It’s just nice to see NY telling that kind of corruption to fuck all the way off. Hope it’s a trend.
It’s just nice to see NY telling that kind of corruption to fuck all the way off. Hope it’s a trend.
November 5, 2025 at 4:42 AM
The really gratifying thing for me about NY is that more than any other politician active right now, Adams is *corrupt* in the same way Trump is corrupt, in the very traditional sense of the word.
It’s just nice to see NY telling that kind of corruption to fuck all the way off. Hope it’s a trend.
It’s just nice to see NY telling that kind of corruption to fuck all the way off. Hope it’s a trend.
I hope all the people who are leaving NY manage to book before the flights to Florida sell out from the mass exodus.
November 5, 2025 at 3:59 AM
I hope all the people who are leaving NY manage to book before the flights to Florida sell out from the mass exodus.
Reposted by Andrew Selbst
oh, and don’t EVER say we shouldn’t demand more of elected democrats. a whole lot of them need to be replaced because they’re still too scared to do the right thing. don’t fucking settle. expect more.
November 5, 2025 at 2:48 AM
oh, and don’t EVER say we shouldn’t demand more of elected democrats. a whole lot of them need to be replaced because they’re still too scared to do the right thing. don’t fucking settle. expect more.
Reposted by Andrew Selbst
Looking forward to learning all about how the right should move left to win elections tomorrow. They should maybe dye their hair pink, learn to love pronouns.
November 5, 2025 at 1:48 AM
Looking forward to learning all about how the right should move left to win elections tomorrow. They should maybe dye their hair pink, learn to love pronouns.
Reposted by Andrew Selbst
I expect to see Schumer's resignation letter on my desk in the morning.
November 5, 2025 at 2:43 AM
I expect to see Schumer's resignation letter on my desk in the morning.
Every one of these people needs to be in prison.
NEW: Footage of a US citizen in Chicago being rammed then dragged from her car on her way to work.
Abducted, with no warrant, her family couldn’t find her for hours.
She was later released with NO CHARGE.
A DHS statement said she “violently resisted arrest, injuring two officers”.
You decide…
Abducted, with no warrant, her family couldn’t find her for hours.
She was later released with NO CHARGE.
A DHS statement said she “violently resisted arrest, injuring two officers”.
You decide…
November 4, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Every one of these people needs to be in prison.
Reposted by Andrew Selbst
The important thing is not this.
It’s that nobody in the senate has said this is unacceptable and called for him to step down from leading them.
It’s that nobody in the senate has said this is unacceptable and called for him to step down from leading them.
Q: It's election day in NYC. Did you vote for Mamdani or Cuomo?
Schumer: "Look, I voted, and I look forward to working with the next mayor to help NYC."
Schumer: "Look, I voted, and I look forward to working with the next mayor to help NYC."
November 4, 2025 at 9:55 PM
The important thing is not this.
It’s that nobody in the senate has said this is unacceptable and called for him to step down from leading them.
It’s that nobody in the senate has said this is unacceptable and called for him to step down from leading them.
Reposted by Andrew Selbst
Elected Democrats spending more time today praising Dick Cheney than Zohran Mamdani is a great case study in abject fucking moral failure.
November 4, 2025 at 10:52 PM
Elected Democrats spending more time today praising Dick Cheney than Zohran Mamdani is a great case study in abject fucking moral failure.
Probably my favorite Bluesky thread so far. The slaty tears of rich and right wing assholes taste so sweet.
November 4, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Probably my favorite Bluesky thread so far. The slaty tears of rich and right wing assholes taste so sweet.
Reposted by Andrew Selbst
This is an escalation in the Trump administration's treatment of lower court orders - to date, they've primarily insisted they've been complying with the lower court orders when, in fact, they're not actually complying - and covering that up by advancing BS/specious legal arguments.
November 4, 2025 at 7:16 PM
This is an escalation in the Trump administration's treatment of lower court orders - to date, they've primarily insisted they've been complying with the lower court orders when, in fact, they're not actually complying - and covering that up by advancing BS/specious legal arguments.
Even aside from the obvious absurdity of the statement that Heritage has zero tolerance for nazis, the fact that this asshole claims to be an authority on antisemitism and *still posts on Twitter* tells you all you need to know.
Jonathan Greenblatt doing clean-up for Kevin Roberts at the Heritage Foundation is the same as Kevin Roberts doing clean-up for Tucker Carlson is the same as Tucker Carlson doing clean-up for Nick Fuentes
November 4, 2025 at 5:46 AM
Even aside from the obvious absurdity of the statement that Heritage has zero tolerance for nazis, the fact that this asshole claims to be an authority on antisemitism and *still posts on Twitter* tells you all you need to know.
Reposted by Andrew Selbst
Cool how even senior GOP politicians now openly admit that the Republicans have a “Hitler sucks” wing and also another one that is not that
November 4, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Cool how even senior GOP politicians now openly admit that the Republicans have a “Hitler sucks” wing and also another one that is not that
Reposted by Andrew Selbst
The left can be antisemitic, and that's not new. But basic commitment to equality and solidarity is a powerful check against this. The right, on the other hand, has no such check. That's why right wing antisemitism always poses a much bigger danger, regardless if they like Israel or not.
We're in uncharted territory. The Jewish Right's strategy of allying with Christian nationalism has completely backfired, as the Jewish Left said it would. They're marginalized & flailing. MAGA populism & national-conservatism is barrelling towards hard-edged, conspiratorial anti-Zionism
October 30, 2025 at 8:48 PM
The left can be antisemitic, and that's not new. But basic commitment to equality and solidarity is a powerful check against this. The right, on the other hand, has no such check. That's why right wing antisemitism always poses a much bigger danger, regardless if they like Israel or not.
Reposted by Andrew Selbst
New preprint alert! 🚨
“Let Them Eat Large Language Models: Artificial Intelligence and Austerity in the Neoliberal University”
“Let Them Eat Large Language Models: Artificial Intelligence and Austerity in the Neoliberal University”
October 25, 2025 at 5:05 PM
New preprint alert! 🚨
“Let Them Eat Large Language Models: Artificial Intelligence and Austerity in the Neoliberal University”
“Let Them Eat Large Language Models: Artificial Intelligence and Austerity in the Neoliberal University”
It’s just so insane that no rational person would ever participate.
But no, he’s gonna make infinite money off this, by grifting from his cult followers, and throwing the economy into complete disarray as a byproduct.
But no, he’s gonna make infinite money off this, by grifting from his cult followers, and throwing the economy into complete disarray as a byproduct.
A sitting president opening a betting market on his own website taking bets on things he influences.
Wild times.
Wild times.
"Truth Social users will be able to trade prediction contracts related to major events and milestones, such as political elections, interest and inflation rate changes, commodity prices on gold and crude oil, events across all major sports leagues"
What the bloody hell?
crypto.com/us/company-n...
What the bloody hell?
crypto.com/us/company-n...
October 29, 2025 at 4:42 AM
It’s just so insane that no rational person would ever participate.
But no, he’s gonna make infinite money off this, by grifting from his cult followers, and throwing the economy into complete disarray as a byproduct.
But no, he’s gonna make infinite money off this, by grifting from his cult followers, and throwing the economy into complete disarray as a byproduct.
Reposted by Andrew Selbst
My God they've just created a machine that incentivizes every Trump staffer to break the economy (and much else) on purpose so they can insider trade on Truth Social.
Literally every insider trading son of a bitch in this regime is gonna be deliberately *increasing* volatility as much as possible.
Literally every insider trading son of a bitch in this regime is gonna be deliberately *increasing* volatility as much as possible.
"Truth Social users will be able to trade prediction contracts related to major events and milestones, such as political elections, interest and inflation rate changes, commodity prices on gold and crude oil, events across all major sports leagues"
What the bloody hell?
crypto.com/us/company-n...
What the bloody hell?
crypto.com/us/company-n...
Truth Social to Become World’s First Social Media Platform Offering Prediction Markets via Exclusive Partnership with Crypto.com
Trump Media Expansion Now Includes Strategic Push into Prediction Markets
crypto.com
October 29, 2025 at 3:51 AM
My God they've just created a machine that incentivizes every Trump staffer to break the economy (and much else) on purpose so they can insider trade on Truth Social.
Literally every insider trading son of a bitch in this regime is gonna be deliberately *increasing* volatility as much as possible.
Literally every insider trading son of a bitch in this regime is gonna be deliberately *increasing* volatility as much as possible.
Reposted by Andrew Selbst
They don't have an answer, because they don't ask the question.
It is 2025. If you are a Democratic Party operative in 2025 and you aren't even looking into media ownership and propaganda effects, then you are either a conman or a mark.
It is 2025. If you are a Democratic Party operative in 2025 and you aren't even looking into media ownership and propaganda effects, then you are either a conman or a mark.
October 28, 2025 at 4:42 PM
They don't have an answer, because they don't ask the question.
It is 2025. If you are a Democratic Party operative in 2025 and you aren't even looking into media ownership and propaganda effects, then you are either a conman or a mark.
It is 2025. If you are a Democratic Party operative in 2025 and you aren't even looking into media ownership and propaganda effects, then you are either a conman or a mark.