Ken Hughes
@fatalpolitics.bsky.social
Author of Chasing Shadows and Fatal Politics. Bylines: @NYTimes @WashingtonPost @ConversationUS
Pinned
A new Henry Kissinger documentary gilds the stinkweed
I've spent 25 years studying presidents' White House tapes. This isn't Kissinger's real
www.salon.com
A new Henry Kissinger documentary gilds the stinkweed.
If you’d rather not know the worst thing Henry Kissinger ever did to America, then “American Experience: Kissinger” is the documentary for you.
www.salon.com/2025/11/01/a...
If you’d rather not know the worst thing Henry Kissinger ever did to America, then “American Experience: Kissinger” is the documentary for you.
www.salon.com/2025/11/01/a...
Reposted by Ken Hughes
BREAKING: Magistrate orders DOJ to turn over grand jury materials to Comey, finding real prospect that "government misconduct" may have tainted the case.
November 17, 2025 at 4:01 PM
BREAKING: Magistrate orders DOJ to turn over grand jury materials to Comey, finding real prospect that "government misconduct" may have tainted the case.
Reposted by Ken Hughes
"he had this wonderful system for doing the garlic. He used a razor and he used to slice it so thin that it would liquefy in the pan with just a little oil. It was a very good system."
November 17, 2025 at 12:43 AM
"he had this wonderful system for doing the garlic. He used a razor and he used to slice it so thin that it would liquefy in the pan with just a little oil. It was a very good system."
Reposted by Ken Hughes
Summers conferred with Epstein frequently about how to extract sexual favors from a Harvard econ grad (AB '04, PhD '09)
The grad is from China
Epstein and Summers referred to her by the codename "Peril"
Racism and sexual exploitation in one efficient package
bit.ly/3LHpin8
The grad is from China
Epstein and Summers referred to her by the codename "Peril"
Racism and sexual exploitation in one efficient package
bit.ly/3LHpin8
As Summers Sought Clandestine Relationship With Woman He Called a Mentee, Epstein Was His ‘Wing Man’ | News | The Harvard Crimson
When former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers was pursuing a romantic relationship with a woman he described as a mentee, he turned to a longtime associate for guidance: convicted sex offender Jef...
bit.ly
November 17, 2025 at 3:05 AM
Summers conferred with Epstein frequently about how to extract sexual favors from a Harvard econ grad (AB '04, PhD '09)
The grad is from China
Epstein and Summers referred to her by the codename "Peril"
Racism and sexual exploitation in one efficient package
bit.ly/3LHpin8
The grad is from China
Epstein and Summers referred to her by the codename "Peril"
Racism and sexual exploitation in one efficient package
bit.ly/3LHpin8
Reposted by Ken Hughes
The use of terror is not a byproduct of Trumpian politics: it is central to how he governs.
(Politico) - An Indiana Senate Republican who President Donald Trump called out in a Truth Social post Sunday for not backing the White House’s plan to draw new congressional maps was later targeted by a swatting, according to local authorities.
@politico.com
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
@politico.com
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
November 17, 2025 at 2:15 AM
The use of terror is not a byproduct of Trumpian politics: it is central to how he governs.
Reposted by Ken Hughes
Rolled. Note that there are Mueller report-type expectations being created that the documents will almost surely not fulfill even if they are utterly damning.
After a headcount shows 50 or more GOP members bolting to vote for release, Trump does an about face. www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
Trump Backs Vote to Release Epstein Files in Sharp Reversal
The vote set for this week had been shaping up as a major test of GOP loyalty to the president.
www.wsj.com
November 17, 2025 at 4:19 AM
Rolled. Note that there are Mueller report-type expectations being created that the documents will almost surely not fulfill even if they are utterly damning.
Reposted by Ken Hughes
Never forget that just a week ago, Ross Douthat and the NYTimes were asking if women ruined the workplace.
November 17, 2025 at 3:33 AM
Never forget that just a week ago, Ross Douthat and the NYTimes were asking if women ruined the workplace.
Two things can be true:
1. It's foolish to try to destroy evidence when multiple copies exist.
2. People try to destroy evidence even when multiple copies exist. See: Watergate cover-up, failure thereof.
1. It's foolish to try to destroy evidence when multiple copies exist.
2. People try to destroy evidence even when multiple copies exist. See: Watergate cover-up, failure thereof.
Guys, come on. We've all seen "My Cousin Vinny." Epstein's lawyers and estate have copies of every single document and piece of evidence the DOJ has. Not to mention the mechanics of altering every inventory and chain of custody document are insane.
Trump doesn’t have to call on House Republican to vote to release the file.
Trump can order Bondi and Patel to release the files. Tomorrow.
The question is, has he already ordered Bondi and Patel to destroy some of the files after they went through them months ago.
Trump can order Bondi and Patel to release the files. Tomorrow.
The question is, has he already ordered Bondi and Patel to destroy some of the files after they went through them months ago.
November 17, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Two things can be true:
1. It's foolish to try to destroy evidence when multiple copies exist.
2. People try to destroy evidence even when multiple copies exist. See: Watergate cover-up, failure thereof.
1. It's foolish to try to destroy evidence when multiple copies exist.
2. People try to destroy evidence even when multiple copies exist. See: Watergate cover-up, failure thereof.
Reposted by Ken Hughes
Did you really think a man who - to pick from a long list - denied a clear election loss and is building a gilded ballroom would feel your pain when it comes to consumer prices?
New from @saletan.bsky.social: www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-tell...
New from @saletan.bsky.social: www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-tell...
Trump Tells Voters: Don’t Believe Your Lying Wallets
From elections to the economy, he keeps denying reality.
www.thebulwark.com
November 17, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Did you really think a man who - to pick from a long list - denied a clear election loss and is building a gilded ballroom would feel your pain when it comes to consumer prices?
New from @saletan.bsky.social: www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-tell...
New from @saletan.bsky.social: www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-tell...
The Unraveling of the Justice Department
Sixty attorneys describe a year of chaos and suspicion.
Read free:
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Sixty attorneys describe a year of chaos and suspicion.
Read free:
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
60 Attorneys on the Year of Chaos Inside Trump’s Justice Department (Gift Article)
Sixty former staffers describe an environment of suspicion and intimidation within the nation’s most powerful law enforcement agency.
www.nytimes.com
November 17, 2025 at 12:09 PM
The Unraveling of the Justice Department
Sixty attorneys describe a year of chaos and suspicion.
Read free:
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Sixty attorneys describe a year of chaos and suspicion.
Read free:
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Good morning, #FirstAmendmentPeople.
#FreeSpeech
#FreePress
#FreeAssembly
#FreedomOfReligion
#PeacefulRedress
bsky.app/profile/theb...
#FreeSpeech
#FreePress
#FreeAssembly
#FreedomOfReligion
#PeacefulRedress
bsky.app/profile/theb...
Rep. Thomas Massie: "The president has been saying this is a hoax…Well, he's just now decided to investigate a hoax...If they have ongoing investigations, those documents can't be released. So this might be a big smoke screen…to prevent the release of the Epstein files."
November 17, 2025 at 12:06 PM
Reposted by Ken Hughes
The state attorneys general argue that James’ indictment, motivated by “personal and political vendettas,” constitutes federal overreach and an attack on the rule of law. Read the brief here: www.brennancenter.org/sites/defaul... (2/3)
www.brennancenter.org
November 14, 2025 at 10:46 PM
The state attorneys general argue that James’ indictment, motivated by “personal and political vendettas,” constitutes federal overreach and an attack on the rule of law. Read the brief here: www.brennancenter.org/sites/defaul... (2/3)
Reposted by Ken Hughes
“A Native American girl was nearly deported from her own country because ICE saw brown skin and assumed ‘illegal.’ This isn’t security — it’s racial profiling and state intimidation. These are Gestapo-style tactics happening in America right now.”
azmirror.com/2025/11/12/a...
azmirror.com/2025/11/12/a...
November 13, 2025 at 10:44 PM
“A Native American girl was nearly deported from her own country because ICE saw brown skin and assumed ‘illegal.’ This isn’t security — it’s racial profiling and state intimidation. These are Gestapo-style tactics happening in America right now.”
azmirror.com/2025/11/12/a...
azmirror.com/2025/11/12/a...
Reposted by Ken Hughes
Senator Menendez is sitting in his cell at Allenwood right now because he took a 1kg gold bar from the Egyptians, among other forms of “lobbying.”
"It was tough to beat Apple, but the Swiss did it." said one administration official.
How the Swiss convinced Trump to drop tariffs with gifts of a Rolex desk clock and a 1 kg gold bar.
www.axios.com/2025/11/14/t...
How the Swiss convinced Trump to drop tariffs with gifts of a Rolex desk clock and a 1 kg gold bar.
www.axios.com/2025/11/14/t...
How to lobby Trump with Swiss precision: gifts, gold and gab
How the Swiss broke a diplomatic logjam on tariffs by arriving with tributes fit for a king.
www.axios.com
November 15, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Senator Menendez is sitting in his cell at Allenwood right now because he took a 1kg gold bar from the Egyptians, among other forms of “lobbying.”
Reposted by Ken Hughes
The most consistent theme of the Trump presidency is using the power of the state to reward allies and harm enemies.
-Pardons for allies
-DOJ drops charges against allies, brings charges against enemies
-Merger requests accepted for allies, denied for enemies
-Grants awarded for allies, denied and
-Pardons for allies
-DOJ drops charges against allies, brings charges against enemies
-Merger requests accepted for allies, denied for enemies
-Grants awarded for allies, denied and
November 15, 2025 at 6:28 PM
The most consistent theme of the Trump presidency is using the power of the state to reward allies and harm enemies.
-Pardons for allies
-DOJ drops charges against allies, brings charges against enemies
-Merger requests accepted for allies, denied for enemies
-Grants awarded for allies, denied and
-Pardons for allies
-DOJ drops charges against allies, brings charges against enemies
-Merger requests accepted for allies, denied for enemies
-Grants awarded for allies, denied and
Reposted by Ken Hughes
NEW: In his first interview since his arrest for protesting outside the Chicago-area ICE facility, @revdrmichaelwoolf.bsky.social tells me he has "bruises all over my body."
Even so, he said, “the cruelty that goes on that facility … must be 100 times worse." religionnews.com/2025/11/15/a...
Even so, he said, “the cruelty that goes on that facility … must be 100 times worse." religionnews.com/2025/11/15/a...
November 15, 2025 at 7:52 PM
NEW: In his first interview since his arrest for protesting outside the Chicago-area ICE facility, @revdrmichaelwoolf.bsky.social tells me he has "bruises all over my body."
Even so, he said, “the cruelty that goes on that facility … must be 100 times worse." religionnews.com/2025/11/15/a...
Even so, he said, “the cruelty that goes on that facility … must be 100 times worse." religionnews.com/2025/11/15/a...
Reposted by Ken Hughes
"Legal experts point out that this effectively hands Trump the authority to unilaterally execute civilians who are not waging war against the United States in any recognizable sense."
Read that again, I had to.
Read that again, I had to.
Trump's illegal murders in the Caribbean just got worse. An internal DOJ memo on the bombings says the victims are waging war on the US, but per NYT, it extensively cites the WH's *own claims* to this effect as evidence!
It gets even darker than that. 1/
(new piece)
newrepublic.com/article/2032...
It gets even darker than that. 1/
(new piece)
newrepublic.com/article/2032...
Trump Boat Bombings Take Dark, Unnerving Turn with Leaked Memo Stunner
A new Trump administration memo argues that those carrying out the boat attacks can’t be prosecuted. Why? Because the administration says so!
newrepublic.com
November 15, 2025 at 5:13 PM
"Legal experts point out that this effectively hands Trump the authority to unilaterally execute civilians who are not waging war against the United States in any recognizable sense."
Read that again, I had to.
Read that again, I had to.
Reposted by Ken Hughes
New: A site licensing Trump's name is selling merch with the presidential seal — including a $20 beer-pong set with “Presidential themed balls.”
Federal law says you can’t manufacture or sell likenesses of the seal without authorization.
me, for @forbes.com
1/
Federal law says you can’t manufacture or sell likenesses of the seal without authorization.
me, for @forbes.com
1/
Trump-Licensed Presidential Seal Beer Pong Set Could Violate Federal Law
A site affiliated with Lee Greenwood sells merchandise with the seal—such as a $20 beer pong set with “Presidential themed balls”—and pays licensing fees to a Trump LLC.
www.forbes.com
November 15, 2025 at 3:05 PM
New: A site licensing Trump's name is selling merch with the presidential seal — including a $20 beer-pong set with “Presidential themed balls.”
Federal law says you can’t manufacture or sell likenesses of the seal without authorization.
me, for @forbes.com
1/
Federal law says you can’t manufacture or sell likenesses of the seal without authorization.
me, for @forbes.com
1/
Reposted by Ken Hughes
"The nation’s largest public funder of the humanities appears to be transforming into a vehicle narrowly tailored to the president’s agenda." Jenny Schuessler at the NYT with a deep dive into what's been happening at #NEH. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/15/a... [gift link]
Fired Scholars and Big Grants to Favored Projects: Inside Trump’s N.E.H.
www.nytimes.com
November 15, 2025 at 4:41 PM
"The nation’s largest public funder of the humanities appears to be transforming into a vehicle narrowly tailored to the president’s agenda." Jenny Schuessler at the NYT with a deep dive into what's been happening at #NEH. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/15/a... [gift link]
Reposted by Ken Hughes
File under: talk, cheap en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheap_t...
(Remember all the liberals who were going to move to Canada in late 2016?)
(Remember all the liberals who were going to move to Canada in late 2016?)
No one leaving New York City because of Mamdani, say two top real estate CEOs
No one leaving New York City because of Mamdani, say two top real estate CEOs
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's democratic socialist views spark fears companies and capital will flee, but top real estate CEOs say it's not true.
cnb.cx
November 16, 2025 at 2:07 AM
File under: talk, cheap en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheap_t...
(Remember all the liberals who were going to move to Canada in late 2016?)
(Remember all the liberals who were going to move to Canada in late 2016?)
Reposted by Ken Hughes
Open bribery by a foreign leader. The exact scenario that the Founders feared.
"no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State"
"no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State"
November 16, 2025 at 2:20 AM
Open bribery by a foreign leader. The exact scenario that the Founders feared.
"no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State"
"no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State"
Reposted by Ken Hughes
"That about-face, as much as any action Ms. Bondi has taken this year, demonstrated the near-complete breakdown of the Justice Department’s traditional independence to prosecute cases based on facts and the law, as opposed to presidential fiat."
The rule of law is breaking down in front of us.
The rule of law is breaking down in front of us.
Four months ago, Bondi's DOJ declared that Epstein files warranted no further investigation. But it took Bondi four hours to open an investigation anyway once Trump demanded--and only into Democrats @ericalgj.bsky.social @glennthrush.bsky.social @alanfeuer.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2025/11/14/u...
Justice Department to Investigate Epstein Ties, but Not to Trump
www.nytimes.com
November 16, 2025 at 2:26 AM
"That about-face, as much as any action Ms. Bondi has taken this year, demonstrated the near-complete breakdown of the Justice Department’s traditional independence to prosecute cases based on facts and the law, as opposed to presidential fiat."
The rule of law is breaking down in front of us.
The rule of law is breaking down in front of us.
Reposted by Ken Hughes
What a mystery!
November 16, 2025 at 2:36 AM
What a mystery!
Reposted by Ken Hughes
“But I never thought the enemy would be ME!” cried the leopard after running for office as a member of the Friend-Enemy Distinction Party
This is a Texas Republican who was part of the January 6th mob
November 15, 2025 at 10:26 PM
“But I never thought the enemy would be ME!” cried the leopard after running for office as a member of the Friend-Enemy Distinction Party
Reposted by Ken Hughes
This is an important new line being crossed. Trump isn't just pardoning the act of attempting to overthrow the government on January 6: he's pardoning *those people* for committing crimes generally. He may be creating a group of (federally) legally untouchable people.
Trump re-pardons a Jan. 6 defendant to erase unrelated gun conviction
Trump re-pardons a Jan. 6 defendant to erase unrelated gun conviction
The new pardon ends a legal clash over the limits of Trump’s sweeping Day One clemency for those who stormed the Capitol.
dlvr.it
November 16, 2025 at 12:49 AM
This is an important new line being crossed. Trump isn't just pardoning the act of attempting to overthrow the government on January 6: he's pardoning *those people* for committing crimes generally. He may be creating a group of (federally) legally untouchable people.
Reposted by Ken Hughes
Thinking of how hard they went after Hunter Biden for something something using his family name to set up some meetings.
Open bribery by a foreign leader. The exact scenario that the Founders feared.
"no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State"
"no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State"
November 16, 2025 at 2:40 AM
Thinking of how hard they went after Hunter Biden for something something using his family name to set up some meetings.