John Knefel
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johnknefel.bsky.social
John Knefel
@johnknefel.bsky.social
5.3K followers 500 following 630 posts
senior writer at media matters (stuff here is my own opinion etc, likes are bookmarks)
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johnknefel.bsky.social
Comrade Gutfeld forced to acknowledge Marx's core insight that capitalism produces the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie over the proletariat but then veers into vulgar Bonapartism
November 14, 2025 at 4:41 PM
johnknefel.bsky.social
The NYT continues to lie to its readers about the top tiers of the MAGA coalition. Just the closeness of Loomer alone (not to mention dozens of other MAGA media figures) invalidates this entire premise
For much of President Trump’s second term, the political heirs of his “America First” agenda have tried to form an intellectual framework for their movement that embraces nationalism while keeping overt bigotry out of the coalition. With the rise of Nick Fuentes, a 27-year-old white nationalist, and his young, racist and antisemitic “Groyper” movement, some fear the exercise has failed.
November 6, 2025 at 7:44 PM
johnknefel.bsky.social
Good things are possible
Zohran Mamdani wins mayor of nyc
November 5, 2025 at 2:43 AM
johnknefel.bsky.social
choose your fighter
Michael Lange: With each passing second, I am more bullish on Zohran Mamdani exceeding 55%. Manhattan and Brooklyn continue to turn out in droves, with lines reported across base neighborhoods. We’re pacing for a record number of votes. The vibes are screaming landslide. Charles Gasparino: BREAKING: People tracking turnout in the NYC mayoral race say if current trends continue we may get a Giuliani-Dinkins sized turnout of possibly around 2 million people voting. The conventional wisdom is that type of high turnout favors @andrewcuomo because of the onslaught of coverage surrounding @ZohranKMamdani and his insane policies. The key for Cuomo will be keeping @CurtisSliwa below 15 per.
November 4, 2025 at 9:25 PM
johnknefel.bsky.social
I'm sorry, this WaPo profile of Chris Buskirk reports that 3,000 people canvassed a universe of "several million" low-propensity voters and achieved a turnout of 50 percent? Doesn't that seem a bit...unlikely?
But internal Rockbridge data suggests some measure of effectiveness, which insiders attribute to its years-long voter profiling and mobilization efforts. The super PAC identified several million citizens — low-propensity voters in seven swing states — that they believed would vote for Trump if nudged to go to the polls. The group calculated that Trump would win those states if they could motivate 40 percent of those voters to go to the polls. In the end, Rockbridge’s 3,000 canvassers turned out 50 percent, said two people with direct knowledge of internal stats.
November 4, 2025 at 8:38 PM
johnknefel.bsky.social
hall of fame typo from gateway pundit's pentagon press corps guy
President Trump announced over the weekend that a drug carrying submarine loaded with fentanyl was destroyed while en route to the Untied States, killing two of the four “narcoterrorists” on board.
October 24, 2025 at 2:58 PM
johnknefel.bsky.social
When I was arrested covering Occupy Wall Street in 2011, I refused an in-custody, NYPD-administered iris scan. (Charges were later dropped.)

I can't say for sure, but it looks like if I'd "consented" to the scan, ICE would have access to that biometric data
ICE amps up its surveillance powers, targeting immigrants and antifa Iris scanners, facial-recognition apps, phone-hacking software and cellphone location data are among the agency’s recent technological purchases. While ICE has used other iris-matching databases for years, the agency said in a filing that BI2’s mobile system would allow agents to verify identities not only in the office but also during field operations, calling it a “mission critical” requirement. It is BI2 Technologies’ first publicly disclosed contract with a federal agency. According to the company’s website, the software can get an identifying read on a person’s eye from a distance of up to 15 inches, even through eyeglasses. BI2 did not respond to a request for comment. The New York City Police Department was among the first police departments to begin using iris recognition. The department installed BI2 Technologies’ mobile MORIS (Mobile Offender Recognition and Information System) in the fall of 2010. Although New York City’s use of iris scanning in jails was supposed to be voluntary, there have been reports of arrestees being held longer for declining iris photographs. The NYPD also uses iris recognition in identity verification when an individual is arraigned. Much of the information collected is stored in multiple databases. Many of the draft policies make clear that data may be purged from one database but provide no information about whether the data is entirely purged and no longer available through any avenue, including other databases where the information may be cross-referenced. For example, the NYPD concedes that iris scans must be deleted pursuant to statute but freely admit that they remain accessible in another database, seemingly forever, and accessibly by other NYPD personnel.
October 21, 2025 at 4:29 PM
johnknefel.bsky.social
👍
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been a public advocate for Machado and joined other U.S. lawmakers last year, when he was a senator, to support her nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. He, along with Senator Rick Scott of Florida and other Republican members of Congress, signed a letter addressed to the Norwegian Nobel Committee hailing her efforts to promote democracy while under severe pressure from the Maduro government. The push by top aides to President Trump to remove Nicolás Maduro as the leader of Venezuela has intensified in recent days, with administration officials discussing a broad campaign that would escalate military pressure to try to force him out, U.S. officials say. It is being led by Marco Rubio, the secretary of state and national security adviser. Mr. Rubio argues that Mr. Maduro is an illegitimate leader who oversees the export of drugs to the United States, which he says poses an “imminent threat.”
October 10, 2025 at 4:44 PM
johnknefel.bsky.social
Hat tip to Grandin, as always
Phone rings at 5:45 Amy Goodman: Greg, it’s MCM. Me: Money->commodities ->money? Amy: no,María Corina Machado Me: is she dead? Amy: no, they gave her the peace prize. me: Kissinger’s smiling
October 10, 2025 at 1:46 PM
johnknefel.bsky.social
sorry guys, my fault on this one
Nobel Peace Prize Awarded to Venezuelan Opposition Leader María Corina Machado
October 10, 2025 at 1:17 PM
johnknefel.bsky.social
At least two articles in the NYT in last 24 hours (1 news, 1 ed board) deliberately undercount the official death toll in Gaza by 6,000 people. In Pundit Brain terms, that's about two 9/11s.

There's a story out there for a media reporter. I have old threads detailing this practice over months.
Israel’s restrictions on goods entering Gaza have become more severe since the war there, which began in response to the Hamas-led attack of Oct. 7, 2023. More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war, and parts of the enclave have been suffering from famine in recent months, according to a United Nations-backed panel of food experts whose findings Israel has rejected.
October 1, 2025 at 6:51 PM
johnknefel.bsky.social
Still up on Heritage's homepage under "Our Impact" lol
White House withdraws E.J. Antoni's nomination to run the Bureau of Labor Statistics Trump fired the previous BLS chief after claiming, without evidence, that the jobs report was "rigged." Heritage Foundation Chief Economist EJ Antoni Nominated to be Commissioner of Labor Statistics
October 1, 2025 at 1:59 PM
johnknefel.bsky.social
They float Arab countries invading Gaza if Hamas continues to exist as a "political force" and deliberately obscure Israel's expansion of the the genocide into the West Bank. Beyond that, it's filled with the same lazy cliches the paper has deployed for decades. Shameful, evil shit.
The biggest risk in the wake of Mr. Trump’s proposal is that both Israel and Hamas will claim they want peace while failing to take difficult steps to get there. Mr. Netanyahu might slow-walk Israel’s departure from Gaza, and Hamas might attempt to retain a behind-the-scenes role in running Gaza — with each side blaming the other all the while. In that scenario, Arab and U.S. leaders will need to display more courage than they have so far. Arab leaders will need to tell Hamas that it is finished as a political force in Gaza and then back up that declaration with troops. Regardless, many other intractable problems would remain, including how to halt the growing crisis in the West Bank, whether future Palestinian leaders accept Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state and whether Israel’s current leaders will accept Palestinians’ right to statehood.
October 1, 2025 at 1:50 PM
johnknefel.bsky.social
There is no demand for deradicalization in Israel, despite polls that regularly find results like this
Crucially, as experts at the Wilson Center in Washington have argued, this authority should create a program in schools, the media and elsewhere “to remove Hamas’s pervasive radicalizing influence over Gazan society.” Another task would be disarming any Hamas fighters who keep fighting. Qatar, given its longtime relationship with Hamas, can help pressure the group, much as the United States can pressure Israel. There are historical antecedents for an international mission along these lines. Deradicalization programs succeeded in Germany and Japan after World War II, and multinational police forces have operated in Bosnia, Kosovo, Haiti and elsewhere. Of course, these efforts come with dangers. Participating countries would risk having their personnel become targets for Hamas. But there are no risk-free solutions in Gaza. And if the effort works, it could be the most significant progress in decades toward Palestinian statehood, which Arab nations have long supported. Poll: 62% of Israelis say “there are no innocent people in Gaza”
October 1, 2025 at 1:36 PM
johnknefel.bsky.social
It's hard to know where to start with the NYT editorial board's take on Trump's neocolonial Gaza takeover. For one, they begin by deliberately undercounting the official death toll, something the paper (news & opinion) has consistently done over the course of the genocide
It needs to end for the people of Gaza, more than 60,000 of whom — roughly 3 percent of the population — have been killed. Palestinian death toll tops 66,000 as Netanyahu prepares to meet Trump
October 1, 2025 at 1:28 PM
johnknefel.bsky.social
Don't love seeing Tej's language in Trump's latest memorandum www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...
Sec. 2. Investigating Domestic Terrorist Organizations. (a) The National Joint Terrorism Task Force and its local offices (collectively, “JTTFs”) shall coordinate and supervise a comprehensive national strategy to investigate, prosecute, and disrupt entities and individuals engaged in acts of political violence and intimidation designed to suppress lawful political activity or obstruct the rule of law. This strategy shall include the investigatory and prosecutorial measures set forth in this section. (b) The JTTFs shall investigate potential Federal crimes relating to acts of recruiting or radicalizing persons for the purpose of: (i) political violence, terrorism, or conspiracy against rights; or (ii) the violent deprivation of any citizen’s rights. (c) The JTTFs shall also investigate: (i) institutional and individual funders, and officers and employees of organizations, that are responsible for, sponsor, or otherwise aid and abet the principal actors engaging in the criminal conduct described in subsections (a) and (b) of this section; and (ii) non-governmental organizations and American citizens residing abroad or with close ties to foreign governments, agents, citizens, foundations, or influence networks engaged in violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (22 U.S.C. 611 et seq.) or money laundering by funding, creating, or supporting entities that engage in activities that support or encourage domestic terrorism.
September 26, 2025 at 1:52 PM
johnknefel.bsky.social
Bannon guest on Antifa terrorist designation: "Unleash the Joint Terrorism Task Forces that are already there. The framework is already there [...] It was built for Al Qaeda and foreign terrorists -- just turn it inwards on these guys, on Antifa [...] Take down the colleges, the college professors"
September 24, 2025 at 4:23 PM
johnknefel.bsky.social
I've seen like a dozen examples of NYT, WSJ, etc only including the "hey fascist catch" part of the engraved casing without the accompanying arrows that - at least for now - provide readers with much needed context. Just one example here, from WSJ
The White House also plans to highlight what it sees as violent rhetoric from opponents, amplifying a law-and-order focus that has for weeks been a centerpiece of Trump’s political messaging. Investigators are still examining the motives of the alleged shooter, a 22-year-old who was deeply entangled in internet and gaming culture. A bullet casing recovered from the rifle allegedly used by the shooter had an inscription carved into it that read, “Hey fascist! Catch!” The White House has offered few details to support its allegations against left-leaning groups.
September 16, 2025 at 4:32 PM
johnknefel.bsky.social
politico approaching levels of "but his shirt said 'wallet inspector'" heretofore unknown
Free speech update: The lawsuit against the NYT comes with the Trump administration’s long-stated commitment to free speech looking murkier by the hour. Speaking on the Katie Miller Podcast last night, AG Pam Bondi said she would “come after those who engage in hate speech” following the appalling killing of Charlie Kirk. Since when did MAGA talk like this?
September 16, 2025 at 2:58 PM
johnknefel.bsky.social
There's a special font size at the NYT for when a UN commission determines that Israel is committing genocide
Israel Launches Ground Offensive in Gaza City Panic grips Gaza City as Israel’s ground operation gets underway. 1h ago Israel’s ground offensive capped months of strikes, warnings and threats. 1h ago Rubio says that ‘time is running out’ for a Gaza deal. 2h ago Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, a U.N. inquiry says. 4h ago
September 16, 2025 at 1:19 PM
johnknefel.bsky.social
The Federalist write-up the recent NatCon conference says there are "untold numbers of third-worlders with unrecognizable, inferior cultures" in the United States.

Open, unambiguous racism
Various speakers made absolutely clear the damage that has been done to the country through immigration writ large. Americans have long hated illegal immigration, but many have now woken up to the generational damage both legal and illegal immigration it have caused. Corporate pressure on compliant politicians has led to untold numbers of third-worlders with unrecognizable, inferior cultures fundamentally untethering Americans from their homeland.
September 8, 2025 at 5:10 PM
johnknefel.bsky.social
This is an open act of ethnic cleansing and yet gets reported without critique in the NYT. Utterly shameful
At the same time, Israel was pressing ahead with the assault on Gaza City, which officials have described as one of the last Hamas strongholds in Gaza. After operating in some of Gaza City’s outlying neighborhoods in recent weeks, Israel was intensifying airstrikes on targets in the core of the city during the past few days. The military has brought down several high-rise buildings that it says were used by Hamas, without providing evidence. It was a display of force apparently intended to pressure residents to flee and to prepare for a ground invasion.
September 8, 2025 at 3:10 PM
johnknefel.bsky.social
These guys look like the opening act for a Mighty Mighty Bosstones reunion
Andrew Kolvet and William Kelly in ill-fitting suits
September 5, 2025 at 4:45 PM
johnknefel.bsky.social
Important to understand the Venezuela boat strike not just as an act of extrajudicial murder and opening to a larger war - including potentially overthrowing Maduro - but also as part of an imperial process to seize Latin America's natural resources. Fox News' Rachel Campos Duffy makes the case
The next morning, Fox’s Rachel Campos-Duffy entertained an imperialist fantasy about how Trump’s growing military campaign could allow the United States to seize natural resources in Latin America. Campos-Duffy said that Trump sent a message to “our hemisphere” that “there’s a new sheriff in town.” “Make no mistake, the Southern Hemisphere, the Western Hemisphere is resource-rich — all the lithium and all the critical minerals, there’s oil, there’s so much there and we’ve ceded so much of it to China.” Campos-Duffy’s remarks are reminiscent of Trump's 2016 threat to “take the oil” in Iraq, and similar comments he made in 2019 about Syria.
September 5, 2025 at 4:06 PM
johnknefel.bsky.social
I'm not sure if others have noticed this yet, but the White House's legal basis for the Venezuela boat strike is almost identical to Biden's targeted killing rules that the ACLU warned about in 2023
On Thursday morning, Fox News national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin appeared on The Faulkner Focus and said the strike “raises questions about the legality and rules of engagement employed in this military strike.” She then read a lengthy statement from the White House that argued the strike was legally permissible because it was “taken in defense of vital U.S. national security interests and in the collective self-defense of other nations” and said that it was “fully consistent with the laws of armed conflict.” And although former President Joe Biden put limits on the targeted killing program relative to Trump's first term, the ACLU's Brett Max Kaufman said in 2023 that Biden's “rules further entrench unilateral assertions of presidential power.” Kaufman added that the “the policy’s weak civilian harm rules do not even apply to strikes conducted in ‘collective self-defense’ of U.S. partner forces,” language that largely mirrors the statement Trump's White House gave to Fox News on Thursday.
September 5, 2025 at 3:17 PM