Stephen Semler
@stephensemler.bsky.social
Policy analyst/advisor. Newsletter: stephensemler.com
Can’t tell you how refreshing Mamdani’s politics are — an antidote to the condescension/political poison of telling people their economic concerns are just in their heads.
November 9, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Can’t tell you how refreshing Mamdani’s politics are — an antidote to the condescension/political poison of telling people their economic concerns are just in their heads.
This thread is expertly done.
November 9, 2025 at 3:28 PM
This thread is expertly done.
Reposted by Stephen Semler
If the political opposition doesn’t put these ICE & CBP institutional criminals in prison, annihilate their budgets, purge the datasets and repeal their authorities, this will keep happening. And that opposition will reveal itself as a false, controlled opposition that is no less predatory on people
November 9, 2025 at 2:40 PM
If the political opposition doesn’t put these ICE & CBP institutional criminals in prison, annihilate their budgets, purge the datasets and repeal their authorities, this will keep happening. And that opposition will reveal itself as a false, controlled opposition that is no less predatory on people
Reposted by Stephen Semler
and if I'm too left to be reliable on this, maybe you'll believe those wild radicals at... military dot com.
Border Patrol Hiring Spree Offers Lessons as Another Immigration Agency Embarks on Massive Growth
Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to hire 10,000 employees over five years, echoing a Border Patrol expansion in the 2000s.
www.military.com
November 8, 2025 at 11:11 PM
and if I'm too left to be reliable on this, maybe you'll believe those wild radicals at... military dot com.
Reposted by Stephen Semler
one underrated knock on of all this money flowing is how much addition harm underscreened agents will almost invariably do, even if not under direct fash orders. There's no shortage of evidence from e.g. Miami in the 90s or CBP in the 2000s that hiring surges lead to more corruption and misconduct.
November 8, 2025 at 11:05 PM
one underrated knock on of all this money flowing is how much addition harm underscreened agents will almost invariably do, even if not under direct fash orders. There's no shortage of evidence from e.g. Miami in the 90s or CBP in the 2000s that hiring surges lead to more corruption and misconduct.
Reposted by Stephen Semler
It's a nice gesture to help be his cleanup crew, but that's not what Stancil has been saying.
November 9, 2025 at 3:03 PM
It's a nice gesture to help be his cleanup crew, but that's not what Stancil has been saying.
Reposted by Stephen Semler
This is white upper middle class privilege at work. It's arrogant & dismissive AF. People resented the hell out of it from the Biden administration, & he did the best he could. GOP blocked him every turn, helped by corporate media & pundits. Pay attention to Mamdani's campaign. He gets it. He IS it
November 9, 2025 at 3:00 PM
This is white upper middle class privilege at work. It's arrogant & dismissive AF. People resented the hell out of it from the Biden administration, & he did the best he could. GOP blocked him every turn, helped by corporate media & pundits. Pay attention to Mamdani's campaign. He gets it. He IS it
Reposted by Stephen Semler
I don't use liberal as a pejorative. I am one. Until they LISTEN & consider people's feelings valid, they'll lose, especially among blue-collar white workers & in rural areas. Minorities don't like it, but they know the risk of letting GOP come into power, & we're all seeing it now.
November 9, 2025 at 3:00 PM
I don't use liberal as a pejorative. I am one. Until they LISTEN & consider people's feelings valid, they'll lose, especially among blue-collar white workers & in rural areas. Minorities don't like it, but they know the risk of letting GOP come into power, & we're all seeing it now.
Reposted by Stephen Semler
It's a fallacy to base an argument on one point. Reality: a culmination of factors left people squeezed, esp on unavoidable expenses like child care & rent. Many liberal Democrats have no idea how many people they alienate with this attitude toward what voters PLAINLY tell them they're voting about.
November 9, 2025 at 3:00 PM
It's a fallacy to base an argument on one point. Reality: a culmination of factors left people squeezed, esp on unavoidable expenses like child care & rent. Many liberal Democrats have no idea how many people they alienate with this attitude toward what voters PLAINLY tell them they're voting about.
Reposted by Stephen Semler
🧵
That's narrowing to semantic the full claim he's made ad nauseum that people voted on imaginary vibes. In Covid people got help. Those supports went away as prices went up, esp on big ticket items like rent & child care. Results were GLOBAL. EVERY election held that year went against incumbents.
That's narrowing to semantic the full claim he's made ad nauseum that people voted on imaginary vibes. In Covid people got help. Those supports went away as prices went up, esp on big ticket items like rent & child care. Results were GLOBAL. EVERY election held that year went against incumbents.
November 9, 2025 at 3:00 PM
🧵
That's narrowing to semantic the full claim he's made ad nauseum that people voted on imaginary vibes. In Covid people got help. Those supports went away as prices went up, esp on big ticket items like rent & child care. Results were GLOBAL. EVERY election held that year went against incumbents.
That's narrowing to semantic the full claim he's made ad nauseum that people voted on imaginary vibes. In Covid people got help. Those supports went away as prices went up, esp on big ticket items like rent & child care. Results were GLOBAL. EVERY election held that year went against incumbents.
Reposted by Stephen Semler
“The last report will be released on Oct. 22, according to The Associated Press. It will cover 2024 data on food insecurity in the U.S. ”
It hasn’t come out.
It hasn’t come out.
November 8, 2025 at 10:49 PM
“The last report will be released on Oct. 22, according to The Associated Press. It will cover 2024 data on food insecurity in the U.S. ”
It hasn’t come out.
It hasn’t come out.
The ICE budget is higher than all but about 15 militaries worldwide, and we’re seeing what kind of country that gives us.
www.stephensemler.com/p/ice-budget...
www.stephensemler.com/p/ice-budget...
November 8, 2025 at 10:40 PM
They said they’d release the figures for Biden’s last year then stop after that. The final report was supposed to come out in October, but then the shutdown happened.
That said, you could end up being right, who knows with this admin.
That said, you could end up being right, who knows with this admin.
November 8, 2025 at 10:21 PM
They said they’d release the figures for Biden’s last year then stop after that. The final report was supposed to come out in October, but then the shutdown happened.
That said, you could end up being right, who knows with this admin.
That said, you could end up being right, who knows with this admin.
I hear you, and I encourage you not inadvertently to erase those who do from your conception and presentation of the electorate as a whole.
28.6 million adults of voting age receive snap benefits, and millions more are part of families whose other members do.
28.6 million adults of voting age receive snap benefits, and millions more are part of families whose other members do.
November 8, 2025 at 10:18 PM
Among many things wrong with this scene, fed agents really should not be pointing their loaded weapons at journalists.
Thanks for your work.
Thanks for your work.
November 8, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Among many things wrong with this scene, fed agents really should not be pointing their loaded weapons at journalists.
Thanks for your work.
Thanks for your work.
Cornyn's totally right regarding the election takeaways.
That said, I have no idea what he's talking about re: "very good success internationally" — Trump's foreign policy is a dumpster fire.
www.semafor.com/article/11/0...
That said, I have no idea what he's talking about re: "very good success internationally" — Trump's foreign policy is a dumpster fire.
www.semafor.com/article/11/0...
!["Maybe one of the only real lessons of the election is a reminder that it always turns out to be economic issues, kitchen-table issues," said Sen.
John Cornyn, R-Texas. "I'm glad the president's had some very good success internationally, but that's not what motivates voters. I think he does [understand that]. I know his team does."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:tjpmn3phbznku2eaayec4pet/bafkreicvzrzi2jjz3o2ugwswb3czn64ngo4i5ytq7z5o5n2qhxwca522em@jpeg)
November 8, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Cornyn's totally right regarding the election takeaways.
That said, I have no idea what he's talking about re: "very good success internationally" — Trump's foreign policy is a dumpster fire.
www.semafor.com/article/11/0...
That said, I have no idea what he's talking about re: "very good success internationally" — Trump's foreign policy is a dumpster fire.
www.semafor.com/article/11/0...
His allergies go wild whenever he goes near anyone below his socioeconomic status
November 8, 2025 at 10:00 PM
His allergies go wild whenever he goes near anyone below his socioeconomic status