Zach Brand-Wiita
@zachbrand-wiita.bsky.social
Organizer/activist. Montgomery County, Maryland. Ohio-born. Democratic socialist in coalition with social democrats, progressives, and liberals. Antifascist. Queer ally. Feminist. Theatre kid. Geek. Trying my best. Married to @sarahbrand.bsky.social
Pinned
Trying to come up with a comprehensive list of Trump's abuses of power. Not things that are merely bad but within the realm of normal politics in a democracy--fundamental abuses of power.
I know I'm missing stuff. Let me know what.
So far, I've got:
I know I'm missing stuff. Let me know what.
So far, I've got:
Reposted by Zach Brand-Wiita
Mark Kelly on Kimmel:
Says he found out about Trump calling for his death when he was in SCIF - where you can’t bring your phone - when an aide brought in a note to his senate colleague Elissa Slotkin saying “the President is calling for your execution.”
Says he found out about Trump calling for his death when he was in SCIF - where you can’t bring your phone - when an aide brought in a note to his senate colleague Elissa Slotkin saying “the President is calling for your execution.”
November 26, 2025 at 5:28 AM
Mark Kelly on Kimmel:
Says he found out about Trump calling for his death when he was in SCIF - where you can’t bring your phone - when an aide brought in a note to his senate colleague Elissa Slotkin saying “the President is calling for your execution.”
Says he found out about Trump calling for his death when he was in SCIF - where you can’t bring your phone - when an aide brought in a note to his senate colleague Elissa Slotkin saying “the President is calling for your execution.”
Thread
Being among the first interrogated and ultimately fired by DOGE, I certainly felt we were facing the business end of a right-wing conspiracy theory 🧵
DOGE was not a money-saving effort. It was an effort to chase down and prove right-wing conspiracy theories. They went after USAID to prove conspiracy theories about foreign aid. Then they went after SSA to, again, pursue conspiracy theories about Dems paying "illegals" to vote. 1/2
November 26, 2025 at 6:08 AM
Thread
Reposted by Zach Brand-Wiita
The first time terrorists used planes to attack Americans wasn’t on 9/11 or at Pearl Harbor. It was the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 when white supremacists flew a dozen planes to drop turpentine or nitroglycerin bombs on Black Americans.
Viola Fletcher was there.
www.qasimrashid.com/p/viola-flet...
Viola Fletcher was there.
www.qasimrashid.com/p/viola-flet...
Viola Fletcher, Among Last Known Survivors of Tulsa Race Massacre, Dies at 111
Mother Fletcher's legacy will live on as the epitome of honor, courage, strength, and resilience in the face of violent terrorism, white supremacy, and cowardice
www.qasimrashid.com
November 25, 2025 at 11:14 PM
The first time terrorists used planes to attack Americans wasn’t on 9/11 or at Pearl Harbor. It was the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 when white supremacists flew a dozen planes to drop turpentine or nitroglycerin bombs on Black Americans.
Viola Fletcher was there.
www.qasimrashid.com/p/viola-flet...
Viola Fletcher was there.
www.qasimrashid.com/p/viola-flet...
Reposted by Zach Brand-Wiita
Friendly reminder that striking workers are asking you not to patronize ANY Starbucks store.
If you're traveling this week, your airport definitely has other options. Zero reason to even think about crossing a picket line!
If you're traveling this week, your airport definitely has other options. Zero reason to even think about crossing a picket line!
November 24, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Friendly reminder that striking workers are asking you not to patronize ANY Starbucks store.
If you're traveling this week, your airport definitely has other options. Zero reason to even think about crossing a picket line!
If you're traveling this week, your airport definitely has other options. Zero reason to even think about crossing a picket line!
Reposted by Zach Brand-Wiita
This is heartbreakingly cruel and hypocritical. The same admin that has redefined refugee status to cover white South Africans is now going to drown thousands of refugees already approved for their status in red tape, potentially even seeking to strip some of their status and deport them.
Trump Admin planning a rule to re-decide whether *every* refugee who entered under Biden meets their criteria for a refugee. That’s 230,000 people! And no appeals!
www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
www.reuters.com
November 25, 2025 at 2:46 AM
This is heartbreakingly cruel and hypocritical. The same admin that has redefined refugee status to cover white South Africans is now going to drown thousands of refugees already approved for their status in red tape, potentially even seeking to strip some of their status and deport them.
I think ST and SW are generally doing completely different things so I don't know it's even fair to compare them. It may be fair to compare certain production eras (Disney+ SW streaming shows to Paramount+ ST streaming shows?) but even then they're so different I'm not sure it's a fair comparison.
You ever think about just how handily Star Trek has won the Star Wars/Star Trek war? Turns out making a lot of good content is really hard!
November 25, 2025 at 2:38 AM
I think ST and SW are generally doing completely different things so I don't know it's even fair to compare them. It may be fair to compare certain production eras (Disney+ SW streaming shows to Paramount+ ST streaming shows?) but even then they're so different I'm not sure it's a fair comparison.
Reposted by Zach Brand-Wiita
The library thing is what baffles me the most. If they're really pro-art, pro-creator, and anti-corporation, USE A LIBRARY. It democratizes information and supports the community with many outreach programs beyond books! A bunch of it is on-demand as well-all of my titles are on Hoopla instantly!
November 24, 2025 at 11:42 PM
The library thing is what baffles me the most. If they're really pro-art, pro-creator, and anti-corporation, USE A LIBRARY. It democratizes information and supports the community with many outreach programs beyond books! A bunch of it is on-demand as well-all of my titles are on Hoopla instantly!
Reposted by Zach Brand-Wiita
I still can't believe that the man who bragged about grabbing women by the pussy; who explained to camera how hard his cognitive screening test for Alzheimers was; who encouraged the assassination of his own vice president is still legally at liberty, let alone being president of the United States.
November 24, 2025 at 8:06 PM
I still can't believe that the man who bragged about grabbing women by the pussy; who explained to camera how hard his cognitive screening test for Alzheimers was; who encouraged the assassination of his own vice president is still legally at liberty, let alone being president of the United States.
The regime plans on issuing illegal orders and wants to intimidate officers and enlisted personnel into obedience.
BLITZER: I want to be precise. Should members of the US military obey clearly illegal orders?
McCLAIN: You're asking an enlisted person for their opinion on what they think is legal. That's a pretty slippery slope. Follow your commander in chief. That's the oath that you took
(Not a no!)
McCLAIN: You're asking an enlisted person for their opinion on what they think is legal. That's a pretty slippery slope. Follow your commander in chief. That's the oath that you took
(Not a no!)
November 25, 2025 at 1:16 AM
The regime plans on issuing illegal orders and wants to intimidate officers and enlisted personnel into obedience.
Reposted by Zach Brand-Wiita
ending the TPS for Myanmar is an unmitigated humanitarian disaster which will end up sending people to torture and probable death.
This is really concerning. The Junta in Myanmar will arrest, conscript or kill many of those the US may return.
We honestly cannot understand how the US admin can say the situation in Myanmar is improving when ALL EVIDENCE IS TO THE CONTRARY.
We honestly cannot understand how the US admin can say the situation in Myanmar is improving when ALL EVIDENCE IS TO THE CONTRARY.
🚨"The Trump administration announced it will cancel temporary asylum for around 10,000 #Myanmar nationals living in the US, despite the country being ruled by a military dictatorship that has a record of executing dissidents."
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
November 25, 2025 at 12:30 AM
ending the TPS for Myanmar is an unmitigated humanitarian disaster which will end up sending people to torture and probable death.
Reposted by Zach Brand-Wiita
part of what I like about Mamdani is his admission that housing affordability is a more complex problem than either building more housing or expanding rent control. You need to do both in order to protect the most vulnerable now and improve the problem long term.
November 25, 2025 at 12:33 AM
part of what I like about Mamdani is his admission that housing affordability is a more complex problem than either building more housing or expanding rent control. You need to do both in order to protect the most vulnerable now and improve the problem long term.
Reposted by Zach Brand-Wiita
if you want to actually push left-wing policies and build power you need deliver change to voters. if you're purely concerned with messaging to a handful of brain damaged twitter leftists you will never actually improve people's lives.
November 25, 2025 at 12:31 AM
if you want to actually push left-wing policies and build power you need deliver change to voters. if you're purely concerned with messaging to a handful of brain damaged twitter leftists you will never actually improve people's lives.
𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳 𝘞𝘢𝘳𝘴 Rankings
1. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘑𝘦𝘥𝘪
2. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘉𝘢𝘤𝘬
3. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘈𝘸𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘴
4. 𝘙𝘰𝘨𝘶𝘦 𝘖𝘯𝘦
5. 𝘈 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘏𝘰𝘱𝘦
6. 𝘙𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘑𝘦𝘥𝘪
7. 𝘚𝘰𝘭𝘰
8. 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘪𝘵𝘩
9. 𝘈𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴
10. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘮 𝘔𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘤𝘦
11. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘬𝘺𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘦𝘳
1. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘑𝘦𝘥𝘪
2. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘉𝘢𝘤𝘬
3. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘈𝘸𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘴
4. 𝘙𝘰𝘨𝘶𝘦 𝘖𝘯𝘦
5. 𝘈 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘏𝘰𝘱𝘦
6. 𝘙𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘑𝘦𝘥𝘪
7. 𝘚𝘰𝘭𝘰
8. 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘪𝘵𝘩
9. 𝘈𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴
10. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘮 𝘔𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘤𝘦
11. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘬𝘺𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘦𝘳
November 25, 2025 at 12:09 AM
𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳 𝘞𝘢𝘳𝘴 Rankings
1. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘑𝘦𝘥𝘪
2. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘉𝘢𝘤𝘬
3. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘈𝘸𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘴
4. 𝘙𝘰𝘨𝘶𝘦 𝘖𝘯𝘦
5. 𝘈 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘏𝘰𝘱𝘦
6. 𝘙𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘑𝘦𝘥𝘪
7. 𝘚𝘰𝘭𝘰
8. 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘪𝘵𝘩
9. 𝘈𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴
10. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘮 𝘔𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘤𝘦
11. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘬𝘺𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘦𝘳
1. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘑𝘦𝘥𝘪
2. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘉𝘢𝘤𝘬
3. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘈𝘸𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘴
4. 𝘙𝘰𝘨𝘶𝘦 𝘖𝘯𝘦
5. 𝘈 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘏𝘰𝘱𝘦
6. 𝘙𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘑𝘦𝘥𝘪
7. 𝘚𝘰𝘭𝘰
8. 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘪𝘵𝘩
9. 𝘈𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴
10. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘮 𝘔𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘤𝘦
11. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘬𝘺𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘦𝘳
Since it's making the rounds on my feed today, my hot take is that 𝘙𝘰𝘨𝘶𝘦 𝘖𝘯𝘦: 𝘈 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳 𝘞𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 is good but really shouldn't be. I can see where structurally it just shouldn't work -- Saw Guerra's sacrifice makes no sense and Jyn's conversion is very rushed -- but somehow for me it does work.
November 25, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Since it's making the rounds on my feed today, my hot take is that 𝘙𝘰𝘨𝘶𝘦 𝘖𝘯𝘦: 𝘈 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳 𝘞𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 is good but really shouldn't be. I can see where structurally it just shouldn't work -- Saw Guerra's sacrifice makes no sense and Jyn's conversion is very rushed -- but somehow for me it does work.
Reposted by Zach Brand-Wiita
You have to keep giving money to avoid collapse and if there’s collapse you have to give more money. It’s called the free market.
November 24, 2025 at 10:54 PM
You have to keep giving money to avoid collapse and if there’s collapse you have to give more money. It’s called the free market.
Reposted by Zach Brand-Wiita
this dumb shit is what i mean when i say this is a purely aesthetic “politics.” yeah man, why can’t we have a fusion of cosmopolitan social democracy and revanchist hierarchies of wealth and privilege? tough question.
Matt Stoller: “..Trump & Mamdani defeated establishment in their own way, representing hunger of voters on the right & left who want something different. If those sides cd come together.. that would be a sea change in how we organize our political economy”.
www.thebignewsletter.com/p/monopoly-r...
www.thebignewsletter.com/p/monopoly-r...
Monopoly Round-Up: Why the Establishment Freaked Out Over a Mamdani-Trump Press Conference
Meta wins its antitrust case, there are now two fire truck antitrust claims, the stock market got wobbly, and Larry Summers was exiled from the establishment, at least for now.
www.thebignewsletter.com
November 24, 2025 at 7:04 PM
this dumb shit is what i mean when i say this is a purely aesthetic “politics.” yeah man, why can’t we have a fusion of cosmopolitan social democracy and revanchist hierarchies of wealth and privilege? tough question.
Reposted by Zach Brand-Wiita
it just strikes me as a bad idea to pick fights with an astronaut.
you fire right back at them and you FIRE RIGHT AWAY.
November 24, 2025 at 6:56 PM
it just strikes me as a bad idea to pick fights with an astronaut.
Reposted by Zach Brand-Wiita
you fire right back at them and you FIRE RIGHT AWAY.
November 24, 2025 at 6:52 PM
you fire right back at them and you FIRE RIGHT AWAY.
Online fandom has always been kind of toxic. Seasons 4-7 of 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳 𝘛𝘳𝘦𝘬: 𝘋𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘚𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘕𝘪𝘯𝘦 are some of the greatest seasons of American television ever produced, but that didn't stop "fans" at the time from trashing it to one of the producers' face and insulting anyone who recognized its quality.
a few years back, I went through an archive of Ron Moore's AOL chats with STAR TREK fans and put together a document that had anything that resonated with me as a TV writer, as someone dealing with fandom, as a member of fandom, etc. It was a good way to see how little had changed in almost 30 years
November 24, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Online fandom has always been kind of toxic. Seasons 4-7 of 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳 𝘛𝘳𝘦𝘬: 𝘋𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘚𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘕𝘪𝘯𝘦 are some of the greatest seasons of American television ever produced, but that didn't stop "fans" at the time from trashing it to one of the producers' face and insulting anyone who recognized its quality.
Reposted by Zach Brand-Wiita
i just want to say that i wrote this exactly one year ago.
November 24, 2025 at 5:41 PM
i just want to say that i wrote this exactly one year ago.
Reposted by Zach Brand-Wiita
Seeing how much of the right-wing on Twitter is just bot farms, kinda lays bare how much hate and hatred is a project that needs to be constantly maintained, a fire that needs to be fed all the time lest it go out for a moment, so much time, effort, and resources to keep people angry and hateful.
November 24, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Seeing how much of the right-wing on Twitter is just bot farms, kinda lays bare how much hate and hatred is a project that needs to be constantly maintained, a fire that needs to be fed all the time lest it go out for a moment, so much time, effort, and resources to keep people angry and hateful.
Reposted by Zach Brand-Wiita
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 by Zach Brand-Wiita
one thing thats crazy about the current era in the states is that it is clear across most domains that science got processed by a lot of people as "traumatic encounter with the real" and now they are just making decisions based on that trauma.
elon, peter, anti-vaxxers, all the same problem
elon, peter, anti-vaxxers, all the same problem
Over many interviews, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told Michael Scherer about how he plans to remake America’s public-health system. Can he lead the scientific establishment he’s spent much of his life crusading against?
Read more in our new cover story: theatln.tc/q9hXxlbM
Read more in our new cover story: theatln.tc/q9hXxlbM
November 24, 2025 at 4:32 PM
one thing thats crazy about the current era in the states is that it is clear across most domains that science got processed by a lot of people as "traumatic encounter with the real" and now they are just making decisions based on that trauma.
elon, peter, anti-vaxxers, all the same problem
elon, peter, anti-vaxxers, all the same problem
Reposted by Zach Brand-Wiita
If you dare to displease the despot, you will be declared an enemy of the state and every lever of it will be deployed against you.
November 24, 2025 at 5:24 PM
If you dare to displease the despot, you will be declared an enemy of the state and every lever of it will be deployed against you.