Brendan Nyhan

@brendannyhan.bsky.social

110K followers 4.3K following 9.5K posts

Dartmouth political scientist and Bright Line Watch co-director. Previously Upshot NYT / CJR contributor, Spinsanity co-founder, All the President's Spin co-author.

https://sites.dartmouth.edu/nyhan/
http://brightlinewatch.org .. more

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Brendan Nyhan is an American political scientist and professor at Dartmouth College. He is also a liberal to moderate political blogger, author, and political columnist. He was born in Mountain View, California and now lives in Hanover, New Hampshire. .. more

Political science 39%

Sociology 22%

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Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 16d

My @nytimes.com op-ed: The Boomers Are Protesting Trump. Where Is Gen Z? www.nytimes.com/2025/11/24/o... (gift link)

The key point: "The absence of young people from conventional protests is both a problem and a warning."

Opinion | The Boomers Are Protesting Trump. Where Is Gen Z?

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Kim L. Scheppele, Brendan Nyhan , and 10 more Anna O. Law, Kim L. Scheppele, Brendan Nyhan, David H. Kaye, Steven S. Smith, Jack N. Rakove, Daniel W. Drezner, Jacob T. Levy, James Goodwin, Eric J. Segall, Robert L. Tsai, Kate Jackson, Stuart Shapiro

Josh Chafetz @joshchafetz.bsky.social · 12h

1/ A few thoughts about @williambaude.bsky.social’s comment in yesterday’s NYT chat that, “It’s amazing how many of our problems today could be solved by a Congress that was willing and able to legislate in response to national problems.” www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/o...

Opinion | At the Supreme Court, Scenes From a Judicial Backlash

www.nytimes.com

Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 15h

Sinister and authoritarian

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 19h

Trump says reporting on his health is "seditious, perhaps even treasonous, for The New York Times, and others, to consistently do FAKE reports in order to libel and demean 'THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.' They are true Enemies of the People, and we should do something about it."

Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 15h

Fantastic opportunity

andyguess @andyguess.com · 1d

The Center for Information Technology Policy at Princeton invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow to work with an interdisciplinary team (me, @bstewart.bsky.social, and @manoelhortaribeiro.bsky.social).

Link: puwebp.princeton.edu/AcadHire/app...

Please apply by THIS SUNDAY, Dec. 14!

We are seeking a Fellow to lead cutting-edge research on short-form video content and its societal implications.

Bridging the gap between computer vision, causal inference, and computational social science, the Fellow will focus on the large-scale analysis of TikTok data (using an existing, massive dataset).

The position involves developing novel multimodal methods to understand how short-form algorithmic content shapes public opinion, political polarization, and online culture.

This is a unique opportunity to work at the forefront of the field, combining rigorous social science research designs with state-of-the-art computational techniques.

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Rosemary A. Joyce

Rebecca Ingber @becingber.bsky.social · 17h

And the reason DOD wants the survivors of the boat strikes sent anywhere but the U.S. —> they don’t want to have to defend their summary execution campaign in court.

Edward Wong @ewong.bsky.social · 19h

NEW: Pentagon lawyers asked State Dept. if US could send survivors of Trump's boat strikes to a notorious prison in El Salvador. Then Pentagon pushed to have survivors sent anywhere but the US — to prevent any US court cases. Gift link to our @nytimes.com story: www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/u...

Inside the Pentagon’s Scramble to Deal With Boat Strike Survivors

www.nytimes.com

Philip Bump @pbump.com · 19h

Every part of this is bonkers. The intro is bonkers. The transition to his health is bonkers. The mention that other presidents didn't need cognitive exams is bonkers. The claim that this screening test is somehow hard is bonkers. The idea that criticism of him is treason is bonkers. All of it.

There has never been a President that has worked as hard as me! My hours are the longest, and my results are among the best. I’ve stopped Eight Wars, saving many millions of lives in the process, created the Greatest Economy in the History of our Country, brought Business back into the United States at levels never seen before, rebuilt our Military, created the Largest Tax Cuts and Regulation Cuts, EVER, closed our open and very dangerous Southern Border, when previous Administrations were unable to do so, and created an “aura” around the United States of America that has led every Country in the World to respect us more than ever before. In addition to all of that, I go out of my way to do long, thorough, and very boring Medical Examinations at the Great Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, seen and supervised by top doctors, all of whom have given me PERFECT Marks — Some have even said they have never seen such Strong Results. I do these Tests because I owe it to our Country. In addition to the Medical, I have done something that no other President has done, on three separate occasions, the last one being recently, by taking what is known as a Cognitive Examination, something which few people would be able to do very well, including those working at The New York Times, and I ACED all three of them in front of large numbers of doctors and experts, most of whom I do not know. I have been told that few people have been able to “ace” this Examination and, in fact,

most do very poorly, which is why many other Presidents have decided not to take it at all. Despite all of this, the time and work involved, The New York Times, and some others, like to pretend that I am “slowing up,” am maybe not as sharp as I once was, or am in poor physical health, knowing that it is not true, and knowing that I work very hard, probably harder than I have ever worked before. I will know when I am “slowing up,” but it’s not now! After all of the work I have done with Medical Exams, Cognitive Exams, and everything else, I actually believe it’s seditious, perhaps even treasonous, for The New York Times, and others, to consistently do FAKE reports in order to libel and demean “THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.” They are true Enemies of the People, and we should do something about it. They have inaccurately reported on all of my Election Results and, in fact, were forced to apologize on much of what they wrote. The best thing that could happen to this Country would be if The New York Times would cease publication because they are a horrible, biased, and untruthful “source” of information. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, David Darmofal

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 19h

Reposted by Michael E. Mann, Joanna Bryson, David Lazer , and 32 more Michael E. Mann, Joanna Bryson, David Lazer, Will Jennings, Brendan Nyhan, John R. Hutchinson, Scott L. Greer, Steve Peers, Jonathan Wolff, Stefanie Walter, Leigh Sparks, Martin Tomko, Nancy T. Ammerman, David R. Miller, Holger Hestermeyer, Scott A. Imberman, James Goodwin, Seán Hanley, Anders Sundnes Løvlie, Nora V. Demleitner, David Murakami Wood, Ann Bartow, Kai Gehring, Andrew Rudalevige, Richard M. Carpiano, Steven A. Bank, Simon Lester, Tim Stephens, Ben Kaden, Daxton R. Stewart, Pádua Fernandes, Gwénola Ricordeau, Michael Gentile, Peter Bergman, David Darmofal

Clara Jeffery @clarajeffery.bsky.social · 20h

This is INSANE www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/t...

and these are our closest allies!

Travelers visiting the United States from countries like Britain, France, Germany and South Korea could soon have to undergo a review of up to five years of their social media history, according to a proposal filed on Tuesday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The change would affect visitors eligible for the visa waiver program, which allows people from 42 countries to travel to the United States for up to 90 days without a visa as long as they first obtain electronic travel authorization.

In a document filed on Tuesday in the Federal Register, C.B.P. said it plans to ask applicants for a long list of personal data including social media, email addresses from the last decade, and the names, birth dates, places of residence and birthplaces of parents, spouses, siblings and children.

Under the current system, applicants from visa waiver countries must enroll in the Electronic System for Travel Authorization program. They pay $40 and submit an email address, home address, phone number and emergency contact information. The authorization is good for two years.

Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 20h

Marco Rubio ordered diplomats to return to using Times New Roman font in official communications, calling his predecessor's decision to adopt Calibri a “wasteful” diversity move

Rubio Stages Font Coup: Times New Roman Ousts Calibri

The secretary of state called it a "wasteful" diversity move, according to an internal department cable seen by Reuters.

www.huffpost.com

Reposted by Richard S.J. Tol, Brendan Nyhan, Jennifer A. Richeson , and 7 more Richard S.J. Tol, Brendan Nyhan, Jennifer A. Richeson, John Horgan, David R. Miller, Nora V. Demleitner, Richard M. Carpiano, Cullen S. Hendrix, Jeannette Sutton, Élisabeth Vallet

Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 22h

SCOOP — Gregg Phillips, a conspiracy theorist with no emergency management experience who helped produce the election-denying documentary ‘2000 Mules’ with Dinesh D’Souza and has faced numerous legal inquiries, has been named head of FEMA’s Office of Response and Recovery.

My story:

Conspiracy theorist election denier given FEMA’s second-most important role

Gregg Phillips will lead the Office of Response and Recovery, “the heart of what FEMA does.”

www.thehandbasket.co

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Rosemary A. Joyce, Caroline Krafft , and 3 more Brendan Nyhan, Rosemary A. Joyce, Caroline Krafft, Aaron Sojourner, Michael D. McDonald, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò

Stacey Burns @wentrogue.bsky.social · 23h

“She has marks on her neck and wrist from where agents restrained her. Agents cut off her wedding ring and held her in leg shackles at Whipple Federal Building for about five hours.”

Her crime: witnessing ICE, from a distance.

Federal agents arrest citizen observer watching ICE detain neighbors on her north Minneapolis block

Susan Tincher, a 55-year-old American citizen, appears to be the first observer arrested by federal immigration enforcement officers since the agency launched an immigration surge in the Twin Cities l...

www.mprnews.org

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Brendan Nyhan, Markus W. Gehring

Simon Lester @simonlester.com · 23h

This is a smart move:

"The [Canadian] government says it will fast-track immigration for U.S. H-1B visa holders and spend more than $1 billion to attract researchers from the United States and the rest of the world."

Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 23h

‘Come North!’ Canada Makes Play for H-1B Visa Holders With New Talent Drive www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/w...

‘Come North!’ Canada Makes Play for H-1B Visa Holders With New Talent Drive

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Lisa W. Fazio, Brendan Nyhan, Hugo Mercier , and 3 more Lisa W. Fazio, Brendan Nyhan, Hugo Mercier, Justin H. Kirkland, Jason Reifler, Anita Gohdes

andyguess @andyguess.com · 1d

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Steve Peers, Rosemary A. Joyce , and 5 more Brendan Nyhan, Steve Peers, Rosemary A. Joyce, Gerald Friedman, Bessma Momani, Michael D. McDonald, Vaughan S. Roberts, Greg Linden

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

Wow -- Russia reportedly plotted last year to plant bombs on US-bound flights (gift link) giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Rita Rubin

Dorit Reiss @doritreiss.bsky.social · 1d

Exclusive: US FDA launches fresh safety scrutiny of approved RSV therapies for infants www.reuters.com/business/hea... via @reuters.com

Exclusive: US FDA launches fresh safety scrutiny of approved RSV therapies for infants

U.S. health regulators informed senior executives at Merck, Sanofi and AstraZeneca last week that their approved protective RSV treatments for infants would face fresh safety scrutiny following concer...

www.reuters.com

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan

emptywheel @emptywheel.bsky.social · 1d

The way Trump talks about the problems he caused by unilaterally imposing tariffs is fairly insane, even by his standards.

www.politico.com/news/2025/12...

Trump: We ... we wouldn’t have much of an economy. We make a lot of money with these countries. Now in the past, these countries all ripped us off. If you go back, uh, during Biden, if you go back, uh, during Obama, they were ripping us off like nobody’s ... no country’s ever been ripped off. That’s why we owe $38 trillion. I mean, we owe it for a reason. But just remember, uh, when I had ... when we had a problem with China very recently, I was able to work that out. You don’t work that out by not talking to people, by, you know, not answering. With the magnets, with the rare earth, it was a big problem.

Burns: And y ... and you’re looking to have impact here back home so ...

Trump: Well, no, no. Impact? We would’ve been shut down. China would’ve been shut down. The whole world would’ve been shut down.

Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 1d

I started limiting to 30-40 per year as T&P requests went up

Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 1d

If anything, Dennis Green is understating the case

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, David Darmofal

David Ryan Miller @davidryanmiller.com · 1d

State media watch

Brian Stelter @brianstelter.bsky.social · 1d

New WSJ reporting: "During a December visit to Washington, David Ellison offered assurances to Trump administration officials that if he bought Warner, he'd make sweeping changes to CNN, a common target of President Trump's ire, people familiar with the matter said..."

Behind Paramount’s Relentless Campaign to Woo Warner Discovery and President Trump

David Ellison has launched a hostile takeover bid for Warner Discovery, taking his case directly to shareholders after Netflix clinched a deal.

www.wsj.com

Reposted by Elizabeth Saunders, Will Jennings, Brendan Nyhan , and 6 more Elizabeth Saunders, Will Jennings, Brendan Nyhan, Steve Peers, Michael A. Clemens, Paolo Crosetto, David R. Miller, James Goodwin, Julie Rovner

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 1d

New, from me: by embracing unitary executive theory, the Supreme Court is moving towards making all public employees fireable at the will of the President.

This will not just hurt government competence, it will aid democratic backsliding. 🧵
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/at-will-wh...

At will? Whose will?

Removing independent agency heads is part of a broader assault on a nonpartisan government

donmoynihan.substack.com

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Ken Caldeira, Sanford F. Schram , and 4 more Brendan Nyhan, Ken Caldeira, Sanford F. Schram, Robert C. Richards, Benjamin Y. Clark, Joanna L. Grossman, Olivier Mannoni

Justin Wolfers @justinwolfers.bsky.social · 2d

Trump says Lisa Cook is unfit to be a Fed governor because she claimed two different properties as her primary residence on her mortgage applications. (Cook denies this.)

Trump did the exact same thing on mortgage applications submitted a mere 7 weeks apart.

www.propublica.org/article/trum...

Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 2d

Implausible IMO - does anyone really expect the Trump administration to try to force universities to admit fewer men? And reporting suggests big gender imbalances hurt both male and female interest and enrollment, which admins hate

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Steve Peers, Daxton R. Stewart

Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 2d

Amicus brief from the Cato Institute, Dale Carpenter and Eugene Volokh urges full Fifth Circuit to affirm panel ruling that president of West Texas A&M violated the First Amendment when he ordered a drag show canceled, citing the show's purportedly "objectionable message." @cato.org

Geese, Ganders, and Pterodactyls: Amicus Brief in Fifth Circuit En Banc Rehearing of West Texas A&M Drag Ban Case

From a brief filed yesterday by Joshua J. Bennett (Baker & Hostetler LLP) on behalf of Dale Carpenter, the Cato...

reason.com

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Rosemary A. Joyce

Kelsey Atherton @atherton.bsky.social · 2d

Man you are the Governor of Colorado you do not under any circumstances have to hand it to them, especially when the right wing intellectuals you're handing it to are Epstein defenders and phrenologists

Jared Polis ‹ @jaredpolis
•••
It doesn't mean I agree with them most or all of the time, but I recommend following public intellectuals @RichardHanania and @captgouda24 who are doing actual thinking which is rare these days
2:03 PM • Dec 7, 2025 • 291.7K Views

Reposted by Jonathan A. Eisen, Brendan Nyhan, Scott L. Greer , and 2 more Jonathan A. Eisen, Brendan Nyhan, Scott L. Greer, Philip N. Cohen, Martin Tomko

Dorit Reiss @doritreiss.bsky.social · 2d

Even ignoring Dr. Høeg's antivaccine views and obvious bias, she has no qualifications for the job. She does not know regulations, she does not know drug approvals, and she has no expertise in any relevant scientific area.
No wonder people are resigning.
www.cbsnews.com/news/fda-tra...