Bryan Fichter
@bryanfichter.bsky.social
Retired intelligence analyst. Russian speaker. Arabic speaker. Democracy enthusiast. Publisher of the Intelligencer newsletter on Substack.
Pinned
Opinion | This Is What Autocrats Dread
www.nytimes.com
We can do this, people
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/o...
A how-to guide for your town
newrepublic.com/article/2054...
newrepublic.com/article/2054...
The Key to Minneapolis’s Successful ICE Resistance
The city’s rapid mobilization against ICE was aided greatly by a community with well-worn connections and a tradition of mutual aid. You can—and should—start building this resilience where you live.
newrepublic.com
January 22, 2026 at 11:07 PM
A how-to guide for your town
newrepublic.com/article/2054...
newrepublic.com/article/2054...
Every day the president plumbs new depths of villainy
@radiofreetom.bsky.social @markhertling.bsky.social
www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...
@radiofreetom.bsky.social @markhertling.bsky.social
www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...
Trump Casually Denigrates the Danish War Dead
The president has revised history when it comes to the sacrifices of America’s allies.
www.theatlantic.com
January 22, 2026 at 8:57 PM
Every day the president plumbs new depths of villainy
@radiofreetom.bsky.social @markhertling.bsky.social
www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...
@radiofreetom.bsky.social @markhertling.bsky.social
www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...
"Perhaps kakistocracy—rule by the worst—is the most apt word for our current form of government." *Now* you're talking
@radiofreetom.bsky.social
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
@radiofreetom.bsky.social
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
How to Tell If Your President Is a Dictator
A year into Donald Trump’s second term, labeling his governing style remains an elusive goal.
www.theatlantic.com
January 22, 2026 at 6:45 PM
"Perhaps kakistocracy—rule by the worst—is the most apt word for our current form of government." *Now* you're talking
@radiofreetom.bsky.social
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
@radiofreetom.bsky.social
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
"The foundation of the crisis is the decadence and degradation of American society. For a decade, Americans have looked at the fantastic prosperity they enjoy and assumed that it was their natural right."
www.thebulwark.com/p/the-crisis...
www.thebulwark.com/p/the-crisis...
‘A Great Rupture of the World Order’
As Europe reacts to Trump’s Davos rant, America’s capacity for self-delusion remains boundless.
www.thebulwark.com
January 22, 2026 at 5:47 PM
"The foundation of the crisis is the decadence and degradation of American society. For a decade, Americans have looked at the fantastic prosperity they enjoy and assumed that it was their natural right."
www.thebulwark.com/p/the-crisis...
www.thebulwark.com/p/the-crisis...
Ha, well you must not be a Democratic consultant
I am just a simple small-town lawyer but I really can’t think of a more toxic and self-defeating political strategy than telling your constituents the things they care about are “a distraction.”
January 22, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Ha, well you must not be a Democratic consultant
Minnesota Nice in action.
Half the street corners around here have people--from every walk of life, including republicans--standing guard to watch for suspicious vehicles, which are reported to a robust and entirely decentralized network that tracks ICE vehicles and mobilizes responders.
January 22, 2026 at 4:49 PM
Minnesota Nice in action.
Reposted by Bryan Fichter
This guy went to work today, put a mask on, kidnapped a 5 year old child, and then used him as bait so both he and his father could be sent behind bars
January 22, 2026 at 2:13 AM
This guy went to work today, put a mask on, kidnapped a 5 year old child, and then used him as bait so both he and his father could be sent behind bars
Reposted by Bryan Fichter
I’m so proud of the people in Minnesota turning out for each other. They represent the best of who we are and they’re standing up to the absolute worst among us.
ICE letting off tear gas at 29th and Blaisdell in Whittier (Minneapolis), convoy of agents, several people appear hurt by gas. Car left abandoned in the street
January 21, 2026 at 9:01 PM
I’m so proud of the people in Minnesota turning out for each other. They represent the best of who we are and they’re standing up to the absolute worst among us.
We have an America problem
open.substack.com/pub/bryanfic...
open.substack.com/pub/bryanfic...
What Kind of Country Elects Donald Trump (Twice) ?
A question everyone except Americans is asking
open.substack.com
January 22, 2026 at 4:16 PM
We have an America problem
open.substack.com/pub/bryanfic...
open.substack.com/pub/bryanfic...
Reposted by Bryan Fichter
"Usually they say, 'He's a horrible dictator-type person.' But sometimes you need a dictator."
As I have always said, he is at his most honest when he is at his most malevolent and depraved.
As I have always said, he is at his most honest when he is at his most malevolent and depraved.
January 21, 2026 at 6:06 PM
"Usually they say, 'He's a horrible dictator-type person.' But sometimes you need a dictator."
As I have always said, he is at his most honest when he is at his most malevolent and depraved.
As I have always said, he is at his most honest when he is at his most malevolent and depraved.
Reposted by Bryan Fichter
These people aren’t just devoid of empathy, they don’t believe it actually exists. They also took a $50K bonus to terrorize immigrants.
So the idea that regular people would spontaneously come to the aid and defense of their neighbors is just utterly foreign to them.
So the idea that regular people would spontaneously come to the aid and defense of their neighbors is just utterly foreign to them.
ICE agents will come to the school patrol asking who the organizers are believing they’re like Soros shadow figures, and it’s like a bespectacled software engineer who didn’t know the names of more than 5 parents two weeks ago.
January 21, 2026 at 5:18 PM
These people aren’t just devoid of empathy, they don’t believe it actually exists. They also took a $50K bonus to terrorize immigrants.
So the idea that regular people would spontaneously come to the aid and defense of their neighbors is just utterly foreign to them.
So the idea that regular people would spontaneously come to the aid and defense of their neighbors is just utterly foreign to them.
Reposted by Bryan Fichter
"Canada lives because of the United States" is...simply false.
But Trump has transposed his megalomania onto the country, and now he's taking the U.S. down with him on his fantasy adventure as world emperor.
But Trump has transposed his megalomania onto the country, and now he's taking the U.S. down with him on his fantasy adventure as world emperor.
Trump: "Canada gets a lot of freebies from us. They should be grateful, also, but they're not. I watched your prime minister yesterday, he wasn't so grateful. But they should be grateful to us. Canada lives because of the United States — remember that, Mark."
January 21, 2026 at 4:49 PM
"Canada lives because of the United States" is...simply false.
But Trump has transposed his megalomania onto the country, and now he's taking the U.S. down with him on his fantasy adventure as world emperor.
But Trump has transposed his megalomania onto the country, and now he's taking the U.S. down with him on his fantasy adventure as world emperor.
A serious country would employ the constitutional mechanisms at its disposal to quickly remove a leader who is so obviously unwell and dangerous. But we are not that country
@radiofreetom.bsky.social @jamellebouie.net
www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-davo...
@radiofreetom.bsky.social @jamellebouie.net
www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-davo...
Donald Trump vs. the World
In his Davos rant, the president lied, insulted allies, and depicted America as a hellhole.
www.thebulwark.com
January 21, 2026 at 5:42 PM
A serious country would employ the constitutional mechanisms at its disposal to quickly remove a leader who is so obviously unwell and dangerous. But we are not that country
@radiofreetom.bsky.social @jamellebouie.net
www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-davo...
@radiofreetom.bsky.social @jamellebouie.net
www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-davo...
Reposted by Bryan Fichter
Even after Trump is gone, the world will remember that he threatened to forcibly seize the territory of a peaceful democratic ally, and our institutions failed to immediately remove him. That makes US dangerously unreliable, not just one senile gangster.
His not being impeached by the end of the business day as a result of this threat is as much a problem as the threat itself. It’s not just Trump that the world has to worry about, it’s a GOP that supports him and Democrats who suck their thumbs and refuse to even discuss pushing to remove him
January 21, 2026 at 2:46 PM
Even after Trump is gone, the world will remember that he threatened to forcibly seize the territory of a peaceful democratic ally, and our institutions failed to immediately remove him. That makes US dangerously unreliable, not just one senile gangster.
"The uncomfortable truth is that the president of the United States is a man with the mind of a spoiled child. His debilitating solipsism is a threat to the stability of the entire world. A functional Congress would impeach and remove him.'
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/21/o...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/21/o...
Opinion | Trump’s ‘Dear Jonas’ Letter Is No Prize
www.nytimes.com
January 21, 2026 at 4:24 PM
"The uncomfortable truth is that the president of the United States is a man with the mind of a spoiled child. His debilitating solipsism is a threat to the stability of the entire world. A functional Congress would impeach and remove him.'
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/21/o...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/21/o...
Reposted by Bryan Fichter
This man is talking about stealing a country at gunpoint from nations the US is allied with. Of course Europeans hate us. You would feel the same way if you were in their place. American voters put this man in power, he didn’t seize it this time.
January 21, 2026 at 2:10 PM
This man is talking about stealing a country at gunpoint from nations the US is allied with. Of course Europeans hate us. You would feel the same way if you were in their place. American voters put this man in power, he didn’t seize it this time.
Reposted by Bryan Fichter
Immediate punishment for speaking out against the regime.
Mischief Toy Store in St. Paul has until Wednesday to turn over employment records to the Department of Homeland Security as part of a surprise audit launched Friday, just hours after one of the shop's owners criticized ICE agents during a television interview. bit.ly/4r5AFol
January 21, 2026 at 12:27 PM
Immediate punishment for speaking out against the regime.
Reposted by Bryan Fichter
In Trump's telling, the US are the equivalent of the Nazis
Trump: "No nation is in any position to be able to secure Greenland other than the US. We're a great power. Much greater than people even understand. I think they found that out 2 weeks ago in Venezuela. We saw this in World War 2 when Denmark fell to Germany after just 6 hours of fighting."
January 21, 2026 at 2:10 PM
In Trump's telling, the US are the equivalent of the Nazis
Reposted by Bryan Fichter
A demented Donald Trump confused Greenland with Iceland as a silent crowd watches in horror as the President of the USA humiliates himself, slurring badly and visibly disoriented
January 21, 2026 at 2:54 PM
A demented Donald Trump confused Greenland with Iceland as a silent crowd watches in horror as the President of the USA humiliates himself, slurring badly and visibly disoriented
Reposted by Bryan Fichter
I have one request for everyone outside the United States. Stop being polite to us Americans. Tell us what you really think.
"The most corrupt president The United States have ever seen."
UK Member of Parliament Ed Davey does not mince words when characterizing Trump after his move to take Greenland.
UK Member of Parliament Ed Davey does not mince words when characterizing Trump after his move to take Greenland.
January 20, 2026 at 10:20 PM
I have one request for everyone outside the United States. Stop being polite to us Americans. Tell us what you really think.
"I don’t think there’s anybody outside of the United States who believes that Trump is sane.” Just gonna keep tapping my sign
@radiofreetom.bsky.social @kevinmkruse.bsky.social
newrepublic.com/post/205474/...
@radiofreetom.bsky.social @kevinmkruse.bsky.social
newrepublic.com/post/205474/...
Ex-Ally Warns Trump’s Decline Is “Significant” After Disastrous Speech
Former White House lawyer Ty Cobb said Donald Trump’s cognitive decline is “palpable.”
newrepublic.com
January 21, 2026 at 2:51 PM
"I don’t think there’s anybody outside of the United States who believes that Trump is sane.” Just gonna keep tapping my sign
@radiofreetom.bsky.social @kevinmkruse.bsky.social
newrepublic.com/post/205474/...
@radiofreetom.bsky.social @kevinmkruse.bsky.social
newrepublic.com/post/205474/...
Reposted by Bryan Fichter
What's remarkable is not just that Trump is so loathsome and narcissistic that he doesn't care when an innocent woman is killed in a protest unless and until he finds out that her dad was a fan of his ... it's that he's so disregulated he *can't help but say so out loud*.
Trump: "ICE is gonna be too rough with somebody. They're gonna make a mistake sometimes. I felt horribly when I was told the young woman had the tragedy. But when I learned her father is - I hope he still is, but I don't know - was a tremendous Trump fan. It's terrible. It's so sad. It just happens"
January 20, 2026 at 8:12 PM
What's remarkable is not just that Trump is so loathsome and narcissistic that he doesn't care when an innocent woman is killed in a protest unless and until he finds out that her dad was a fan of his ... it's that he's so disregulated he *can't help but say so out loud*.
Reposted by Bryan Fichter
We have an entire class of Democratic "leadership" that has been told that it's dangerous and extreme to say this, and that does not understand that what Democrats want is for their leaders to articulate what they believe and why they believe it. That should not be as big an ask as it apparently is.
Mamdani: "I am in support of abolishing ICE. What we see is an entity that has no interest in fulfilling its stated reason to exist. We're seeing a government agency that is supposed to be enforcing some kind of immigration law, but instead what it's doing is terrorizing people."
January 20, 2026 at 5:04 PM
We have an entire class of Democratic "leadership" that has been told that it's dangerous and extreme to say this, and that does not understand that what Democrats want is for their leaders to articulate what they believe and why they believe it. That should not be as big an ask as it apparently is.
Reposted by Bryan Fichter
I think about this a lot: the fact that it's "inconceivable" is a HUGE part of the problem. Hey folks: conceive of it. That's the necessary first step. This fascism is in fact happening, and the whole "I can't imagine" part is stopping a lot of progress in overcoming it.
"The Court finds it inconceivable that the Department of Justice, which holds a duty to faithfully execute the
laws of the United States—even those with which it may have disagreement—would repeatedly ignore court orders, while simultaneously prosecuting citizens for breaking the law."
laws of the United States—even those with which it may have disagreement—would repeatedly ignore court orders, while simultaneously prosecuting citizens for breaking the law."
![Rather stunningly, Ms. Halligan fails to even mention Chief Judge Diaz’s Order, let alone
discuss its impact here. In short, Ms. Halligan has not only ignored Judge Currie’s rulings, she
has also turned a blind eye to an Order from the Chief Judge of the Fourth Circuit. The Court
finds it inconceivable that the Department of Justice, which holds a duty to faithfully execute the
laws of the United States even those with which it may have disagreement would
repeatedly ignore court orders, while simultaneously prosecuting citizens for breaking the law.
In the wise words of Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III of the Court of Appeals for the Fourth
Circuit, “[w]e yet cling to the hope that it is not naive to believe our good brethren in the
Executive Branch perceive the rule of law as vital to the American ethos.” Abrego Garcia v.
Noem,'^o. 25-1404, 2025 WL 1135112, at *3 (4th Cir. Apr. 17, 2025).](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:6h7b2i6ttw3l4t7pvbvxdith/bafkreifosp5rvubdinbaeqyixrxrmlsrldbblecdd7xyvq7wbyzypplobi@jpeg)
January 20, 2026 at 7:14 PM
I think about this a lot: the fact that it's "inconceivable" is a HUGE part of the problem. Hey folks: conceive of it. That's the necessary first step. This fascism is in fact happening, and the whole "I can't imagine" part is stopping a lot of progress in overcoming it.