Elizabeth Spiers
@espiers.bsky.social
NYT opinion writer, Slate Money co-host, Dem messaging consultant, NYU prof, former EIC The New York Observer, Dealbreaker founder and Gawker founding editor. Brooklyn via Bama. Rednexican. Striver with no chill.
https://linktr.ee/elizabethspiers
https://linktr.ee/elizabethspiers
Pinned
Opinion | It’s Not Just Cuomo Who Lost. It’s Cuomoism.
www.nytimes.com
Politicians like Cuomo are a relic of the past. (Did I want to title this one “Don’t Let The Door Hit You On The Way Out”? Yes, I did.) www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/o...
Reposted by Elizabeth Spiers
News --> The commander who oversaw Pete Hegseth's alleged killing of two boat bombing survivors is now likely to come in and face questions from the House Armed Services Committee, ranking Dem Adam Smith tells me.
In this piece, I try to make sense of this horror:
newrepublic.com/article/2037...
In this piece, I try to make sense of this horror:
newrepublic.com/article/2037...
Trump Boat Bombings Suddenly on Shakier Ground as Damning Info Emerges
Will Republicans give us a real investigation into Trump’s bombings, now that we just learned horrific new details about them? Or are they seriously going to fall on their swords for Pete Hegseth?
newrepublic.com
December 1, 2025 at 6:19 PM
News --> The commander who oversaw Pete Hegseth's alleged killing of two boat bombing survivors is now likely to come in and face questions from the House Armed Services Committee, ranking Dem Adam Smith tells me.
In this piece, I try to make sense of this horror:
newrepublic.com/article/2037...
In this piece, I try to make sense of this horror:
newrepublic.com/article/2037...
This is just going to go on forever, isn't it
December 1, 2025 at 9:27 PM
This is just going to go on forever, isn't it
Did they describe his brain as smooth, too? Because that would actually make sense.
"smooth and healthy" is definitely how a real doctor would actually describe a real patient's actual heart vessels.
Surprise: The White House physician says Trump's health is "excellent," nothing weird about him getting a random MRI
December 1, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Did they describe his brain as smooth, too? Because that would actually make sense.
Reposted by Elizabeth Spiers
presented without comment
December 1, 2025 at 2:28 AM
presented without comment
I guess it's unsurprising that mediocre men find each other extraordinary, especially when they're behaving selfishly and pretending it's for the good of society.
December 1, 2025 at 8:23 PM
I guess it's unsurprising that mediocre men find each other extraordinary, especially when they're behaving selfishly and pretending it's for the good of society.
Yes she did. She did not follow any of the instructions, refused to address the argument in the paper—which was the assignment—and instead turned in transphobic nonsense citing nothing but her own opinion
Notably, the student at OU didn’t do any of these things.
But if I had a student who went out of their way to blatantly disregard the terms of an assignment--particularly to express hostility or contempt for me and / or their classmates -- that would be an automatic F. Effort would not matter.
December 1, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Yes she did. She did not follow any of the instructions, refused to address the argument in the paper—which was the assignment—and instead turned in transphobic nonsense citing nothing but her own opinion
Reposted by Elizabeth Spiers
It is incredibly strange that these schools seem to factor in zero reputational, enrollment, or recruitment damage to their “settling with Trump” equation, when clearly there’s a major hit to all three.
We must keep calling out those that cave to the Trump Admin, and the latest is Northwestern.
As part of their "deal," NU will pay $75 million, stop vital research, renege on agreements with its students over the war in Gaza, and more.
Throwing your students under the bus to please Trump. Shameful.
As part of their "deal," NU will pay $75 million, stop vital research, renege on agreements with its students over the war in Gaza, and more.
Throwing your students under the bus to please Trump. Shameful.
Northwestern Agrees to a Deal With Trump Administration
www.nytimes.com
December 1, 2025 at 1:34 PM
It is incredibly strange that these schools seem to factor in zero reputational, enrollment, or recruitment damage to their “settling with Trump” equation, when clearly there’s a major hit to all three.
Re this Oklahoma student and her transphobic paper: I'm a very easy grader and if my students put in the effort and are demonstrating that they're learning, they'll likely end up with an A.
December 1, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Re this Oklahoma student and her transphobic paper: I'm a very easy grader and if my students put in the effort and are demonstrating that they're learning, they'll likely end up with an A.
Reposted by Elizabeth Spiers
there is no other context where you could respond to readings by
1) not citing a single reading
2) nor responding to the point of a single reading
3) writing exclusively about how you reject the point of the readings based on your own shitty politics
and have the end product defended
1) not citing a single reading
2) nor responding to the point of a single reading
3) writing exclusively about how you reject the point of the readings based on your own shitty politics
and have the end product defended
This won’t be a popular opinion, but I don’t think the instructor was right here. The assignment said that the goal was for students to demonstrate they completed the readings *and* they could do so by reflecting on, among other things, their personal experiences. www.oudaily.com/news/ou-stat...
OU puts graduate instructor on leave after student claims discrimination on Bible-based essay grade
OU placed a graduate student instructor on leave after a student publicly contested a grade and filed an illegal discrimination claim after she received a failing grade on an essay
www.oudaily.com
December 1, 2025 at 5:12 PM
there is no other context where you could respond to readings by
1) not citing a single reading
2) nor responding to the point of a single reading
3) writing exclusively about how you reject the point of the readings based on your own shitty politics
and have the end product defended
1) not citing a single reading
2) nor responding to the point of a single reading
3) writing exclusively about how you reject the point of the readings based on your own shitty politics
and have the end product defended
It would be an amazing end to the story if his stupid ballroom collapsed on top of him
Trump told crews working on White House ballroom to ignore zoning conditions: report
Trump told crews working on White House ballroom to ignore zoning conditions: report
Trump told crews working on White House ballroom to ignore zoning conditions: report
www.independent.co.uk
December 1, 2025 at 5:27 PM
It would be an amazing end to the story if his stupid ballroom collapsed on top of him
Reposted by Elizabeth Spiers
Trump needs you to simultaneously believe that it's nuts to think the president of a country could actually be a drug trafficker, and that we are going to war with another country because its president is actually a drug trafficker.
Reporter: You have made so clear how you want to keep drugs out of the US—
Trump: Right
Reporter: Can you explain why you would pardon a notorious drug trafficker?
Trump: If somebody sells drugs in that country, that doesn’t mean you arrest the president
Trump: Right
Reporter: Can you explain why you would pardon a notorious drug trafficker?
Trump: If somebody sells drugs in that country, that doesn’t mean you arrest the president
December 1, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Trump needs you to simultaneously believe that it's nuts to think the president of a country could actually be a drug trafficker, and that we are going to war with another country because its president is actually a drug trafficker.
Reposted by Elizabeth Spiers
Conservative commentator Brian Griffiths on Turning Point USA's religious-discrimination claim against the University of Oklahoma: "if you read Fulnecky’s essay, you will see that...the essay is really pathetic and bad. Nor did it meet the basic instructions set out for the assignment."
Becoming What They Hate
For years, professional conservatives bemoaned the "special treatment" they alleged "unqualified" liberals received on campus. Now, they demand it for students on the right.
www.theduckpin.com
December 1, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Conservative commentator Brian Griffiths on Turning Point USA's religious-discrimination claim against the University of Oklahoma: "if you read Fulnecky’s essay, you will see that...the essay is really pathetic and bad. Nor did it meet the basic instructions set out for the assignment."
Before, and after
December 1, 2025 at 1:20 AM
Before, and after
Reposted by Elizabeth Spiers
I'm really glad to see someone like Kelly finally saying this. bsky.app/profile/atru...
Mark Kelly: "This president, when he says things like 'third world countries,' what is he really saying? I think what he's saying is he doesn't want brown people in our country. And that's disturbing. It's un-American."
November 30, 2025 at 4:29 PM
I'm really glad to see someone like Kelly finally saying this. bsky.app/profile/atru...
Reposted by Elizabeth Spiers
Sounds like coolly calculated contempt to me.
KARL: Did you know about the judge's order when you issued your order for the planes to continue?
KRISTI NOEM: This is an activist judge. We comply with all federal orders that are lawful and binding.
KRISTI NOEM: This is an activist judge. We comply with all federal orders that are lawful and binding.
November 30, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Sounds like coolly calculated contempt to me.
This is next weekend!
My last workshop of the year is on Sunday, December 7th. It's about building a writing practice and habit formation, so it might be particularly good for you if you plan on making some writing related New Year's resolutions: www.elizabethspiers.com/workshops/
Workshops
Learn to write professional op-eds and personal essays with Elizabeth Spiers, a contributing writer for The New York Times opinion section, former columnist at Fortune and Fast Company, and opinion co...
www.elizabethspiers.com
November 30, 2025 at 5:00 PM
This is next weekend!
Who would have guessed that David Sacks would be doing unethical shit in the White House? Not a single guy in that cohort who’s not a raging sociopath www.nytimes.com/2025/11/30/t...
Silicon Valley’s Man in the White House Is Benefiting Himself and His Friends
www.nytimes.com
November 30, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Who would have guessed that David Sacks would be doing unethical shit in the White House? Not a single guy in that cohort who’s not a raging sociopath www.nytimes.com/2025/11/30/t...
Reposted by Elizabeth Spiers
this is quite the detail
November 30, 2025 at 12:41 PM
this is quite the detail
Reposted by Elizabeth Spiers
Mark Kelly says Pete Hegseth's reported double tap strike on a boat "seems to" be a war crime, and adds, "if what has been reported is accurate, I've got serious concerns about anybody in that chain of command stepping over a line that they should never step over. We are not Russia. We are not Iraq"
November 30, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Mark Kelly says Pete Hegseth's reported double tap strike on a boat "seems to" be a war crime, and adds, "if what has been reported is accurate, I've got serious concerns about anybody in that chain of command stepping over a line that they should never step over. We are not Russia. We are not Iraq"
Reposted by Elizabeth Spiers
"oh, don't forget to highlight, in bright red, the two-letter word in the tagline! the two letter word that's kind of the whole point of this clever ad campaign! the two letter word that links this show to the horror movie of the same name!"
"no problem boss. i'm on it"
"no problem boss. i'm on it"
November 29, 2025 at 8:51 PM
"oh, don't forget to highlight, in bright red, the two-letter word in the tagline! the two letter word that's kind of the whole point of this clever ad campaign! the two letter word that links this show to the horror movie of the same name!"
"no problem boss. i'm on it"
"no problem boss. i'm on it"
I just saw The Running Man and the Michael Cera character is every white progressive Brookynite I know: they look harmless but are armed with booby trapped houses, intricate escape plans, and excellent zines
November 29, 2025 at 10:55 PM
I just saw The Running Man and the Michael Cera character is every white progressive Brookynite I know: they look harmless but are armed with booby trapped houses, intricate escape plans, and excellent zines
Reposted by Elizabeth Spiers
Harvard Law School’s Jack Goldsmith:
“In short, if the Post’s facts are correct, it appears that Special Operations Forces committed murder when the ‘two men were blown apart in the water, as the Post put it.’”
open.substack.com/pub/executiv...
“In short, if the Post’s facts are correct, it appears that Special Operations Forces committed murder when the ‘two men were blown apart in the water, as the Post put it.’”
open.substack.com/pub/executiv...
November 29, 2025 at 4:25 AM
Harvard Law School’s Jack Goldsmith:
“In short, if the Post’s facts are correct, it appears that Special Operations Forces committed murder when the ‘two men were blown apart in the water, as the Post put it.’”
open.substack.com/pub/executiv...
“In short, if the Post’s facts are correct, it appears that Special Operations Forces committed murder when the ‘two men were blown apart in the water, as the Post put it.’”
open.substack.com/pub/executiv...
Reposted by Elizabeth Spiers
Indiana Senate Republican Greg Walker “said he would have reported the alleged violation to federal authorities “if I thought that there was anyone of integrity in Washington that would follow through on my accusation ..”
@adamwren.bsky.social #redistrict
dailyjournal.net/2025/11/26/s...
@adamwren.bsky.social #redistrict
dailyjournal.net/2025/11/26/s...
November 29, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Indiana Senate Republican Greg Walker “said he would have reported the alleged violation to federal authorities “if I thought that there was anyone of integrity in Washington that would follow through on my accusation ..”
@adamwren.bsky.social #redistrict
dailyjournal.net/2025/11/26/s...
@adamwren.bsky.social #redistrict
dailyjournal.net/2025/11/26/s...
Reposted by Elizabeth Spiers
Stephen Miller’s Wife @katiemiller : “Can you cite the statute that makes the boat bombings illegal?”
@bakarisellers.bsky.social : “The due process
clause in the constitution.”
@bakarisellers.bsky.social : “The due process
clause in the constitution.”
November 29, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Stephen Miller’s Wife @katiemiller : “Can you cite the statute that makes the boat bombings illegal?”
@bakarisellers.bsky.social : “The due process
clause in the constitution.”
@bakarisellers.bsky.social : “The due process
clause in the constitution.”