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Ellis Hankins

@forrepdemruleoflaw.bsky.social

990 followers 1K following 4K posts

Very concerned American in North Carolina. Retired lawyer & public policy/management professor in a purple state (the state, not me). Married up. Public commercial airport board member, aviation enthusiast.

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Ellis Hankins @forrepdemruleoflaw.bsky.social · 4h

Despicable. Evil.

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Ellis Hankins @forrepdemruleoflaw.bsky.social · 4h

Authoritarian thugs.

U.S. Citizen Detained And Held At ICE Building In Portland For Hours Before Release, Lawyer Says

“Masked federal agents aren’t welcome in our state and they can’t keep kidnapping Americans," Democratic U.S. Rep. Janelle Bynum said.

www.huffpost.com

Ellis Hankins @forrepdemruleoflaw.bsky.social · 8h

Joe Walsh

“Trump has a goal of deporting one million people a year…in a way that’s as performatively violent as possible. That takes…a certain type of person—thousands of unvetted, undertrained zealots with an authoritarian fetish, using the badge as a tool to push existing far-right agendas.”

Who Is ICE?

That’s the problem—we don’t know.

open.substack.com

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Ellis Hankins @forrepdemruleoflaw.bsky.social · 1d

Bailing out their hedge fund buddies & benefactors who made bad bets on the Argentina version of Trump.

Ellis Hankins @forrepdemruleoflaw.bsky.social · 1d

Nuts.

Ellis Hankins @forrepdemruleoflaw.bsky.social · 1d

How many governments around the world are looking at Qatar with envy, & marveling at how relatively little it took to purchase Donald Trump (an airplane they didn’t want)? So far Qatar has gotten a NATO-level security guarantee & a green light to build a military facility on American soil, in Idaho.

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Ellis Hankins @forrepdemruleoflaw.bsky.social · 1d

Breathtaking corruption.

This OK with you Lindsey?

thehill.com

Ellis Hankins @forrepdemruleoflaw.bsky.social · 1d

But is Susan “disappointed” yet?

Congress erupts at Trump's shutdown mass firings: "This is a disaster"

Democrats are warning that Trump officials who carry out the layoffs could be prosecuted.

www.axios.com

Ellis Hankins @forrepdemruleoflaw.bsky.social · 1d

If their lips or fingers are moving, they’re lying.

Ellis Hankins @forrepdemruleoflaw.bsky.social · 1d

Thank you MIT!

MIT Rejects White House Deal To Unlock Funds In Exchange For Adopting Trump’s Political Agenda

In a letter to Trump administration officials, MIT President Sally Kornbluth said MIT disagrees with provisions of the proposal.

www.huffpost.com

Ellis Hankins @forrepdemruleoflaw.bsky.social · 1d

Phillips O’Brien

“The good news is that Trump clearly feels political pressure now not to be too openly pro-Russian and to speak more clearly about possibly supporting Ukraine.”

Something Interesting Is Happening With GOP Public Opinion

Hi All,

open.substack.com

Ellis Hankins @forrepdemruleoflaw.bsky.social · 1d

Up is down.

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Ellis Hankins @forrepdemruleoflaw.bsky.social · 1d

Who gave her normal pills? Would they work on others?

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Ellis Hankins @forrepdemruleoflaw.bsky.social · 1d

We’ll know by the end of this term whether the Supreme Court is fully captured. Now they have to decide on the merits all of those issues that the MAGA majority has handled with dark of night, sleight of hand, unexplained shadow docket rulings.
You are an actual libertarian, T.J. Rohr.

Ellis Hankins @forrepdemruleoflaw.bsky.social · 1d

“Show me the man and I’ll show you the crime.” Lavrentiy Beria, ruthless longtime head of Stalin’s secret police.

Ellis Hankins @forrepdemruleoflaw.bsky.social · 1d

Excellent. The federal courts are not yet fully captured by authoritarians.

Judge Blocks National Guard Deployment In Illinois For 2 Weeks

A judge blocked the deployment of National Guard troops in the Chicago area for two weeks, finding no substantial evidence that a “danger of rebellion” is brewing in Illinois.

www.huffpost.com

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Ellis Hankins @forrepdemruleoflaw.bsky.social · 1d

Hypocrisy.

Ellis Hankins @forrepdemruleoflaw.bsky.social · 1d

MAGAstan Department of Retribution.

The U.S. Department of Justice is dead.

Ellis Hankins @forrepdemruleoflaw.bsky.social · 2d

Grr.

Ellis Hankins @forrepdemruleoflaw.bsky.social · 2d

These apparatchiks will try to indict everyone on their authoritarian Maximum Leader’s enemies list. Grand juries need to refuse, although you can bet that no exculpatory evidence will be presented.
I held a license to practice law for 45 yrs. Never dreamed that we would see this in this country.

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Ellis Hankins @forrepdemruleoflaw.bsky.social · 2d

These people are nuts.

Health Secretary Kennedy, Trump link circumcision to autism through Tylenol

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. noted boys who are circumcised have higher rates of autism, which he said could be a result of Tylenol.

www.usatoday.com

Ellis Hankins @forrepdemruleoflaw.bsky.social · 2d

Russian style show trials, if these cases actually get to trial.

Ellis Hankins @forrepdemruleoflaw.bsky.social · 2d

Hope you’re right.

Resist, defy.

Ellis Hankins @forrepdemruleoflaw.bsky.social · 2d

These apparatchiks are going to follow the orders of their authoritarian Maximum leader & indict every one of his political opponents (enemies in his view). Grand juries need to refuse, although I realize that is a lot to ask of ordinary people.

New York Attorney General Letitia James indicted on fraud charge, AP source says

A grand jury has indicted New York Attorney General Letitia James on a fraud charge in the latest Justice Department case against a perceived enemy of President Donald Trump, according to a person fam...

apnews.com

Ellis Hankins @forrepdemruleoflaw.bsky.social · 2d

Paul Krugman

“So while millions of children must die to save a few billion dollars, taxpayers are on the hook for billions more to bail out Bessent’s hedge fund buddies in a predictably futile attempt to save the Elon Musk of the South.”

Crony capitalism. Dumb crony capitalism.

Bailing out Bessent’s Buddies’ Bets on Argentina

Trump bails out hedge funds’ failed bets on Milei while his foreign aid cuts will kill millions of children

open.substack.com