Mark Follman
@markfollman.bsky.social
Author, dad, journalist at Mother Jones/CIR. My book TRIGGER POINTS is the story of expert teams who are preventing mass shootings, from K-12 schools to the FBI https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062973533/
Pinned
Mark Follman
@markfollman.bsky.social
· Mar 30
Lessons from a mass shooter's mother
A decade after her son committed a massacre, Chin Rodger is on a quest to help prevent the next tragedy.
www.motherjones.com
Some cool news: My investigation “Lessons From a Mass Shooter’s Mother”—chronicling how a killer's mom is now trying to help stop other massacres—is a National Magazine Award finalist x 2. In profile, and 1 of 2 @motherjones.com cover stories in General Excellence www.motherjones.com/criminal-jus...
Beyond sickening. Kristi Noem should be impeached for her lies and lack of accountability, and these federal agents who shot Alex Pretti point-blank in the back must be the subject of a fully independent investigation www.nytimes.com/video/us/100...
Video: New Video Analysis Reveals Flawed and Fatal Decisions in Shooting of Pretti
A frame-by-frame assessment of actions by Alex Pretti and the two officers who fired 10 times shows how lethal force came to be used against a target who didn’t pose a threat.
www.nytimes.com
January 27, 2026 at 3:14 PM
Beyond sickening. Kristi Noem should be impeached for her lies and lack of accountability, and these federal agents who shot Alex Pretti point-blank in the back must be the subject of a fully independent investigation www.nytimes.com/video/us/100...
Reposted by Mark Follman
They did it again with the killing of Alex Pretti—instant coordinated lies about “domestic terrorism.” But even beyond recent assassinations and shootings, the distinction now is that the deaths Trump seeks to exploit are at the hands of his own deportation forces www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
How Trump is using violent tragedies to divide America
ICE shootings, assassinations, mass attacks, and other traumas all serve as ammo for the demagogue in chief.
www.motherjones.com
January 26, 2026 at 5:30 PM
They did it again with the killing of Alex Pretti—instant coordinated lies about “domestic terrorism.” But even beyond recent assassinations and shootings, the distinction now is that the deaths Trump seeks to exploit are at the hands of his own deportation forces www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Parents unsure of how to cope with RFK Jr's insanity can now look to the American Academy of Pediatrics on vaccines www.wsj.com/health/healt...
Defying CDC, Pediatricians Recommend All Kids Get Vaccinations Against 18 Diseases
The American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendations for hepatitis B, influenza and other shots buck changes made by the Trump administration.
www.wsj.com
January 26, 2026 at 9:41 PM
Parents unsure of how to cope with RFK Jr's insanity can now look to the American Academy of Pediatrics on vaccines www.wsj.com/health/healt...
“It’s a shakedown. They’re trying to use the power of the federal government to scare Minnesota officials into handing over voter rolls... Trump wants that state voter data so that he has the ability to interfere with the upcoming midterm elections.” www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
DOJ’s “ransom” letter to Minnesota reveals how Trump plans to rig the midterms
After a Border Patrol agent killed Alex Pretti, Attorney General Pam Bondi tells Minnesota to hand over its voter roll to “bring an end to the chaos.”
www.motherjones.com
January 26, 2026 at 8:57 PM
“It’s a shakedown. They’re trying to use the power of the federal government to scare Minnesota officials into handing over voter rolls... Trump wants that state voter data so that he has the ability to interfere with the upcoming midterm elections.” www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Mark Follman
an administration that understood it needed at least *some* public opinion on its side would dump bovino immediately
DHS is using explosives on people’s homes???
“Bovino has often used the phrase “turn and burn” to describe Border Patrol operations, a reference to actions like smashing windshields, using explosives to blow down the doors of homes and engaging in car chases.” www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/u...
“Bovino has often used the phrase “turn and burn” to describe Border Patrol operations, a reference to actions like smashing windshields, using explosives to blow down the doors of homes and engaging in car chases.” www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/u...
January 26, 2026 at 4:54 PM
an administration that understood it needed at least *some* public opinion on its side would dump bovino immediately
Great that Trump appears to be seeking an off-ramp with Walz now that his ugly agenda is starting to crack under national outrage—but also a reminder that Trump was vicious to Walz after a far-right extremist shot and murdered MN lawmakers last year, and he even shamefully implied Walz was behind it
January 26, 2026 at 8:26 PM
Great that Trump appears to be seeking an off-ramp with Walz now that his ugly agenda is starting to crack under national outrage—but also a reminder that Trump was vicious to Walz after a far-right extremist shot and murdered MN lawmakers last year, and he even shamefully implied Walz was behind it
Reposted by Mark Follman
I spoke to the President earlier. We had a productive conversation and I explained to him that his staff doesn’t have their facts straight about Minnesota. My thoughts in the Wall Street Journal:
www.wsj.com/opinion/tim-...
www.wsj.com/opinion/tim-...
Opinion | Tim Walz: The Un-American Assault on Minnesota
Federal officials are lying. My state’s Corrections Department honors all immigration detainers.
www.wsj.com
January 26, 2026 at 6:24 PM
I spoke to the President earlier. We had a productive conversation and I explained to him that his staff doesn’t have their facts straight about Minnesota. My thoughts in the Wall Street Journal:
www.wsj.com/opinion/tim-...
www.wsj.com/opinion/tim-...
Reposted by Mark Follman
Here's the thing, Greg — free speech is still protected by the First Amendment under the Constitution.
If you want folks to stop saying you're the secret police who are kidnapping and killing people, maybe stop acting like the secret police who are kidnapping and killing people.
If you want folks to stop saying you're the secret police who are kidnapping and killing people, maybe stop acting like the secret police who are kidnapping and killing people.
Bovino: "When politicians, community leaders, & some journalists engage in that heated rhetoric we keep talking about, when they make the choice to vilify law enforcement calling law enforcement 'Gestapo' or using the term 'kidnapping,' that is a choice & there are actions & consequences."
January 26, 2026 at 7:33 PM
Here's the thing, Greg — free speech is still protected by the First Amendment under the Constitution.
If you want folks to stop saying you're the secret police who are kidnapping and killing people, maybe stop acting like the secret police who are kidnapping and killing people.
If you want folks to stop saying you're the secret police who are kidnapping and killing people, maybe stop acting like the secret police who are kidnapping and killing people.
"President Trump and his Department of Homeland Security in many ways appear to be attempting to provoke an actual showdown between federal forces and local or state authorities."
Another must-read from @vermontgmg.bsky.social www.wired.com/story/why-mi...
Another must-read from @vermontgmg.bsky.social www.wired.com/story/why-mi...
Why Minnesota Can’t Do More to Stop ICE
Democratic lawmakers have few options that wouldn’t trigger something like civil war.
www.wired.com
January 26, 2026 at 7:39 PM
"President Trump and his Department of Homeland Security in many ways appear to be attempting to provoke an actual showdown between federal forces and local or state authorities."
Another must-read from @vermontgmg.bsky.social www.wired.com/story/why-mi...
Another must-read from @vermontgmg.bsky.social www.wired.com/story/why-mi...
They did it again with the killing of Alex Pretti—instant coordinated lies about “domestic terrorism.” But even beyond recent assassinations and shootings, the distinction now is that the deaths Trump seeks to exploit are at the hands of his own deportation forces www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
How Trump is using violent tragedies to divide America
ICE shootings, assassinations, mass attacks, and other traumas all serve as ammo for the demagogue in chief.
www.motherjones.com
January 26, 2026 at 5:30 PM
They did it again with the killing of Alex Pretti—instant coordinated lies about “domestic terrorism.” But even beyond recent assassinations and shootings, the distinction now is that the deaths Trump seeks to exploit are at the hands of his own deportation forces www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Mark Follman
The Trump White House has used a deliberate campaign of lies and demagoguery around deadly violence ever since his return to office, as I documented in this recent story. The distinction now is that Trump's own deportation force is doing the killing. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
How Trump is using violent tragedies to divide America
ICE shootings, assassinations, mass attacks, and other traumas all serve as ammo for the demagogue in chief.
www.motherjones.com
January 26, 2026 at 4:16 AM
The Trump White House has used a deliberate campaign of lies and demagoguery around deadly violence ever since his return to office, as I documented in this recent story. The distinction now is that Trump's own deportation force is doing the killing. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
DHS is using explosives on people’s homes???
“Bovino has often used the phrase “turn and burn” to describe Border Patrol operations, a reference to actions like smashing windshields, using explosives to blow down the doors of homes and engaging in car chases.” www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/u...
“Bovino has often used the phrase “turn and burn” to describe Border Patrol operations, a reference to actions like smashing windshields, using explosives to blow down the doors of homes and engaging in car chases.” www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/u...
January 26, 2026 at 2:27 PM
DHS is using explosives on people’s homes???
“Bovino has often used the phrase “turn and burn” to describe Border Patrol operations, a reference to actions like smashing windshields, using explosives to blow down the doors of homes and engaging in car chases.” www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/u...
“Bovino has often used the phrase “turn and burn” to describe Border Patrol operations, a reference to actions like smashing windshields, using explosives to blow down the doors of homes and engaging in car chases.” www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/u...
The Trump White House has used a deliberate campaign of lies and demagoguery around deadly violence ever since his return to office, as I documented in this recent story. The distinction now is that Trump's own deportation force is doing the killing. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
How Trump is using violent tragedies to divide America
ICE shootings, assassinations, mass attacks, and other traumas all serve as ammo for the demagogue in chief.
www.motherjones.com
January 26, 2026 at 4:16 AM
The Trump White House has used a deliberate campaign of lies and demagoguery around deadly violence ever since his return to office, as I documented in this recent story. The distinction now is that Trump's own deportation force is doing the killing. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Mark Follman
The killing of Alex Pretti is a heartbreaking tragedy. It should also be a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under assault.
January 25, 2026 at 5:39 PM
The killing of Alex Pretti is a heartbreaking tragedy. It should also be a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under assault.
Again, America watches the horrific killing of a citizen by ICE agents—and the Trump White House trying to exploit it with lies and demagoguery. Read my reporting on the method behind their madness 👉
How Trump Is Using Violent Tragedies to Divide America www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
How Trump Is Using Violent Tragedies to Divide America www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
How Trump is using violent tragedies to divide America
ICE shootings, assassinations, mass attacks, and other traumas all serve as ammo for the demagogue in chief.
www.motherjones.com
January 25, 2026 at 1:52 AM
Again, America watches the horrific killing of a citizen by ICE agents—and the Trump White House trying to exploit it with lies and demagoguery. Read my reporting on the method behind their madness 👉
How Trump Is Using Violent Tragedies to Divide America www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
How Trump Is Using Violent Tragedies to Divide America www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Walz: "As I told the White House in no uncertain terms this morning, the federal government cannot be trusted to lead this investigation. The state will handle it, period.”
January 25, 2026 at 1:23 AM
Walz: "As I told the White House in no uncertain terms this morning, the federal government cannot be trusted to lead this investigation. The state will handle it, period.”
Reposted by Mark Follman
Imagine this in a trial.
Devastating first-hand witness to Alex Pretti's killing
Declaration filed in federal court:
"I don't know why they shot him. He was only helping. I was five feet from him and they just shot him."
Devastating first-hand witness to Alex Pretti's killing
Declaration filed in federal court:
"I don't know why they shot him. He was only helping. I was five feet from him and they just shot him."
January 25, 2026 at 1:20 AM
Imagine this in a trial.
Devastating first-hand witness to Alex Pretti's killing
Declaration filed in federal court:
"I don't know why they shot him. He was only helping. I was five feet from him and they just shot him."
Devastating first-hand witness to Alex Pretti's killing
Declaration filed in federal court:
"I don't know why they shot him. He was only helping. I was five feet from him and they just shot him."
Call it what it is. The Trump administration’s masked ICE agents are executing American citizens in the streets, and then the Trump administration is defending those agents with lies.
January 25, 2026 at 1:17 AM
Call it what it is. The Trump administration’s masked ICE agents are executing American citizens in the streets, and then the Trump administration is defending those agents with lies.
Reposted by Mark Follman
Two ways in which Trump's comments about NATO contributions to Afghanistan are wrong:
1. Morally
2. Factually
www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...
1. Morally
2. Factually
www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...
January 24, 2026 at 3:16 PM
Two ways in which Trump's comments about NATO contributions to Afghanistan are wrong:
1. Morally
2. Factually
www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...
1. Morally
2. Factually
www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...
“America is not supposed to be a place where an angel-faced 5-year-old named Liam, with a floppy-eared hat and a Spider-Man backpack, gets seized and taken to a detention center by men in masks.” www.nytimes.com/2026/01/24/o...
Opinion | The Un-American President
www.nytimes.com
January 24, 2026 at 3:12 PM
“America is not supposed to be a place where an angel-faced 5-year-old named Liam, with a floppy-eared hat and a Spider-Man backpack, gets seized and taken to a detention center by men in masks.” www.nytimes.com/2026/01/24/o...
Reposted by Mark Follman
MSNOW: “.. After Good was killed .., FBI agents drafted a search warrant to obtain her car to reconstruct the path of bullets .. But they were instructed to redraft their warrant and change the subject of the investigation .. into a suspected assault on an officer ..”
www.ms.now/news/doj-sou...
www.ms.now/news/doj-sou...
January 24, 2026 at 2:41 PM
MSNOW: “.. After Good was killed .., FBI agents drafted a search warrant to obtain her car to reconstruct the path of bullets .. But they were instructed to redraft their warrant and change the subject of the investigation .. into a suspected assault on an officer ..”
www.ms.now/news/doj-sou...
www.ms.now/news/doj-sou...
Reposted by Mark Follman
A German soccer federation executive committee member says it's time to consider a World Cup boycott because of the actions of U.S. President Donald Trump.
German soccer federation official wants World Cup boycott considered because of Trump
A German soccer federation executive committee member says it’s time to consider a World Cup boycott because of the actions of U.S. President Donald Trump.
bit.ly
January 23, 2026 at 10:00 PM
A German soccer federation executive committee member says it's time to consider a World Cup boycott because of the actions of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Reposted by Mark Follman
Here's the full video. Watch how RFK Jr. casually floats these phony claims to a young crowd at a recent Turning Point USA event. He's good at selling snake oil. www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnqt... /3
No, antidepressants don't cause mass shootings
YouTube video by Mother Jones
www.youtube.com
January 23, 2026 at 5:25 PM
Here's the full video. Watch how RFK Jr. casually floats these phony claims to a young crowd at a recent Turning Point USA event. He's good at selling snake oil. www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnqt... /3
Reposted by Mark Follman
January 24, 2026 at 12:16 AM