Mark
markwhittier.bsky.social
Mark
@markwhittier.bsky.social
Democracy over Autocracy / Theocracy
Socially liberal – Fiscally conservative
Fitness for life: Eat whole foods & Exercise
Pinned
The Executive / Judicial faces of Authoritarianism ⬇️
This is, without any exaggeration, exactly how Putin and Orbán proceeded — using antisemitism to discredit the idea of civil society and political opposition, and as an excuse to undo the rule of law.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/25/u...
Justice Dept. Official Pushes Prosecutors to Investigate George Soros’s Foundation
www.nytimes.com
Reposted by Mark
Some people are applauding the candor of this, but what I noticed is that it was only liked by barely 1% of the people who saw it.

Clearly, to Laura Loomer's followers, the GOP Nazi problem is that it doesn't have enough of them.
November 18, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Just a reminder that Peter Thiel spent $15,000,000 to put JD Vance in the Senate. He favors a theocratic State, and the demise of our Representative Democracy.
Imagine the arrogance of coming to another country as an immigrant, becoming a citizen, and then having the audacity to publicly say you're ready to destroy their constitution.

He should have lost his citizenship awhile ago.
November 18, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Massive gaslighting by Rep Nancy Mace.
Nancy Mace: "You can see in the Epstein emails that he's clearly targeting President Trump as retribution for him being a good man ... he's a good man who protects women. That's what real men do."
November 18, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Reposted by Mark
November 18, 2025 at 4:01 PM
#TrumpCorruption in plain sight, as per usual.
Every single news story about Trump hosting MBS at the WH today should include the tremendously lucrative business deals the Saudis have done this year with Trump Org to enrich Trump and his family personally, which is the primary reason why this is happening.
November 18, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Trump always aligns with political thugs, because he is one.
Trump just called Mohammed bin Salman a "very good friend" and added, "we've always been on the same side of every issue."

This is the first time MBS has been on U.S. soil since Saudi agents murdered and dismembered Jamal Khashoggi.

Trump praised MBS's record on human rights.
November 18, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Trump wishes he had the same power as MBS, to vanquish "enemies of the State" by making them disappear, permanently.
Trump suggests Khashoggi had it coming: "You're mentioning someone that was extremely controversial. A lot of people didn't like that gentleman that you're talking about. Whether you like him or didn't like him, things happen. But he knew nothing about it. You don't have to embarrass our guest."
November 18, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Reposted by Mark
When Trump blessed Tucker's interview with Nick Fuentes, he was acknowledging that the white nationalist constituency inside the MAGA coalition has grown too big to marginalize.

On the pod, @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social is brilliant on this and what it means for Vance:
newrepublic.com/article/2033...
Trump Accidentally Stabs Vance in the Back as MAGA Erupts in Civil War
As Trump’s comments about neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes create a surprising problem for JD Vance, the author of a piece on the Fuentes fiasco explains why this has ignited a civil war inside MAGA that is abou...
newrepublic.com
November 18, 2025 at 12:26 PM
Reposted by Mark
With Annie Farmer's powerful recounting of the law enforcement failures on Epstein -- under Democratic and Republican administrations alike.

We prepared this chronology:

Timeline of Jeffrey Epstein-Ghislaine Maxwell Law Enforcement Failures (1996-2025)
www.justsecurity.org/119137/timel...
Timeline of Jeffrey Epstein-Ghislaine Maxwell Law Enforcement Failures (1996-2025)
A comprehensive timeline of the failure of federal law enforcement to address Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's crimes.
www.justsecurity.org
November 18, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Reposted by Mark
Q: Speaker Johnson is calling on the Senate to make revisions to this bill because he says it's doesn't adequately protect survivors

MASSIE: That's been a red herring all along. The survivors have always been in favor of this legislation. He's trying to save face.
November 18, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Reposted by Mark
Marjorie Taylor Greene: This has been one of the most destructive things to MAGA, watching the man that we supported early on, three elections... watching this actually turn into a fight has ripped MAGA apart... the American people won't tolerate any other bullshit.
November 18, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Reposted by Mark
Andrew Johnson — a Jan. 6 rioter who went by "Am🇺🇸rican T🇺🇸rrorist” on Elon Musk’s platform — has been arrested on child molestation charges, with police saying he used the promise of a taxpayer-funded payout from Trump's DOJ to try and keep one of the victims silent.

theintercept.com/2025/11/17/p...
Pardoned Capitol Rioter Tried to Hush Child Sex Victim With Promise of Jan. 6 Reparation Money, Police Say
Pardoned Capitol rioter Andrew Johnson tried to keep a child sex abuse victim quiet with claimed $10 million Jan. 6 reparations, police say.
theintercept.com
November 18, 2025 at 3:10 PM
NYTimes open share:

The Right is finally starting to wake up about Trump's corruption, among other deep concerns.

The MAGA Crackup Might Finally Be Here www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/o...
Opinion | The MAGA Crackup Might Finally Be Here
www.nytimes.com
November 18, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Why does the Trump Administration keep protecting sex offenders?
November 18, 2025 at 2:30 PM
NYTimes open share: The Right is finally starting to wake up about Trump's corruption, among other flaws.

The MAGA Crackup Might Finally Be Here www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/o...
Opinion | The MAGA Crackup Might Finally Be Here
www.nytimes.com
November 18, 2025 at 2:29 PM
NYTimes open share:

Thanks to @rfk-junior.bsky.social Chief Anti-Vax Crusader

C.D.C. Links #Measles Outbreaks in Multiple States for the First Time www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/h...
C.D.C. Links Measles Outbreaks in Multiple States for the First Time
www.nytimes.com
November 18, 2025 at 4:21 AM
NYTimes open share:

E.P.A. Rule Would Drastically Curb Protections for Wetlands www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/c...
E.P.A. Rule Would Drastically Curb Protections for Wetlands
www.nytimes.com
November 18, 2025 at 12:58 AM
Reposted by Mark
Trump "encouraging" Congress to pass the discharge petition is all theater. Trump doesn't need Congress to release the Epstein Files. DOJ reports to HIM. And Pam will do as he commanded—not release the files, or at least any that are embarrassing to him.
November 17, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Reposted by Mark
Trump's illegal murders in the Caribbean just got worse. An internal DOJ memo on the bombings says the victims are waging war on the US, but per NYT, it extensively cites the WH's *own claims* to this effect as evidence!

It gets even darker than that. 1/

(new piece)
newrepublic.com/article/2032...
Trump Boat Bombings Take Dark, Unnerving Turn with Leaked Memo Stunner
A new Trump administration memo argues that those carrying out the boat attacks can’t be prosecuted. Why? Because the administration says so!
newrepublic.com
November 15, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Reposted by Mark
"People familiar with FBI security protocols said they were unaware of any other instance in which the girlfriends of top FBI officials received government-staffed security details..."

www.ms.now/news/kash-pa...
Kash Patel's girlfriend being protected by FBI SWAT agents as security perk
Agents on a detail with the country singer would presumably be unable to respond or delayed in responding to other incidents, according to sources.
www.ms.now
November 17, 2025 at 6:31 PM
There WILL be heavy edits!
#TrumpEpsteinCoverup
#EpsteinFiles
Feels like we're at the stage where Nixon caved to the pressure and released transcripts of the Oval Office recordings, which turned out to have been heavily edited and misleading.

We might be jumping ahead to the 18 1/2 minute erasure, though.

But I'm not sure the 1-to-1 comparison really works?
Attention, historians of Watergate! I'm getting flashbacks from the months of back and forth, reversals and blunders over release of White House records. What stage are we at with the Epstein Files? Drip, drip, drip, as we used to say. @kevinmkruse.bsky.social @hcrichardson.bsky.social
November 17, 2025 at 6:53 PM
This is the correct take on Trump's reversal, encouraging House GOP members to vote in favor of releasing the #EpsteinFiles .
He had no intention of releasing them. He’s going to pretend he does while simultaneously filing an investigation of the Dems in the files to which Bondi will not allow the release as there is an ongoing investigation - just like they conspired to do!
November 17, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Reposted by Mark
Why does Trump need to support the House vote to release the Epstein files? Can't he just order their release himself?
November 17, 2025 at 2:50 PM
The actual threats from within.
#FarRightExtremism #AntiSemitism
"Far-right group with links to neo-Nazi leader offers online military training: Experts say Observations Group’s connections to the Base and Rinaldo Nazzaro present ‘urgent danger’".
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Far-right group with links to neo-Nazi leader offers online military training
Experts say Observations Group’s connections to the Base and Rinaldo Nazzaro present ‘urgent danger’
www.theguardian.com
November 17, 2025 at 3:17 PM
#RFKJr started this #anti-vax organization (Children's Health Defense) nearly 10 years ago.

Here' excellent reporting by STAT News about their first conference.

statnews.com/2025/11/11/c...
I’m a physician who went to the anti-vaccine movement’s biggest gathering. More of my colleagues should too
A pro-vaccine physician went to the anti-vaccine movement’s biggest gathering. He warns that public health must learn what it’s up against.
statnews.com
November 17, 2025 at 2:05 AM