Matthew Stiegler
@matthewstiegler.bsky.social
Appellate lawyer, president of Third Circuit Bar Association, former prosecutor, fellow of American Academy of Appellate Lawyers. Boring until fascism.
Views here: just mine.
Views here: just mine.
Pinned
🧵 Authoritarianism, Democratization, and Coalition Politics.
The consensus around here is, more or less, that the United States is currently a consolidating authoritarian regime controlled by a mix of reactionary populists and fascists.
The consensus around here is, more or less, that the United States is currently a consolidating authoritarian regime controlled by a mix of reactionary populists and fascists.
We lose it all if we don’t unite in time.
Poor guy put himself in trauma
Live your life in a way that you don't need a $15m security detail, is my opinion.
"The White House Office of Management and Budget, which Vought leads, is allocating $15 million of what remains of USAID operating expenses to cover the costs of his protection" www.reuters.com/world/us/whi...
February 13, 2026 at 3:02 PM
Poor guy put himself in trauma
These people are cowards.
All of his bluster, gone. His pseudo-intellectual patter. His bold, clear insistence that white men are today’s real victims—nowhere to be found.
Removed from their odious bubbles, they stammer, they cringe, they thank you for each eviscerating question.
Cowards.
All of his bluster, gone. His pseudo-intellectual patter. His bold, clear insistence that white men are today’s real victims—nowhere to be found.
Removed from their odious bubbles, they stammer, they cringe, they thank you for each eviscerating question.
Cowards.
Watch this clip of @booker.senate.gov masterfully question white nationalist Jeremy Carl. Even as Carl tries to distance himself from some of his own racist statements, he defends the white nationalist great replacement theory! (3:40 mark.) Very important to expose this.
youtube.com/watch?v=7VYq...
youtube.com/watch?v=7VYq...
'It Sounds Like You Have A Racial Hierarchy': Cory Booker Shows Absolutely No Mercy To Trump Nom
YouTube video by Forbes Breaking News
youtube.com
February 13, 2026 at 2:08 PM
These people are cowards.
All of his bluster, gone. His pseudo-intellectual patter. His bold, clear insistence that white men are today’s real victims—nowhere to be found.
Removed from their odious bubbles, they stammer, they cringe, they thank you for each eviscerating question.
Cowards.
All of his bluster, gone. His pseudo-intellectual patter. His bold, clear insistence that white men are today’s real victims—nowhere to be found.
Removed from their odious bubbles, they stammer, they cringe, they thank you for each eviscerating question.
Cowards.
I’d avoided it too, obviously. It’s heavy obviously, but I’m finding it more enraging than traumatizing.
February 13, 2026 at 2:22 AM
I’d avoided it too, obviously. It’s heavy obviously, but I’m finding it more enraging than traumatizing.
The Netflix documentary series on Epstein, Filthy Rich, came out back in 2020, but I’m only just watching it now.
In case there’s anyone left in the galaxy who hasn’t seen it yet: you should.
In case there’s anyone left in the galaxy who hasn’t seen it yet: you should.
February 13, 2026 at 2:14 AM
The Netflix documentary series on Epstein, Filthy Rich, came out back in 2020, but I’m only just watching it now.
In case there’s anyone left in the galaxy who hasn’t seen it yet: you should.
In case there’s anyone left in the galaxy who hasn’t seen it yet: you should.
Incredibly powerful opinion chronicling the awfulness in Whipple and the ways it interfered with the right to counsel.
One key part of the ruling (that ICE will likely appeal ASAP); Judge Brasel bars ICE from transferring anyone out of Minnesota within 72 hours of arrest.
One key part of the ruling (that ICE will likely appeal ASAP); Judge Brasel bars ICE from transferring anyone out of Minnesota within 72 hours of arrest.
February 13, 2026 at 1:05 AM
“The Constitution does not permit the government to arrest thousands of individuals and then disregard their constitutional rights because it would be too challenging to honor those rights.”
BREAKING: Judge Nancy Brasel, a Trump appointee, has issued a TRO in the Minnesota access-to-counsel case about treatment at Whipple.
"It appears that in planning for Operation Metro Surge, the government failed to plan for the constitutional rights of its civil detainees."
"It appears that in planning for Operation Metro Surge, the government failed to plan for the constitutional rights of its civil detainees."
February 13, 2026 at 12:24 AM
“The Constitution does not permit the government to arrest thousands of individuals and then disregard their constitutional rights because it would be too challenging to honor those rights.”
My offhand two cents:
It’s healthy and necessary for judges to be permitted speak to the public about these topics, however the primary responsibility will remain with lawyers.
It’s healthy and necessary for judges to be permitted speak to the public about these topics, however the primary responsibility will remain with lawyers.
February 12, 2026 at 11:51 PM
My offhand two cents:
It’s healthy and necessary for judges to be permitted speak to the public about these topics, however the primary responsibility will remain with lawyers.
It’s healthy and necessary for judges to be permitted speak to the public about these topics, however the primary responsibility will remain with lawyers.
More coverage (and where I found the link) from @jacqthomsen.bsky.social
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Federal Judges Have ‘Limits’ On Speaking About Legal Issues (1)
Federal judges can publicly speak about judicial independence and security, but not all speech about the law is permitted under the courts’ ethics code, according to a new judicial advisory opinion.
news.bloomberglaw.com
February 12, 2026 at 11:31 PM
More coverage (and where I found the link) from @jacqthomsen.bsky.social
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Here’s that passage from the ethics opinion
February 12, 2026 at 11:28 PM
Here’s that passage from the ethics opinion
Reposted by Matthew Stiegler
New: Federal judges may advocate for greater security and defend colleagues against "illegitimate" attacks and criticism that risk undermining judicial independence or the rule of law, according to a new judicial ethics opinion. www.reuters.com/legal/govern...
US judges may speak out against 'illegitimate' criticism, ethics panel says
U.S. federal judges may advocate for greater security and defend colleagues against "illegitimate" attacks and criticism that risk undermining judicial independence or the rule of law, according to a ...
www.reuters.com
February 12, 2026 at 11:18 PM
New: Federal judges may advocate for greater security and defend colleagues against "illegitimate" attacks and criticism that risk undermining judicial independence or the rule of law, according to a new judicial ethics opinion. www.reuters.com/legal/govern...
Need a new word for MAGA judges’ gnawing fear of career harm for not authoring their own dissent from denial of en banc.
February 12, 2026 at 10:39 PM
Need a new word for MAGA judges’ gnawing fear of career harm for not authoring their own dissent from denial of en banc.
Seemed to work
February 12, 2026 at 10:20 PM
Seemed to work
Reposted by Matthew Stiegler
The rejection of the policy has been overwhelming — and driven by judges of all ideologies. While the 28 judges who have backed the admin’s view are, with a few exceptions, Trump appointees.
www.politico.com/news/2026/02...
www.politico.com/news/2026/02...
February 12, 2026 at 10:09 PM
The rejection of the policy has been overwhelming — and driven by judges of all ideologies. While the 28 judges who have backed the admin’s view are, with a few exceptions, Trump appointees.
www.politico.com/news/2026/02...
www.politico.com/news/2026/02...
Reposted by Matthew Stiegler
NEW: We’re publishing a full list of the 373 federal judges who have ruled against ICE’s mass detention policy and the 28 who have endorsed it — as well as links to key rulings by each.
Trump appointees have split 44 against/ 20 for the policy.
www.politico.com/news/2026/02...
Trump appointees have split 44 against/ 20 for the policy.
www.politico.com/news/2026/02...
February 12, 2026 at 10:01 PM
NEW: We’re publishing a full list of the 373 federal judges who have ruled against ICE’s mass detention policy and the 28 who have endorsed it — as well as links to key rulings by each.
Trump appointees have split 44 against/ 20 for the policy.
www.politico.com/news/2026/02...
Trump appointees have split 44 against/ 20 for the policy.
www.politico.com/news/2026/02...
Trump nominated a legit white nationalist to a top post at the State Department. I asked him some basic questions about his belief in the “erasure of white culture”. Watch this embarrassing, fumbling answer. Like he has never before been asked to explain his views.
February 12, 2026 at 9:57 PM
I just expected less stammering from a guy who tweeted that if the U.S. were a serious nation the head of the national teachers’ union would get the death penalty, I guess.
February 12, 2026 at 9:50 PM
I just expected less stammering from a guy who tweeted that if the U.S. were a serious nation the head of the national teachers’ union would get the death penalty, I guess.
Reposted by Matthew Stiegler
Why tough man scared?
Trump nominated a legit white nationalist to a top post at the State Department. I asked him some basic questions about his belief in the “erasure of white culture”. Watch this embarrassing, fumbling answer. Like he has never before been asked to explain his views.
February 12, 2026 at 9:27 PM
Why tough man scared?
… which is my polite way of saying wtf is wrong with us that she has 249 followers here
February 12, 2026 at 6:43 PM
… which is my polite way of saying wtf is wrong with us that she has 249 followers here