Bob Mann
@robertmannbooks.com
Emeritus professor at Louisiana State Univ; political historian; former Russell Long, John Breaux, Kathleen Blanco flunky; RobertMannBooks.com; My new book is: "You Are My Sunshine: Jimmie Davis & the Biography of a Song." https://robertmann.substack.co
Reposted by Bob Mann
Trump has just declared himself the "acting president of Venezuela" over on Truth Social in case you're wondering about his mental health.
January 12, 2026 at 1:43 AM
Trump has just declared himself the "acting president of Venezuela" over on Truth Social in case you're wondering about his mental health.
Reposted by Bob Mann
I'd like to request an ad in the next print Onion promoting Hilton Hotels' new slogan "The Official Innkeeper for ICE!"
"Complimentary Continental Breakfast and Kidnapping"
"Complimentary Continental Breakfast and Kidnapping"
January 12, 2026 at 3:05 AM
I'd like to request an ad in the next print Onion promoting Hilton Hotels' new slogan "The Official Innkeeper for ICE!"
"Complimentary Continental Breakfast and Kidnapping"
"Complimentary Continental Breakfast and Kidnapping"
Reposted by Bob Mann
This piece is very well reported and written. It’s clear-eyed, precise and gives important context. And yet it’s a great illustration that there’s this fundamental, unbridgeable formal constraint that makes it essentially impossible to plainly call this what it is.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/11/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/11/u...
Federal Prosecutors Are Said to Have Opened Inquiry Into Fed Chair Powell
www.nytimes.com
January 12, 2026 at 12:48 AM
This piece is very well reported and written. It’s clear-eyed, precise and gives important context. And yet it’s a great illustration that there’s this fundamental, unbridgeable formal constraint that makes it essentially impossible to plainly call this what it is.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/11/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/11/u...
Reposted by Bob Mann
Both NYT & WaPo treating Trump’s attacks on Powell as normal
Total teardown of US journalism by its billionaire owners & a symptom of billionaire capitalism’s collpase
Total teardown of US journalism by its billionaire owners & a symptom of billionaire capitalism’s collpase
January 12, 2026 at 3:46 AM
Both NYT & WaPo treating Trump’s attacks on Powell as normal
Total teardown of US journalism by its billionaire owners & a symptom of billionaire capitalism’s collpase
Total teardown of US journalism by its billionaire owners & a symptom of billionaire capitalism’s collpase
Reposted by Bob Mann
The death penalty without a trial by jury is the punishment for a lady saying “I’m not mad at you, dude.”
Q: "Do you believe that deadly force was necessary?"
Trump: "It was highly disrespectful of law enforcement. The woman and her friend were highly disrespectful of law enforcement…Law enforcement should not be in a position where they have to put up with this stuff."
Trump: "It was highly disrespectful of law enforcement. The woman and her friend were highly disrespectful of law enforcement…Law enforcement should not be in a position where they have to put up with this stuff."
January 12, 2026 at 3:38 AM
The death penalty without a trial by jury is the punishment for a lady saying “I’m not mad at you, dude.”
Reposted by Bob Mann
a bunch of crypto-Republican centrists just winked at the actual end of DOJ independence at the beginning of this term, and now the Trump DOJ is coming for Fed independence and maybe they’re going to lose their retirement accounts and maybe the whole republic because of it
Video message from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KckG...
www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/s...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KckG...
www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/s...
Statement by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell
YouTube video by Federal Reserve
www.youtube.com
January 12, 2026 at 3:01 AM
a bunch of crypto-Republican centrists just winked at the actual end of DOJ independence at the beginning of this term, and now the Trump DOJ is coming for Fed independence and maybe they’re going to lose their retirement accounts and maybe the whole republic because of it
Reposted by Bob Mann
Pam Bondi is going to announce tomorrow that Jerome Powell tried to ram Donald Trump with his car
January 12, 2026 at 3:13 AM
Pam Bondi is going to announce tomorrow that Jerome Powell tried to ram Donald Trump with his car
Reposted by Bob Mann
If I had to guess, I don't think tomorrow is going to be a particularly good day for the financial markets. Just a hunch.
January 12, 2026 at 2:58 AM
If I had to guess, I don't think tomorrow is going to be a particularly good day for the financial markets. Just a hunch.
Reposted by Bob Mann
Lets also note the irony of Donald Trump laundering money to "rennovate" the WH looking at Powell and being like "hmm, maybe we should investigate that building revamp you did"
This is 1) obvious pretext and nonsense 2) almost irrelevant at this point, he’s gone in a few months 3) possibly in response to them worrying he won’t leave the BoG
*US PROSECUTORS OPEN PROBE INTO FED'S POWELL ON HQ REVAMP: NYT
*US PROSECUTORS OPEN PROBE INTO FED'S POWELL ON HQ REVAMP: NYT
January 12, 2026 at 12:10 AM
Lets also note the irony of Donald Trump laundering money to "rennovate" the WH looking at Powell and being like "hmm, maybe we should investigate that building revamp you did"
Reposted by Bob Mann
Five armed masked federal agents to guard a Target restroom while Greg Bovino uses the facilities. A scene equally at home in authoritarian regimes and comedies about authoritarian regimes
ICE at Midway Target and seem to possible be leaving. Lots of community members here
January 11, 2026 at 11:38 PM
Five armed masked federal agents to guard a Target restroom while Greg Bovino uses the facilities. A scene equally at home in authoritarian regimes and comedies about authoritarian regimes
Reposted by Bob Mann
In other words, she doesn't want to answer that very simple question because the truthful answer to it unravels the admin's entire preposterously false narrative that these shots were made by an officer in fear of his life.
January 11, 2026 at 4:06 PM
In other words, she doesn't want to answer that very simple question because the truthful answer to it unravels the admin's entire preposterously false narrative that these shots were made by an officer in fear of his life.
Reposted by Bob Mann
Glad to see more artists speaking out against ICE.
January 11, 2026 at 11:30 PM
Glad to see more artists speaking out against ICE.
Reposted by Bob Mann
Looks like the regime has put JD in charge of bullshit.
January 11, 2026 at 9:08 PM
Looks like the regime has put JD in charge of bullshit.
Reposted by Bob Mann
NEW
An initially-secret report for Customs and Border Patrol in 2013 found:
In many vehicle shooting cases, the “driver was attempting to flee from the agents who intentionally put themselves into the exit path of the vehicle, thereby … creating justification for the use of deadly force.”
🧵
An initially-secret report for Customs and Border Patrol in 2013 found:
In many vehicle shooting cases, the “driver was attempting to flee from the agents who intentionally put themselves into the exit path of the vehicle, thereby … creating justification for the use of deadly force.”
🧵
January 11, 2026 at 7:17 PM
NEW
An initially-secret report for Customs and Border Patrol in 2013 found:
In many vehicle shooting cases, the “driver was attempting to flee from the agents who intentionally put themselves into the exit path of the vehicle, thereby … creating justification for the use of deadly force.”
🧵
An initially-secret report for Customs and Border Patrol in 2013 found:
In many vehicle shooting cases, the “driver was attempting to flee from the agents who intentionally put themselves into the exit path of the vehicle, thereby … creating justification for the use of deadly force.”
🧵
Reposted by Bob Mann
FYI: Judge Ellis (Chicago ICE case) noted in November that video evidence shows ICE "brake-checked other motorists in an attempt to force accidents that agents could then use as justifications for deploying force."
January 11, 2026 at 7:45 PM
FYI: Judge Ellis (Chicago ICE case) noted in November that video evidence shows ICE "brake-checked other motorists in an attempt to force accidents that agents could then use as justifications for deploying force."
Reposted by Bob Mann
TRUMP 2026: SHUT UP OR WE’LL KILL YOU
Homan: "There will be more bloodshed unless we decrease the hateful rhetoric"
January 11, 2026 at 9:19 PM
TRUMP 2026: SHUT UP OR WE’LL KILL YOU
Reposted by Bob Mann
This question is victim-blaming.
"Don't you bear any responsibility for not angering your abuser? Why are you doing things that provoke him, especially when you know he's been drinking? Wouldn't it be easier to just make him a sandwich in silence?"
"Don't you bear any responsibility for not angering your abuser? Why are you doing things that provoke him, especially when you know he's been drinking? Wouldn't it be easier to just make him a sandwich in silence?"
WELKER: Do you bear any responsibility to bring down the temperature?
FREY: Of course. But I dropped an F bomb and they killed somebody. I think the killing somebody is the inflammatory element here and not the F bomb.
FREY: Of course. But I dropped an F bomb and they killed somebody. I think the killing somebody is the inflammatory element here and not the F bomb.
January 11, 2026 at 8:48 PM
This question is victim-blaming.
"Don't you bear any responsibility for not angering your abuser? Why are you doing things that provoke him, especially when you know he's been drinking? Wouldn't it be easier to just make him a sandwich in silence?"
"Don't you bear any responsibility for not angering your abuser? Why are you doing things that provoke him, especially when you know he's been drinking? Wouldn't it be easier to just make him a sandwich in silence?"
Reposted by Bob Mann
We might have some heroes
January 11, 2026 at 3:48 AM
We might have some heroes
Reposted by Bob Mann
I see this take around from time to time and totally disagree. ICE just murdered a woman standing up to them. No Kings is among the largest protests in history.
The complacency is coming from elites in media, business, universities, and the Democratic leadership
The complacency is coming from elites in media, business, universities, and the Democratic leadership
January 11, 2026 at 8:00 PM
I see this take around from time to time and totally disagree. ICE just murdered a woman standing up to them. No Kings is among the largest protests in history.
The complacency is coming from elites in media, business, universities, and the Democratic leadership
The complacency is coming from elites in media, business, universities, and the Democratic leadership
Reposted by Bob Mann
Trump to Zelensky: “You’re gambling with World War III.”
Trump five months later: “Let’s take Greenland” and risk a direct conflict with NATO.
Trump five months later: “Let’s take Greenland” and risk a direct conflict with NATO.
January 11, 2026 at 6:01 PM
Trump to Zelensky: “You’re gambling with World War III.”
Trump five months later: “Let’s take Greenland” and risk a direct conflict with NATO.
Trump five months later: “Let’s take Greenland” and risk a direct conflict with NATO.
Reposted by Bob Mann
Women are too emotional to be President, I remember being told once, while we sit on the brink of destroying NATO and ending our longest, truest alliances with European nations because of one man's "psychological needs."
the word lol nothing matters is written in green on a white background
ALT: the word lol nothing matters is written in green on a white background
media.tenor.com
January 11, 2026 at 8:30 PM
Women are too emotional to be President, I remember being told once, while we sit on the brink of destroying NATO and ending our longest, truest alliances with European nations because of one man's "psychological needs."
Reposted by Bob Mann
This seems to strongly suggest that the incoming president of UVA doctored his CV to the edge of outright dishonesty, and that the most recent changes came months before Jim Ryan was forced, as if they were made in anticipation in Ryan’s removal. augustafreepress.com/news/vanishi...
How UVA’s presidential search missed what took us an hour to find
Inside Higher Ed frames the controversy surrounding Scott C. Beardsley's appointment as the University of Virginia's president.
augustafreepress.com
January 11, 2026 at 8:02 PM
This seems to strongly suggest that the incoming president of UVA doctored his CV to the edge of outright dishonesty, and that the most recent changes came months before Jim Ryan was forced, as if they were made in anticipation in Ryan’s removal. augustafreepress.com/news/vanishi...
Reposted by Bob Mann
Exxon reportedly lobbied to maintain the oil sanctions on Venezuela, counting on a new regime to pay back the $1.6b the World Bank’s ICSID ruled Vz owes them for the Chavez expropriations. They don’t want to invest in PDVSA or to work with Delcy, they want a payout.
Venezuela is ‘uninvestible’ for now, Exxon CEO tells Trump in White House meeting
Venezuela is ‘uninvestible’ for now, Exxon CEO tells Trump in White House meeting
Trump said companies that invest in Venezuela would be assured “total safety, total security.”
dlvr.it
January 10, 2026 at 3:19 PM
Exxon reportedly lobbied to maintain the oil sanctions on Venezuela, counting on a new regime to pay back the $1.6b the World Bank’s ICSID ruled Vz owes them for the Chavez expropriations. They don’t want to invest in PDVSA or to work with Delcy, they want a payout.