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Amanda Carpenter

@amandacarpenter.bsky.social

130K followers 1.9K following 680 posts

Writer/Editor @protectdemocracy.org. Views are my own. NeverTrump from the jump, Bulwark fam & stan. Former reporter, Hill staffer, CNN contributor. Subscribe to our FREE newsletter! http://IfYouCanKeepIt.org 🇺🇸

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Amanda Carpenter @amandacarpenter.bsky.social · Sep 3

This is a take that’s been heavy on my mind for quite some time. Trump’s absurdity and autocracy go hand-in-hand. The absurdity provides plausible deniability for the autocracy to take root. It’s all a big joke until…it’s not.

open.substack.com/pub/protectd...

‘He’s just joking’ his way to autocracy

Who is laughing now?

open.substack.com

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Reposted by Amanda Carpenter

Jonathan V. Last @jvl.bsky.social · 8h

As alarmed as people may be, they aren't alarmed enough. Trump just escalated this crisis from a fight between the federal government and a state, to a situation where one state is deploying armed forces to impose its will on another state. www.thebulwark.com/p/emergency-...

Emergency Triad: The Chicago Rubicon and What Comes Next

We aren’t at the worst-case scenario yet. But if you squint, you can see it looming out there, just over the horizon.

www.thebulwark.com

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Amanda Carpenter @amandacarpenter.bsky.social · 10h

Trump vowed Chicago would learn why the Defense Dept is now "called the Dept of WAR" and depicted himself as the amoral war monger Lt. Col. Kilgore.

The ‘Chipocalypse’ is now.

Troops are in the streets. ICE is using helicopters to raid buildings.

From me www.ifyoucankeepit.org/p/federalism...

The ‘Chipocalypse’ is now

A training ground for the military?

www.ifyoucankeepit.org

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Reposted by Amanda Carpenter

Governor JB Pritzker @govpritzker.illinois.gov · 2d

My message to Kristi Noem is clear: Get out of Chicago.

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Amanda Carpenter @amandacarpenter.bsky.social · 17d

RIP Charlie Kirk. No ifs, no but this, or but that. He was murdered in cold blood for his advocacy, speech, and beliefs. I stand with those who grieve this terrible crime. That’s all for today.

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Amanda Carpenter @amandacarpenter.bsky.social · 19d

Each of these companies should be free to fire employees for performance. That can be subjective! No one is entitled to million-dollar paychecks for big news & entertainment jobs.

But when decisions are made to hire and fire to appease a vengeful ruler that’s different. That’s autocracy at work.

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Amanda Carpenter @amandacarpenter.bsky.social · 19d

It's not about Jimmy Kimmel. It wasn't about Colbert. It wasn't about the CBS interview with Kamala Harris or George Stephanopoulos, either.

Trump is finally coming out with it.

Don't make him look bad.

Or even joke about it.

www.pbs.org/newshour/pol...

LISTEN: Trump calls for licenses of TV networks that give him 'bad publicity' to be revoked

President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Thursday that “97%” of some network coverage was negative toward him. “They give me only bad publicity or press,” Trump said. “They’re get...

www.pbs.org

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Amanda Carpenter @amandacarpenter.bsky.social · 19d

Anticipatory obedience www.ifyoucankeepit.org/p/reversing-...

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Amanda Carpenter @amandacarpenter.bsky.social · 27d

What happened to Charlie Kirk is horrific. I join the calls to condemn political violence and wish for his recovery.

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Amanda Carpenter @amandacarpenter.bsky.social · 28d

The Epstein birthday book was the celebration of a sexual predator for his sexual predation.

No other way to read it.

www.thebulwark.com/p/donald-tru...

Donald ❤️ Jeffrey

The NSFW version of the Epstein book proves that Trump knew exactly who and what his buddy was.

www.thebulwark.com

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Reposted by Amanda Carpenter

Adam Keiper @adamkeiper.com · Sep 8

NEW: "It actually might be illegal....There’s a provision that allows military lawyers to work in certain areas, but this is not one of those areas."

www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-hegs...

Trump Drags JAGs Into Immigration Court

Possibly illegal move “makes as much sense as having a cardiologist do a hip replacement.”

www.thebulwark.com

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Amanda Carpenter @amandacarpenter.bsky.social · Sep 7

This is why I’ll never give up on libertarians. When it matters, sometimes, the principled ones are the only functioning conscience of the GOP.

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Reposted by Amanda Carpenter

Asawin Suebsaeng @swin24.bsky.social · Sep 6

Read @radleybalko.bsky.social at @rollingstone.com today: www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...

Trump's Most Dangerous Executive Order

Trump has always wanted his own muscle he can deploy to silence critics and intimidate his enemies. His new executive order could create just that.

www.rollingstone.com

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Amanda Carpenter @amandacarpenter.bsky.social · Sep 6

Trump is against wars in foreign countries but for war on US cities.

That’s a fair assessment of his current policy, yes? See his words about Chicago in my previous post.

Are we supposed to laugh because it looks stupid?

WIRED @wired.com · Sep 5

What’s War.gov? That’s the new URL for the Pentagon’s website, which, along with its social media channels, was overhauled Friday at President Donald Trump’s behest to reflect the US Defense Department’s new “Department of War” persona.
www.wired.com/story/depart...

Defense Department Scrambles to Pretend It’s Called the War Department

President Donald Trump said the so-called Department of War branding is to counter the “woke” Department of Defense name.

www.wired.com

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Amanda Carpenter @amandacarpenter.bsky.social · Sep 6

File this under “it’s all a joke until it’s not.”

www.ifyoucankeepit.org/p/hes-just-j...

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Reposted by Amanda Carpenter

The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · Sep 6

Despite what his far-right American admirers believe, Orbán is not popular in his own country. A lot of his staying power is just that: inertia, which has given rise to a feeling in Hungary that he is inevitable. Yet things in Hungary have started to move.

Hungary Could Free Itself from Orbánism Next Spring

An upstart opposition leader, Péter Magyar, is shrewdly capitalizing on the prime minister’s blunders.

www.thebulwark.com

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Reposted by Amanda Carpenter

MeidasTouch @meidastouch.com · Sep 5

Spencer Kuvin, Epstein's victims' lawyer, says the FBI interviewed 40+ girls, some just 14, and prepared a 54-count indictment. Then came the secret plea deal that let Epstein walk. Those interviews are in the files. Kuvin says Alan Dershowitz scoured the girls' MySpace pages to smear them as liars.

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Amanda Carpenter @amandacarpenter.bsky.social · Sep 3

Some media outlets reported that Trump was joking when he made this comment.

About that: www.ifyoucankeepit.org/p/hes-just-j...

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Reposted by Amanda Carpenter

Adam Keiper @adamkeiper.com · Sep 3

Mood in Hungary "is palpably different" than a year ago, with people "more comfortable criticizing Orbán in public.…Public figures speak about the 'Orbán regime' instead of the 'Orbán government.'…

"In response, the rhetoric from the regime…has become more threatening, violent, and openly fascist."

Hungary Could Free Itself from Orbánism Next Spring

An upstart opposition leader, Péter Magyar, is shrewdly capitalizing on the prime minister’s blunders.

www.thebulwark.com

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Amanda Carpenter @amandacarpenter.bsky.social · Sep 3

Cerin is currently giving a master class in appropriations and impoundments. If you are into that kinda thing. :)

Chris Geidner @chrisgeidner.bsky.social · Sep 3

At 4p ET today, I’ll be talking about the Trump administration’s funding disputes — the impoundment debate, public access to appropriations info, pocket rescission, and more — with @protectdemocracy.org’s Cerin Lindgrensavage. Join us then! open.substack.com/live-stream/...

LIVE SOON: Talking about impoundment — what is Trump doing? — with Protect Democracy’s Cerin Lindgrensavage

Starting Sep 3 at 4:00 PM EDT

open.substack.com

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Amanda Carpenter @amandacarpenter.bsky.social · Sep 3

‘He’s just joking’ his way to autocracy

Who is laughing now?

open.substack.com

9 40 170

Reposted by Amanda Carpenter

The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · Sep 2

It's being reported that the Pentagon is authorizing military lawyers to serve as immigration judges. This is a threat to the Constitution. Don't say we didn't warn you. From the archives:

The Dangerous Plan to Turn Military Lawyers Into Immigration Judges

The U.S. military is not a civilian law enforcement agency.

www.thebulwark.com

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Amanda Carpenter @amandacarpenter.bsky.social · Sep 2

Well…now he isn’t so happy with his interview.

www.linkedin.com/pulse/financ...

The Financial Times’s Mischaracterizations of What I Said

I did an interview with the FT in which, for accuracy, I had them submit their questions in writing and I replied in writing. They then did not publish the exchange and instead published mischaracteri...

www.linkedin.com

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Amanda Carpenter @amandacarpenter.bsky.social · Sep 2

Thank you Ray Dalio for speaking up.

Financial Times @financialtimes.com · Sep 2

Hedge fund billionaire Ray Dalio has warned Donald Trump’s America is drifting into 1930s-style autocratic politics — and said other investors are too scared of the president to speak up on.ft.com/46g7Iyd

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Reposted by Amanda Carpenter

Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney.bsky.social · Sep 2

BREAKING: Judge Breyer rules that President Trump's deployment of the military to Los Angeles violated the Posse Comitatus Act, says Trump is using military as a "national police force with the president as its chief."

Injunction granted.

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

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Amanda Carpenter @amandacarpenter.bsky.social · Sep 2

So the troops can stop doing litter pickup outside the WH and can go home now, right?

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