Ian Bassin
@ianbassin.bsky.social
Founder and Executive Director @protectdemocracy.org. Former Associate White House Counsel. Tweets my own.
The Orban playbook: use the regulatory powers of the state to ensure media is owned by your allies who turn it into propaganda for the regime.
Here’s Trump intervening to help his ally Ellison’s bid for Warner Bros (and CNN).
Here’s Trump intervening to help his ally Ellison’s bid for Warner Bros (and CNN).
December 2, 2025 at 3:50 PM
The Orban playbook: use the regulatory powers of the state to ensure media is owned by your allies who turn it into propaganda for the regime.
Here’s Trump intervening to help his ally Ellison’s bid for Warner Bros (and CNN).
Here’s Trump intervening to help his ally Ellison’s bid for Warner Bros (and CNN).
Was editing a piece to not *overclaim* that Trump was behaving like a medieval king in trying to prosecute opponents and then he posts this. Well, here’s the piece: www.ifyoucankeepit.org/p/the-oldest...
November 25, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Was editing a piece to not *overclaim* that Trump was behaving like a medieval king in trying to prosecute opponents and then he posts this. Well, here’s the piece: www.ifyoucankeepit.org/p/the-oldest...
Finally The Times story makes the point.
November 18, 2025 at 12:21 AM
Finally The Times story makes the point.
Art often has a unique way of distilling truth.
November 12, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Art often has a unique way of distilling truth.
Don’t let Trump and Johnson gaslight you.
October 18, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Don’t let Trump and Johnson gaslight you.
DOJ is basically arguing in Court that if the President "determines" that literal martians have landed from Mars and are attacking the United States, Trump can invoke any emergency power he wants and the judiciary can't question it.
October 9, 2025 at 11:17 PM
DOJ is basically arguing in Court that if the President "determines" that literal martians have landed from Mars and are attacking the United States, Trump can invoke any emergency power he wants and the judiciary can't question it.
Doesn’t get any clearer than this. We either have a First Amendment and Constitution and free society or we don’t.
September 18, 2025 at 11:26 PM
Doesn’t get any clearer than this. We either have a First Amendment and Constitution and free society or we don’t.
The sanitizing of insanity continues. "Tensions mount".
September 7, 2025 at 3:49 AM
The sanitizing of insanity continues. "Tensions mount".
Here's the resignation from the Social Security Admin's Chief Data Officer warning of potentially illegal Trump Admin practices that could compromise Americans' sensitive data.
Before it was the CDC.
When will Republicans wake up to this not being a policy disagreement but sabotage of the US.
Before it was the CDC.
When will Republicans wake up to this not being a policy disagreement but sabotage of the US.
August 29, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Here's the resignation from the Social Security Admin's Chief Data Officer warning of potentially illegal Trump Admin practices that could compromise Americans' sensitive data.
Before it was the CDC.
When will Republicans wake up to this not being a policy disagreement but sabotage of the US.
Before it was the CDC.
When will Republicans wake up to this not being a policy disagreement but sabotage of the US.
How can media report what the Labor Dept claims the job numbers are when the President has demonstrated he will fire anyone who reports numbers he doesn't like?
Im serious. Isn't the media obliged to note that in any coverage of fed data?
Im serious. Isn't the media obliged to note that in any coverage of fed data?
August 14, 2025 at 10:41 PM
How can media report what the Labor Dept claims the job numbers are when the President has demonstrated he will fire anyone who reports numbers he doesn't like?
Im serious. Isn't the media obliged to note that in any coverage of fed data?
Im serious. Isn't the media obliged to note that in any coverage of fed data?
Spare a minute on the agenda for the fact that there's an aspiring dictator in the White House ignoring court orders, deploying the military to American streets, and sending mobs to sack Congress to overturn elections?
June 25, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Spare a minute on the agenda for the fact that there's an aspiring dictator in the White House ignoring court orders, deploying the military to American streets, and sending mobs to sack Congress to overturn elections?
The split screen today is incredible. A virtually empty scene for Trump’s military boondoggle in DC while millions pack the streets from coast to coast for #NoKings rallies to defend the constitution.
He was weak before today and will look even weaker after.
He was weak before today and will look even weaker after.
June 14, 2025 at 11:31 PM
The split screen today is incredible. A virtually empty scene for Trump’s military boondoggle in DC while millions pack the streets from coast to coast for #NoKings rallies to defend the constitution.
He was weak before today and will look even weaker after.
He was weak before today and will look even weaker after.
Just an overwhelming number of parents, children, families, seniors, veterans and other patriotic Americans from all backgrounds out marching today in the best spirit our Founders imagined We The People would if a future tyrant tried again to be a king. #NoKings
June 14, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Just an overwhelming number of parents, children, families, seniors, veterans and other patriotic Americans from all backgrounds out marching today in the best spirit our Founders imagined We The People would if a future tyrant tried again to be a king. #NoKings
The NY Times says he’s merely “bending” the military’s role and “expanding” their domestic use.
Call me a headline scold I don’t care. I like freedom and democracy and don’t want to live in a militarized police state.
Call me a headline scold I don’t care. I like freedom and democracy and don’t want to live in a militarized police state.
June 12, 2025 at 3:18 AM
The NY Times says he’s merely “bending” the military’s role and “expanding” their domestic use.
Call me a headline scold I don’t care. I like freedom and democracy and don’t want to live in a militarized police state.
Call me a headline scold I don’t care. I like freedom and democracy and don’t want to live in a militarized police state.
To pass a free and democratic world on to our children, we’re just being asked to take principled public stands, refuse to capitulate to corruption, and take collective action including with those with whom we disagree.
We owe at least that much to those who 81 years ago were asked to do far more.
We owe at least that much to those who 81 years ago were asked to do far more.
June 6, 2025 at 12:00 PM
To pass a free and democratic world on to our children, we’re just being asked to take principled public stands, refuse to capitulate to corruption, and take collective action including with those with whom we disagree.
We owe at least that much to those who 81 years ago were asked to do far more.
We owe at least that much to those who 81 years ago were asked to do far more.
Notice how this works. A year ago, the subhead here would have said “which is expressly forbidden by the constitution.”
But Trump floats a crazy assertion and then WaPo retreats to saying “which most legal scholars say..”
Stop he said/she saiding truth. It is expressly forbidden. Period.
But Trump floats a crazy assertion and then WaPo retreats to saying “which most legal scholars say..”
Stop he said/she saiding truth. It is expressly forbidden. Period.
May 2, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Notice how this works. A year ago, the subhead here would have said “which is expressly forbidden by the constitution.”
But Trump floats a crazy assertion and then WaPo retreats to saying “which most legal scholars say..”
Stop he said/she saiding truth. It is expressly forbidden. Period.
But Trump floats a crazy assertion and then WaPo retreats to saying “which most legal scholars say..”
Stop he said/she saiding truth. It is expressly forbidden. Period.
This is just wild on how The Atlantic interviewed Trump. I mean, does anyone pick up unknown numbers anymore *other* than the President of the United States?
April 28, 2025 at 10:13 PM
This is just wild on how The Atlantic interviewed Trump. I mean, does anyone pick up unknown numbers anymore *other* than the President of the United States?