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Chris Edelson

@chrisedelson.bsky.social

1.5K followers 630 following 2.2K posts

Assistant professor of government at American University. Area of focus: US presidential power and authoritarian threats to democracy. Writing a book on emergency presidential power in context of Trump. https://www.american.edu/spa/faculty/edelson.cfm

www.american.edu

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Chris Edelson @chrisedelson.bsky.social · Feb 28

trump's breathtaking, revolutionary unilateral action could not be justified even in an emergency (and none existed when trump took office). He is claiming unilateral power that goes beyond what Lincoln claimed at start of civil war--& Lincoln crucially gained retroactive approval from Congress 1/2

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Chris Edelson @chrisedelson.bsky.social · 8h

which of course raises the ominous question: what does the trump admin do when it realizes it can't deport every undocumented person in the US, and most won't "self-deport"?

Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · May 29

SCOOP: The State Department's new reorganization plan includes the opening of an "Office for Remigration," a term popularized by far right extremists and neo-Nazis in Europe. The office will coordinate directly with DHS "to advance the President’s immigration agenda."

My report:

State Department set to launch ‘Office of Remigration’

The concept of remigration has explicitly neo-Nazi roots and has been popularized in Europe.

www.thehandbasket.co

Chris Edelson @chrisedelson.bsky.social · 8h

indeed--as of course Judge Young recently explained in his remarkable opinion: www.aaup.org/news/court-r...

Court Rules in AAUP v Rubio: Trump Admin Violated First Amendment

The AAUP and partners sued to block the Trump administration from carrying out large-scale arrests, detentions, and deportations of noncitizen students and faculty members for ideological reasons.

www.aaup.org

Reposted by Chris Edelson

Jonah Blank @jonahblank.bsky.social · 10h

Two months into the Occupation of DC, the National Guard has moved from the tourist neighborhood of the Mall to places where people actually live.

Today, they were out in force in U St Corridor. Initially they were unarmed, then only side-arms, now carrying M-4s.

Here they're guarding a McDonalds.

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Chris Edelson @chrisedelson.bsky.social · 18h

the admin's decision, and failure of Rs in Congress to reject this, means that the 1st Amendment has eroded and lost some of its central meaning. We will see if litigation can help restore this.

Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 18h

".. The outlets’ decision means their reporters will have to turn in their credentials on Wednesday and lose the ability to report from the Pentagon building and US military bases."

@bloomberg.com
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

News Organizations Refuse to Sign Onto Pentagon Press Limits

Several news organizations including Bloomberg News, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal refused to sign new reporting limits set out by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon.

www.bloomberg.com

Chris Edelson @chrisedelson.bsky.social · 18h

his term will be defined by his attempt to consolidate dictatorial control in the US. We don't know whether/to what extent it will succeed, but that's the defining question. It's not every day you get a US president determined to fully destroy the constitutional order and seize power without limit

Reposted by Chris Edelson

Chris Murphy @chrismurphyct.bsky.social · 22h

2/ Democrats aren't going to vote for a budget that throws millions off health care and funds Trump's growing totalitarianism. At least I'm not.

Why work so hard to get to the Senate if you don't use your power to fight for what you believe in? Especially at a time like this.

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Chris Edelson @chrisedelson.bsky.social · 20h

This is gutsy of Christie. Important for public figures to show they aren't afraid to speak up even as trump deforms the DOJ to go after his perceived political enemies.

Republicans Against Trumpism @rpsagainsttrump.bsky.social · 1d

Chris Christie: “Thie is no longer, the Department of Justice, is no longer the premier prosecuting office in America. What it is now is a capo regime who goes out and executes hits when directed by the Don to do so. That’s what it is.”

Reposted by Chris Edelson

Mike Black @mikeblack114.bsky.social · 1d

since there's reports on social media of money hitting accounts worth reiterating that this is illegal and unconstitutional as shit, it's not a close question, and while I don't expect anyone on H/SASC or H/SAC will do anything, anyone performing this 'reprogramming' should face criminal penalties

Mike Black @mikeblack114.bsky.social · 2d

It's also worth reiterating that absent this reprogramming authority being written into law it would be not just illegal but flatly unconstitutional for DoD to expend money in any fashion not explicitly specified (by both type/use and quantity) by Congress in an appropriations bill

Mike Black @mikeblack114.bsky.social · 2d

Since we're getting a crash course in DoD reprogramming authority, CRS has a good report on it linked below. Some important points:

Congress gives DoD reprogramming authority because when you're dealing with a trillion dollars, some stuff is probably going to need to be changed over 12 months

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Chris Edelson @chrisedelson.bsky.social · 21h

what in the actual hell is this ghastly video? This is the US???? Thank you for your reporting--this is truly shocking and nauseating stuff

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Reposted by Chris Edelson

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi @congressmanraja.bsky.social · 1d

Despite what some, including at DHS, are claiming, this video isn’t from a year ago in Chicago. It was Friday in Hoffman Estates, in my district, a street I’ve walked myself. It appears to show a child being violently detained by ICE. It’s real, and I’m demanding accountability.

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Chris Edelson @chrisedelson.bsky.social · 1d

yes. trump is trying to undo the American Revolution. This is a central thesis in my book, coming out early next year www.rienner.com/title/Above_...

Lynne Rienner Publishers | Above the Law The Evolution of Emergency Presidential Power

Lynne Rienner Publishers, celebrating 35 years of independent publishing, is known for its cutting-edge, high quality scholarly and academic books and journals in politics, social sciences, and the hu...

www.rienner.com

Chris Edelson @chrisedelson.bsky.social · 1d

this was of course Navalny's profoundly courageous and inspired approach

Reposted by Chris Edelson

Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 1d

Some CDC layoffs from last week have been reversed. But not for the analysts responsible for monitoring and protecting the United States from biological, chemical and nuclear threats www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

Hundreds of CDC layoffs reversed, but biodefense preparedness staff hit

More than half of the roughly 1,300 CDC layoff notices have been rescinded, but workers at health agencies who work on biodefense and mental health still lost their jobs.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Reposted by Chris Edelson

Jesse Mermell @jessemermell.bsky.social · 2d

He is 13. A 7th grader w/ a pending asylum case. Being held more than 500 miles from home & housed w/ adults. He called his mom crying, & reported that he’s sleeping on concrete w/ an aluminum blanket.

How is this anything other than sick & shameful? www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/12/m...

Everett 13-year-old arrested by ICE and sent to Virginia detention facility - The Boston Globe

The boy’s mother, Josiele Berto, was called to pick her son up from the Everett Police Department on Thursday, the day he was arrested.

www.bostonglobe.com

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Chris Edelson @chrisedelson.bsky.social · 1d

trump is trying to undo the victory of the American Revolution by claiming even more power than King George had in 1776. trumpists, like dutiful followers in Orwell's Animal Farm, will describe any criticism of trump as unAmerican even as trump seeks to end the U.S. small r republican experiment

Patrick Chovanec @prchovanec.bsky.social · 1d

Americans: “No kings!”

Republicans: “How un-American”.

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Reposted by Chris Edelson

Meredith Shiner @meredithshiner.com · 2d

It’s impossible to overstate how much “abolish ice” is the normie position now here in chicago — just countless random moms at toddler soccer on a park district field asking me where I bought my anti-ice t-shirt. average people don’t like our neighborhoods being terrorized.

laura olin @lauraolin.bsky.social · 2d

A friend ran the Chicago marathon today and said he couldn’t count the number of FUCK ICE signs along the way.

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Reposted by Chris Edelson

Nick Kristof @nickkristof.bsky.social · 1d

In Portland, an ambulance was summoned to the ICE office to treat an injured protester (not clear how he was injured). But when the patient was loaded inside, ICE officers refused to let the ambulance leave and threatened to shoot the ambulance driver: www.wweek.com/news/2025/10...

Documents Allege a Federal Agent at Portland ICE Threatened to Shoot an Ambulance Driver

Feds delayed medics who had come to pick up an injured protester. Then, according to confidential incident reports, the agents became aggressive.

www.wweek.com

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Reposted by Chris Edelson

Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 1d

Remember we're already in a world of Kavanaugh stops based solely on ethnicity. If you are from a targeted group, this can happen to you no matter what your citizenship status is. What if you forget your wallet at home? You could end up in detention for days or worse.

Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 1d

Do you want to live in a "papers, please" country?

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Reposted by Chris Edelson

Radley Balko @radleybalko.bsky.social · 1d

The Treasury Secretary declares himself to be pro-monarchy, and promises to punish the entire country if the people exercise their First Amendment rights.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

Bessent: "No Kings means no paychecks. No paychecks and no government."

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Reposted by Chris Edelson

Laura Rodríguez Presa @lauranrodriguez.bsky.social · 2d

ICE killed their father. Now they’re in foster care.

Silverio Villegas, a single father, was fatally shot by fed agents after he allegedly tried to flee a traffic stop in Franklin Park.

His family spoke to the Tribune of their grieve and their fight.

www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/12/s...

Family of Chicago-area man killed by ICE seeks to reunite with his children who are now in foster care in Idaho

The state of Idaho took custody of the children a few weeks after Silverio Villegas Gonzalez was killed by ICE agents in Franklin Park on Sept. 12.

www.chicagotribune.com

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Reposted by Chris Edelson

Julie Novkov @jnovkov.bsky.social · 1d

I do get it that Nelson holds great credibility in certain circles, but the idea that "Congress has broad authority to shape the executive branch and place limits on the president's ability to fire officials" is some kind of groundbreaking historical discovery is absurd.

LOLGOP ❌👑❌ @thefarce.org · 1d

See how complicated this gets when you see this philosophy as anything other than "Republicans win and Democrats lose."

'Bombshell!' Ex-clerk to Clarence Thomas sends shockwaves with Supreme Court warning

The U.S. Supreme Court seems almost certain to side with President Donald Trump in an upcoming challenge to his authority to fire government officials for any reason, but a leading conservative legal ...

www.rawstory.com

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Reposted by Chris Edelson

Musa Okwonga @okwonga.bsky.social · 2d

Very good news from the east of Germany, where the far-right (AfD) has its strongest base - the AfD got soundly defeated in two mayoral elections, in places where they were trying to use the presence of people seeking asylum as a decisive issue. Many voters rejected that outlook. That's hopeful.

Christian Bangel @christianbangel.bsky.social · 2d

Wieder ein schlechter Tag für die AfD im Osten.
Deklassiert in der OB-Stichwahl in Frankfurt (Oder) und sogar in Eisenhüttenstadt - wo sie sich echte Hoffnung machte - deutlich verloren.

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Chris Edelson @chrisedelson.bsky.social · 2d

I know someone from law school who recently informed me that Democrats are all socialists and Marxists. I was tempted to ask him if he ever heard the expression "better Hitler than Blum"

Reposted by Chris Edelson

Tero Kuittinen @teroterotero.bsky.social · 2d

There is no amount of open corruption that will wake up Americans. That family has realized this crucial truth. They broke Senate, media and Supreme Court. Nobody dares to stand up. We live in a Republic of fear and cowardice.

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Reposted by Chris Edelson

Thomas Zeitzoff @zeitzoff.bsky.social · 4d

Some thoughts on where we are right now and the state of US democracy.

Trump is both deeply unpopular right now—and yet more politically powerful than during his first term, thanks to a pliant Congress and Supreme Court. That’s an uncertain, and dangerous, place to be.

Approval rating of Trump according to the Economist —he’s at -15%.

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