emptywheel
@emptywheel.bsky.social
300K followers 3.5K following 20K posts
Coverage of American authoritarianism with a focus on legal cases. An American-Irish in Limerick, Ireland. Legendary potty mouth!
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Reposted by emptywheel
darach.bsky.social
GAA exceptionalism has definitely been due a peg-lowering.

The phrase "centrist rugby Dad" speaks to a fantasy where GAA is this benignly egalitarian, progressive and welcoming space. This is not everyone's experience but good luck to them if they say so.

www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic...
Malachy Clerkin: The Jim Gavin fiasco was a long overdue humbling for GAA exceptionalism
Micheál Martin had his head turned by Gavin’s football success, forgetting it’s just a sport, no better or worse than the rest
www.irishtimes.com
emptywheel.bsky.social
"Looking through this whole poll, the single number Enten cites in his segment is basically the most pro-Trump number in the poll."

Oof.
gelliottmorris.com
52% of Americans say Trump is “doing what he promised.” But not all those people *like* what he’s doing! That is key context for interpreting this number, but was notable missing from a viral CNN segment (that the White House later turned into a press release)
www.gelliottmorris.com/p/is-trump-d...
Is Trump “doing what he promised”? | Weekly roundup for October 12, 2025
And what does that even mean? Also this week: Shutdown polls; Left-wing populism; Low favorability ratings for all U.S. leaders; Judges' concerns about Trump; + more!
www.gelliottmorris.com
emptywheel.bsky.social
But this is not what this is about.

It's about people WILLINGLY disseminating Trump's propaganda in the way he packages it up. I'm asking you a very simple question: When people screen cap it, are they disseminating it in the form he posted it? Yes or no?
emptywheel.bsky.social
How is NC in disbarring attorneys who do stupid things?
emptywheel.bsky.social
Answer the question! Are you REALLY suggesting that when people disseminate Trump's posts in precisely the form he packages them up, they are not disseminating his posts in precisely the form he packages them up?
Reposted by emptywheel
themistocleswall.bsky.social
@emptywheel.bsky.social 1 of the most important journalists working since donny rode down the escalator

how a profane New York public school kid & comp lit PhD became more important journalist than all of CBS News in 2025 is a helluva story

“How 2016 Destroyed US Hegemony”
youtu.be/1RXJJhvprqE?...
How the 2016 Russian Election Attack Led Donald Trump to Destroy US Hegemony
YouTube video by emptywheel
youtu.be
emptywheel.bsky.social
Don't post Trump's posts w/o filter. They're designed to have a spectacular effect and to polarize everyone (the "Joe Biden's FBI" is not a factual statement it's a tribal statement).

So by all means point out it's stupid, but don't magnify his spectacle.
Reposted by emptywheel
robertscotthorton.bsky.social
A look again at he Romper Room prosecution of James Comey by prosecutors who, among others things, all are not actually admitted to the practice of law in the court before which they are appearing. (And that's reason all by itself to dismiss the case). www.emptywheel.net/2025/10/12/s...
"Sensitivities and Exposure:" Six Stupid Things about Lindsey Halligan's First Filing - emptywheel
Lindsey the Insurance lawyer and her two loaner AUSAs didn't do so well on their first filing.
www.emptywheel.net
emptywheel.bsky.social
First, "aid."

Second, answer the question: When someone screen caps Trump's posts are they not disseminating them, in the form Trump wants them disseminated?
emptywheel.bsky.social
You're contesting that people screen-capping Trump's tweets are not in fact disseminating them?

😆
Reposted by emptywheel
kenburnside.bsky.social
The US Constitution has no innate defense against lying by public officials and complete shamelessness.
nicholasgrossman.bsky.social
No institutional design can overcome a lawbreaking president, a Congress defending lawbreaking and forfeiting its own power, a Supreme Court that pretends legal text doesn’t count to facilitate lawbreaking, and a citizenry that votes for all that.
Need at least one that wants rule of law. Maybe two.
emptywheel.bsky.social
Whiner: Wow! Thank you for reporting!!

Whiner: I will thank you for doing that labor by falsely claiming factual reporting is analysis.
thegregbucking.bsky.social
You do excellent reporting and I do appreciate that. But you also were relentless in providing excuses for his slow dragging the investigations and dressing it up as savvy analysis. It wasn’t and he wasn’t up to the moment.
emptywheel.bsky.social
TIL: Doing reporting 7 days a week for four years of a criminal investigation is "simping" for a strategy.
thegregbucking.bsky.social
Tell me what I should be saying, oh brilliant strategist who spent the entire Biden administration simping for Merrick Garland’s “strategy”
emptywheel.bsky.social
I'm not arguing you ignore it. What you should NOT do is reinforce his goals.
emptywheel.bsky.social
GREAT NEWS!!!

You're doubling down on being a pawn of his.

Why? Why do you have the need to do precisely what he wants?
emptywheel.bsky.social
LOLOLOL

I don't even think you know what "both" is here.

And, no. No you can't.

If you're posting his post without filter you are a propagandist for a fascist.
emptywheel.bsky.social
No. He is part of the problem.
emptywheel.bsky.social
How Trump plays you:
He posts a claim undermining the facts about January 6.

YOU ALL DISSEMINATE IT!!!

You don't mock that he's complaining that the FBI responded to a terrorist attack. You instead "fact check" re his claim that Joe Biden was in charge of the FBI--which is abt tribalism, not truth
emptywheel.bsky.social
Oh.

I know!!!

They did nothing for 13 days after indicting, bc DOJ had to find sacrificial lambs?

They want lenience?!?!?!
Reposted by emptywheel
renderjudgment.bsky.social
I have certainly made typos in legal filings, including embarrassing ones. But yikes.
A screen capture from the signature block of the federal government's filing tonight showing both assistant United States attorneys "North Carolian" bar numbers.