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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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Laura Rodríguez Presa @lauranrodriguez.bsky.social · 15h

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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Julie Novkov @jnovkov.bsky.social · 23m

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 · 1h

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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Musa Okwonga @okwonga.bsky.social · 5h

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 · 18h

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 · 10h

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"

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Tero Kuittinen @teroterotero.bsky.social · 17h

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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Thomas Zeitzoff @zeitzoff.bsky.social · 2d

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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Chris Edelson @chrisedelson.bsky.social · 1d

One (anonymous) foreign diplomat recently described trump as "stark, raving mad" and wondered whether Americans see this plain reality www.sltrib.com/opinion/lett...

Chris Edelson @chrisedelson.bsky.social · 1d

yes--and even some trump nominated judges e.g. the judge in Oregon who issued recent orders on attempts by trump admin to invade Portland

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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 2d

My first thought was “wow I hope this guy didn’t give out his name because he could absolutely be charged” and yup, he is correct to stay anonymous.

This man’s account is shocking. His neighbors’ situation is shocking. The entire Chicago raid is shocking.

On the other side was a mom and her 7-year-old daughter, pleading for his help.
"I wasn't planning on letting her stay, but I didn't know what the hell was going on," the man said of his Venezuelan migrant neighbors. But he quickly relented. The little girl was inconsolable and hid under his bed.
"I didn't want them to take her," said the man, who didn't want to be named because he fears he'll be targeted by federal authorities for his actions.
"I gave her my bedroom, and I just told her,
'Just stay there. Don't open, don't, shh, just stay quiet," he recalled telling the mom and daughter as he choked back tears.

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Asha Rangappa @asharangappa.bsky.social · 4d

As I observed in my Substack Round Up this past week, the endgame of the military strikes against drug cartels in international waters is to lay the groundwork to use lethal military force against Americans at home. Pay attention open.substack.com/pub/asharang...

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Jonathan Cohn @jonathancohn.bsky.social · 2d

Anne Frank and Underground Railroad analogies write themselves.

Sophie Sherry @sophiesherry.bsky.social · 2d

During a military-style raid on a building in Chicago’s South Shore, one resident heard a knock on his door.   It wasn’t the feds — it was a mom and her 7-year-old daughter, pleading for help.

He let them hide in his unit for the next 3 days.

chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...

Neighbor shielded 7-year-old during South Shore federal raid: ‘I didn’t want them to take her’

During the Sept. 30 raid one tenant protected a terrified girl and her mom. Remnants at the complex, including a detailed map of all the units, offer clues to what authorities may have known before th...

chicago.suntimes.com

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Brendan Cantwell @cantb.bsky.social · 2d

MIT’s response to The Compact invitation

The document also includes principles with which we disagree, including those that would restrict freedom of expression and our independence as an institution. And fundamentally the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core beliefs. That scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.

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Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 2d

Four cheers for MIT.

orgchart.mit.edu/letters/rega...

Regarding the Compact | MIT Organization Chart

orgchart.mit.edu

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Jim Daley @jimdaleywrites.bsky.social · 2d

I'm at the scene where ICE abducted multiple people from Lincoln and Foster this morning.

A WGN producer was among the people taken, allegedly because she was among a group of bystanders who tried to intervene. ICE agents hit this car while making their getaway.

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Chris Edelson @chrisedelson.bsky.social · 2d

more evidence of trump's projection. He falsely said that he was the only thing that stood between his supporters and mass prosecutions. In fact, trump is the enabler for partisan, selective, baseless prosecution of his perceived enemies

Garrett M. Graff @vermontgmg.bsky.social · 3d

Jim Comey was first, but let's be clear: Donald Trump is coming for the rest of us too. www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/we-are-all...

Chris Edelson @chrisedelson.bsky.social · 2d

not sure, but I know there are of course questions about his health

Chris Edelson @chrisedelson.bsky.social · 2d

or he's Jefferson Davis as US, rather than Confederate, president

Chris Edelson @chrisedelson.bsky.social · 2d

yes, it came out of nowhere. not like trump has been waging a trade war or anything. Does this man have absolutely no sense of self-awareness?

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Elizabeth N. Saunders @profsaunders.bsky.social · 4d

This speech from @marisakabas.bsky.social is really worth reading.

Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 4d

New — I was fortunate to speak in front of students and faculty at Grinnell College in Iowa tonight about the business of independent journalism, the current state of media under Trump 2.0, and billionaire control.

I published my full speech because I thought it might resonate beyond campus:

Truth, morality and independence in journalism under the second Trump regime

My full remarks to students and faculty at Grennell College.

www.thehandbasket.co

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Kai Ryssdal @kairyssdal.bsky.social · 3d

Just 'cause it has to be said every now and then.

GOP Senators and Representatives are obviously okay with...everything...that's happening.

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Chris Edelson @chrisedelson.bsky.social · 2d

same kind of garbage I recently heard from someone I know who supports trump. I had guessed he got his talking points/slogans from Fox. It was like speaking to a character from Orwell's Animal Farm--"4 legs good, 2 legs bad!" "Democrats are Marxists"! brain dead stuff, robotic

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Joel Mendelson @jpmendelson.bsky.social · 2d

Apparently if you don't want a king ruling America and want to express that in public, you are pro-Hamas and antifa.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 3d

Mike Johnson: "We're so angry about it. I mean, I'm a very patient guy, but I've had it with these people. The theory we have right now -- they have a hate America rally that's scheduled for October 18 on the National Mall. It's the pro-Hamas wing and antifa people ... "

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Chris Murphy @chrismurphyct.bsky.social · 4d

We aren't on the verge of an authoritarian takeover. We are in the middle of it.

But I worry people don't see the whole scheme. They just pay attention to each new daily outrage. So I went to the Senate floor to explain Trump's plan.

Here's a 🧵of the speech. It's important.

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Chris Edelson @chrisedelson.bsky.social · 2d

has he brought peace to US streets e.g. in Chicago, LA, Portland? Has he brought peace by ordering military strikes against boats in the Caribbean that may simply contain fishermen? what about by threatening to invade other countries? I'd consider the whole picture here