David Atkins
@davidoatkins.bsky.social
Contributor @washingtonmonthly.com. Bylines @theprospect & elsewhere. Elected DNC Member from CA. Progressive reformist. Dad of two. I run a qualitative research firm.
Reposted by David Atkins
Offering the survivors of a missile strike no quarter and then ordering a second strike to finish them off puts Hegseth in deep, deep water. He gave an illegal order. This is either murder or a war crime. It doesn't matter what your title is, Secretary of Defense, or Fox Talk Show Host. It's murder.
November 28, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Offering the survivors of a missile strike no quarter and then ordering a second strike to finish them off puts Hegseth in deep, deep water. He gave an illegal order. This is either murder or a war crime. It doesn't matter what your title is, Secretary of Defense, or Fox Talk Show Host. It's murder.
Leave morality, ethics, egalitarianism and humanism aside for a second.
Just at a cold pragmatic level, it is insane to have unitary control of the levers of government, survey all the massive policy problems, and decide to focus all the your resources on "expel all the non-white people."
Just at a cold pragmatic level, it is insane to have unitary control of the levers of government, survey all the massive policy problems, and decide to focus all the your resources on "expel all the non-white people."
November 28, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Leave morality, ethics, egalitarianism and humanism aside for a second.
Just at a cold pragmatic level, it is insane to have unitary control of the levers of government, survey all the massive policy problems, and decide to focus all the your resources on "expel all the non-white people."
Just at a cold pragmatic level, it is insane to have unitary control of the levers of government, survey all the massive policy problems, and decide to focus all the your resources on "expel all the non-white people."
Reposted by David Atkins
Every single congressional Democrat needs to be out there, right now, insisting that Pete Hegseth resign right now and announcing that he will be held accountable for committing war crimes.
If you do not demand accountability here and now, they will only become more emboldened.
If you do not demand accountability here and now, they will only become more emboldened.
Exclusive: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave an order to “kill everybody” in the first strike on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean. After two men survived, the mission commander ordered a second strike to comply with Hegseth’s instructions, according to two sources.
Hegseth order on first Caribbean boat strike, officials say: Kill them all
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order to kill all crew members in the Sept. 2 strike on a suspected drug boat. Navy SEALs fired a second missile.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 28, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Every single congressional Democrat needs to be out there, right now, insisting that Pete Hegseth resign right now and announcing that he will be held accountable for committing war crimes.
If you do not demand accountability here and now, they will only become more emboldened.
If you do not demand accountability here and now, they will only become more emboldened.
Reposted by David Atkins
This is murder. www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
November 28, 2025 at 6:16 PM
This is murder. www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Reposted by David Atkins
This is illegal as orders get
SCOOP: For the Trump admin's Sept. 2 strike targeting 11 men on a boat suspected of ferrying drugs, SecDef Hegseth gave an order, officials say, to kill them all. When two men were still alive, orders were given to strike again, finishing them off.
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Hegseth order on first Caribbean boat strike, officials say: Kill them all
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order to kill all crew members in the Sept. 2 strike on a suspected drug boat. Navy SEALs fired a second missile.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 28, 2025 at 6:55 PM
This is illegal as orders get
Reposted by David Atkins
Sarah Beckstrom seems like she was a wonderful person who had a bright future ahead of her. Such a tragedy.
Sarah Beckstrom's ex-boyfriend told NBC News she dreamed of becoming an FBI special agent.
She didn't want to deploy to D.C.
"She hated it. She cried about it."
But she started visiting monuments and museums and started enjoying it.
May she rest in peace.
www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
She didn't want to deploy to D.C.
"She hated it. She cried about it."
But she started visiting monuments and museums and started enjoying it.
May she rest in peace.
www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
National Guard member killed in D.C. shooting remembered for 'heart of gold'
The slain soldier’s former boyfriend recalled her empathy and generosity. “She doesn’t even have to know you and she’ll do anything for you,” he said.
www.nbcnews.com
November 28, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Sarah Beckstrom seems like she was a wonderful person who had a bright future ahead of her. Such a tragedy.
Reposted by David Atkins
publishing your greatest professional and ethical failures in a series of paywalled blog posts is certainly a choice.
November 26, 2025 at 11:37 PM
publishing your greatest professional and ethical failures in a series of paywalled blog posts is certainly a choice.
Reposted by David Atkins
wild that this happened within 24 hours of bolsanaro going to prison. will be a timeless textbook example of what works to save a democracy and what doesn’t
Breaking News: The last pending criminal prosecution against President Trump was dismissed by a judge in Georgia, effectively ending efforts to hold Trump criminally responsible for attempts to overturn the 2020 election. trib.al/EnJu57H
November 26, 2025 at 4:51 PM
wild that this happened within 24 hours of bolsanaro going to prison. will be a timeless textbook example of what works to save a democracy and what doesn’t
Reposted by David Atkins
Why there never was a Vibecession in one chart.
It’s always been about the prices of essentials.
It’s always been about the prices of essentials.
November 26, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Why there never was a Vibecession in one chart.
It’s always been about the prices of essentials.
It’s always been about the prices of essentials.
Why aren't more Republicans breaking from Trump like Marjorie Taylor Greene? They're damned if they do and damned if they don't. But they should start at least considering their own post-Trump future if not the health of the country.
My latest at Wamo:
washingtonmonthly.com/2025/11/26/t...
My latest at Wamo:
washingtonmonthly.com/2025/11/26/t...
The Clairvoyant Marjorie Taylor Greene
Green understood before the rest of the GOP that an era was coming to an end, and that the party base wanted more than obedience to Trump.
washingtonmonthly.com
November 26, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Why aren't more Republicans breaking from Trump like Marjorie Taylor Greene? They're damned if they do and damned if they don't. But they should start at least considering their own post-Trump future if not the health of the country.
My latest at Wamo:
washingtonmonthly.com/2025/11/26/t...
My latest at Wamo:
washingtonmonthly.com/2025/11/26/t...
Reposted by David Atkins
Marjorie Taylor Greene understood before the rest of the GOP, including the president, that an era was coming to an end, and that the party base wanted more than obedience to Trump. @davidoatkins.bsky.social
washingtonmonthly.com/2025/11/26/t...
washingtonmonthly.com/2025/11/26/t...
The Clairvoyant Marjorie Taylor Greene
Green understood before the rest of the GOP that an era was coming to an end, and that the party base wanted more than obedience to Trump.
washingtonmonthly.com
November 26, 2025 at 10:02 AM
Marjorie Taylor Greene understood before the rest of the GOP, including the president, that an era was coming to an end, and that the party base wanted more than obedience to Trump. @davidoatkins.bsky.social
washingtonmonthly.com/2025/11/26/t...
washingtonmonthly.com/2025/11/26/t...
Reposted by David Atkins
Reposted by David Atkins
November 25, 2025 at 10:14 PM
Reposted by David Atkins
The first official confirmation that Noem herself made the decision not to turn the planes around. A couple hundred men were tortured as a result — and soon after, the Supreme Court confirmed that the Trump admin’s Alien Enemies Act process was a total violation of due process.
BREAKING:
“After receiving that legal advice, Secretary Noem directed that the AEA detainees who had been removed from the United States before the Court’s order could be transferred to the custody of El Salvador. “
“After receiving that legal advice, Secretary Noem directed that the AEA detainees who had been removed from the United States before the Court’s order could be transferred to the custody of El Salvador. “
November 26, 2025 at 1:45 AM
The first official confirmation that Noem herself made the decision not to turn the planes around. A couple hundred men were tortured as a result — and soon after, the Supreme Court confirmed that the Trump admin’s Alien Enemies Act process was a total violation of due process.
Reposted by David Atkins
Definitely an overlooked point: The authoritarian far right, including its white nationalist iterations, are self-consciously global in scope and liberals need to adapt to that:
The movement to destroy liberal democracy is international, and so must be its defense
NEWS --> BBC confirms to me that they did edit a line out of historian @rutgerbregman.com's speech. It called Trump "the most openly corrupt president in US history."
BBC also confirms this was done on the advice of lawyers. So Trump's threats worked.
New piece:
newrepublic.com/article/2036...
BBC also confirms this was done on the advice of lawyers. So Trump's threats worked.
New piece:
newrepublic.com/article/2036...
November 25, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Definitely an overlooked point: The authoritarian far right, including its white nationalist iterations, are self-consciously global in scope and liberals need to adapt to that:
Reposted by David Atkins
solar is about to pass natural gas for power generation in California. good stuff www.eia.gov/todayinenerg...
Today in Energy - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
www.eia.gov
November 25, 2025 at 5:39 PM
solar is about to pass natural gas for power generation in California. good stuff www.eia.gov/todayinenerg...
Reposted by David Atkins
This isn’t exactly treason, but it’s edging close to the line.
EXCLUSIVE: US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff advised Russia on how to pitch Ukraine plans to Trump, in audio files reviewed by Bloomberg
Witkoff Advised Russia on How to Pitch Ukraine Plan to Trump
US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff, fresh from the triumph of the Gaza peace deal, held a phone call last month with a senior Kremlin official to suggest they work together on a similar plan for Ukraine — and that Vladimir Putin should raise it with Donald Trump.
bloom.bg
November 25, 2025 at 9:03 PM
This isn’t exactly treason, but it’s edging close to the line.
Reposted by David Atkins
Cannot overstate how, from my perch as a national-security reporter, this would have been an earth-shattering scandal in a prior era.
Billionaire Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, pardoned by Donald Trump, has been accused of facilitating millions of dollars’ worth of payments to Hamas in the wake of its attack on Israel on October 7 2023. Zhao also financed the Trump family's entrance into the cryptocurrency market.
Binance founder Changpeng Zhao accused of facilitating payments to Hamas
Crypto tycoon pardoned by Donald Trump faces US court complaint from families of victims of October 7 attack
www.ft.com
November 25, 2025 at 4:33 AM
Cannot overstate how, from my perch as a national-security reporter, this would have been an earth-shattering scandal in a prior era.
I like Pluribus, but the protagonist is one of the most annoyingly and belligerently incurious, falsely confident, and Dunning-Kruger parochial characters I've seen on screen.
In that position I would first have So. Many. Policy. And Philosophy. Questions.
In that position I would first have So. Many. Policy. And Philosophy. Questions.
November 24, 2025 at 11:15 PM
I like Pluribus, but the protagonist is one of the most annoyingly and belligerently incurious, falsely confident, and Dunning-Kruger parochial characters I've seen on screen.
In that position I would first have So. Many. Policy. And Philosophy. Questions.
In that position I would first have So. Many. Policy. And Philosophy. Questions.
Remember when Republicans attacked as unAmerican anyone who suggested that invading Iraq was about doing the bidding of oil companies?
Now they just admit it proudly about invading Venezuela.
Now they just admit it proudly about invading Venezuela.
Rep. Salazar on Venezuela: "We're about to go in ... we need to go in ... Venezuela for the American oil companies will be a field day"
November 24, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Remember when Republicans attacked as unAmerican anyone who suggested that invading Iraq was about doing the bidding of oil companies?
Now they just admit it proudly about invading Venezuela.
Now they just admit it proudly about invading Venezuela.
Too few people are talking about how Trump isnt isolationist or interventionist. He is, along with Putin, a Spheres of Influence autocrat.
He wants every Great Power to carve up and dominate their own sphere: Russia over Ukraine, America over Venezuela, etc
He wants every Great Power to carve up and dominate their own sphere: Russia over Ukraine, America over Venezuela, etc
Rep. Salazar: "We're gonna be doing a favor to us, to our children, to our economy, to our oil companies to be able to liberate. And to Venezuelans who wants to be free."
November 24, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Too few people are talking about how Trump isnt isolationist or interventionist. He is, along with Putin, a Spheres of Influence autocrat.
He wants every Great Power to carve up and dominate their own sphere: Russia over Ukraine, America over Venezuela, etc
He wants every Great Power to carve up and dominate their own sphere: Russia over Ukraine, America over Venezuela, etc
Reposted by David Atkins
It’s crazy to think about the crimes we’re going to learn about after this regime ends.
We’re already hearing about Watergate level crimes every week. Imagine what will come out after it’s over.
We’re going to need a full accounting of all that’s been done in violation of the constitution.
We’re already hearing about Watergate level crimes every week. Imagine what will come out after it’s over.
We’re going to need a full accounting of all that’s been done in violation of the constitution.
November 22, 2025 at 10:05 PM
It’s crazy to think about the crimes we’re going to learn about after this regime ends.
We’re already hearing about Watergate level crimes every week. Imagine what will come out after it’s over.
We’re going to need a full accounting of all that’s been done in violation of the constitution.
We’re already hearing about Watergate level crimes every week. Imagine what will come out after it’s over.
We’re going to need a full accounting of all that’s been done in violation of the constitution.
Reposted by David Atkins
Elon is rigging the Twitter algorithm to shove right wing fever dreams down your throat. If you're a prominent person who's still on Twitter, you're helping him cook people's brains just by being there. Don't take my word for it, he'll tell you himself. @takedowntwitterx.bsky.social #teslatakedown
November 22, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Elon is rigging the Twitter algorithm to shove right wing fever dreams down your throat. If you're a prominent person who's still on Twitter, you're helping him cook people's brains just by being there. Don't take my word for it, he'll tell you himself. @takedowntwitterx.bsky.social #teslatakedown
Reposted by David Atkins
something i'll note is that if nuzzi ran catch-and-kill ops for rfk jr and lizza knew this prior to him being appointed as HHS, and instead of telling anyone, he decided to save it for his substack long after rfk jr had made communicable disease into federal policy, that's completely fucked
November 22, 2025 at 6:33 PM
something i'll note is that if nuzzi ran catch-and-kill ops for rfk jr and lizza knew this prior to him being appointed as HHS, and instead of telling anyone, he decided to save it for his substack long after rfk jr had made communicable disease into federal policy, that's completely fucked
Reposted by David Atkins
elon installs a new feature that publicly displays the country where your app was installed and operates from
people find out the most racist pro-US accounts are based in israel, india, bangladesh, etc
US DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY TWITTER BASED IN ISRAEL
elon pauses location feature
people find out the most racist pro-US accounts are based in israel, india, bangladesh, etc
US DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY TWITTER BASED IN ISRAEL
elon pauses location feature
November 22, 2025 at 4:00 PM
elon installs a new feature that publicly displays the country where your app was installed and operates from
people find out the most racist pro-US accounts are based in israel, india, bangladesh, etc
US DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY TWITTER BASED IN ISRAEL
elon pauses location feature
people find out the most racist pro-US accounts are based in israel, india, bangladesh, etc
US DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY TWITTER BASED IN ISRAEL
elon pauses location feature