Kevin Elliott
@kjephd.bsky.social
Political theorist studying democracy, ethics, & institutions. Author of Democracy for Busy People (https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/D/bo194847654.html); more at kevinjelliott.net. Generally poasting my way through this thing
Pinned
Kevin Elliott
@kjephd.bsky.social
· Jun 24
New article out from me, in which I consider: what if I'm wrong about everything re: what's important for a flourishing democracy?
I use a recent book attacking institutions & advocating disintermediated localism to explore the limits of my view.
Get it free here: academic.oup.com/psq/advance-...
I use a recent book attacking institutions & advocating disintermediated localism to explore the limits of my view.
Get it free here: academic.oup.com/psq/advance-...
Reposted by Kevin Elliott
It has long been clear that unalloyed racism lies at the core of Trumpism, and he is becoming increasingly explicit about this.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/05/w...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/05/w...
Trump Administration Says Europe Faces ‘Civilizational Erasure’
www.nytimes.com
December 5, 2025 at 4:29 PM
It has long been clear that unalloyed racism lies at the core of Trumpism, and he is becoming increasingly explicit about this.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/05/w...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/05/w...
Bad
BREAKING: The Indiana House votes 57-41 to advance a Trump-approved congressional map that could eliminate both of the state’s Democratic districts. The map now heads to the state Senate, which is expected to take it up when it convenes Monday.
Indiana House Passes Trump Gerrymander, Sending Map to Uncertain Senate Vote
Read more here.
www.democracydocket.com
December 5, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Bad
An ironic picture to pair with that headline
Knight of the Seven Kingdoms trailer brings levity to Westeros arstechnica.com/culture/2025...
Knight of the Seven Kingdoms trailer brings levity to Westeros
“Every knight needs a squire, and you look like you need one more than most.”…
arstechnica.com
December 5, 2025 at 5:07 PM
An ironic picture to pair with that headline
Reposted by Kevin Elliott
One problem of mainstream legal journalism is treating constitutional subversions as horserace political coverage.
I don't know how to fix it, other than to urge news organizations to ... not do that.
I don't know how to fix it, other than to urge news organizations to ... not do that.
The D.C. Circuit handed President Trump a victory in his effort to keep National Guard troops in D.C. The court paused a lower court order that would have ended the deployment in the coming days.
Subscribe to The Daily Docket: reut.rs/4aBvwvO
Subscribe to The Daily Docket: reut.rs/4aBvwvO
December 5, 2025 at 5:03 PM
One problem of mainstream legal journalism is treating constitutional subversions as horserace political coverage.
I don't know how to fix it, other than to urge news organizations to ... not do that.
I don't know how to fix it, other than to urge news organizations to ... not do that.
Remember when they pretended the problem was illegal immigration
The Trump administration Thursday announced new restrictions for immigrants, reducing the work authorization periods from five years to 18 months, the latest crackdown on legal immigration. ohiocapitaljournal.com/2025/12/05/r...
U.S. work authorizations for legal immigrants slashed from 5 years to 18 months • Ohio Capital Journal
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration Thursday announced new restrictions for immigrants, reducing the work authorization periods from five years to 18 months, the latest crackdown on legal…
ohiocapitaljournal.com
December 5, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Remember when they pretended the problem was illegal immigration
Heat's busted in my work building, and today it feels like 11 degrees outside. With space heaters running all night, it was 46 degrees in the building this morning
December 5, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Heat's busted in my work building, and today it feels like 11 degrees outside. With space heaters running all night, it was 46 degrees in the building this morning
There are small business owners who had to close their beloved stores because they were short, say, $7,000.
Zuckerberg wasted $77,000,000,000 on an idea nearly everybody could spot as a loser from a mile away
Zuckerberg wasted $77,000,000,000 on an idea nearly everybody could spot as a loser from a mile away
Mark Zuckerberg’s gamble on the "Metaverse" has lost his company more than $77 billion.
December 5, 2025 at 3:55 PM
There are small business owners who had to close their beloved stores because they were short, say, $7,000.
Zuckerberg wasted $77,000,000,000 on an idea nearly everybody could spot as a loser from a mile away
Zuckerberg wasted $77,000,000,000 on an idea nearly everybody could spot as a loser from a mile away
Compare the deference Republicans show for the judicial branch, checks & balances, and the separation of powers when it delivers them even a slight political setback from imposing one party rule to that of Democrats
What unites Republican lawmakers in states across the country is a fervent belief that legal checks on their power are inherently illegitimate
Utah Republicans Are Declaring War On the Utah Supreme Court
Utah Republicans are responding to losses at the Utah Supreme Court by punishing the justices who keep standing in their way.
ballsandstrikes.org
December 5, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Compare the deference Republicans show for the judicial branch, checks & balances, and the separation of powers when it delivers them even a slight political setback from imposing one party rule to that of Democrats
Reposted by Kevin Elliott
What unites Republican lawmakers in states across the country is a fervent belief that legal checks on their power are inherently illegitimate
Utah Republicans Are Declaring War On the Utah Supreme Court
Utah Republicans are responding to losses at the Utah Supreme Court by punishing the justices who keep standing in their way.
ballsandstrikes.org
December 5, 2025 at 12:45 PM
What unites Republican lawmakers in states across the country is a fervent belief that legal checks on their power are inherently illegitimate
So...the adjudicated rapist is legalizing some rape
BREAKING: Trump administration plans to end prison rape protections for trans & intersex people, memo says. A DOJ memo says certain standards under the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) do not align with Trump’s Jan. 20 anti-trans executive order, @byadamrhodes.bsky.social reports.
Trump administration plans to end prison rape protections for trans and intersex people
A Department of Justice memo says certain standards under the Prison Rape Elimination Act do not align with Trump’s executive order
prismreports.org
December 5, 2025 at 12:46 PM
So...the adjudicated rapist is legalizing some rape
Reposted by Kevin Elliott
I'm struggling to articulate this in my teaching: there is a point in preserving the ideals of avoiding fear or favor and exercising reasoned judgment in law, even if they have to be kept in exile
It's good—very good, and very important—that district courts keep issuing these 100-page rulings upholding the law. It must be incredibly dispiriting to see them overturned in a two-page, lawless, unsigned order, but please, keep them coming. They expose SCOTUS' corruption like nothing else.
December 5, 2025 at 2:52 AM
I'm struggling to articulate this in my teaching: there is a point in preserving the ideals of avoiding fear or favor and exercising reasoned judgment in law, even if they have to be kept in exile
Senator Palpatine is right
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), to reporters, after viewing video footage of the U.S. strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean on Sept. 2:
"Righteous strikes." "Entirely lawful."
"Righteous strikes." "Entirely lawful."
December 5, 2025 at 3:16 AM
Senator Palpatine is right
Reposted by Kevin Elliott
Big structural reno over at the Overton house, it seems. Whole floor to ceiling situation where that window once was.
December 5, 2025 at 1:30 AM
Big structural reno over at the Overton house, it seems. Whole floor to ceiling situation where that window once was.
Reposted by Kevin Elliott
Apologies for yelling, but—
ERIC TRUMP'S NET WORTH HAS INCREASED BY ABOUT $360 MILLION IN THE PAST YEAR.
ERIC TRUMP'S NET WORTH HAS INCREASED BY ABOUT $360 MILLION IN THE PAST YEAR.
New: “Eric Trump Has Gotten 10 Times Richer Since Dad’s Election”
@kylekhanmullins.bsky.social for @forbes.com
@kylekhanmullins.bsky.social for @forbes.com
Here’s How Much Eric Trump Is Worth
Crypto took the real estate heir’s fortune and supersized it, briefly making the president’s second-oldest son a billionaire in early September.
www.forbes.com
December 4, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Apologies for yelling, but—
ERIC TRUMP'S NET WORTH HAS INCREASED BY ABOUT $360 MILLION IN THE PAST YEAR.
ERIC TRUMP'S NET WORTH HAS INCREASED BY ABOUT $360 MILLION IN THE PAST YEAR.
So they watched a murder
December 5, 2025 at 1:46 AM
So they watched a murder
Reposted by Kevin Elliott
move slowly and build things
April 7, 2025 at 4:19 PM
move slowly and build things
Evergreen
You don't hate John Roberts enough
December 5, 2025 at 1:44 AM
Evergreen
Reposted by Kevin Elliott
I think it was real bad for both fans and players that the supreme court legalized sports gambling
The Athletic polled hundreds of players from across the NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL about their opinions surrounding how sports betting impacts players — the responses were haunting.
November 15, 2025 at 3:42 PM
I think it was real bad for both fans and players that the supreme court legalized sports gambling
Reposted by Kevin Elliott
As someone who spends a heck of a lot of time thinking about the evidentiary base Congress would need to build up and rely on if we were to pass comprehensive voting rights reform, it is extremely dispiriting to watch them just play Calvinball over and over. We need Supreme Court reform, yesterday
December 5, 2025 at 12:55 AM
As someone who spends a heck of a lot of time thinking about the evidentiary base Congress would need to build up and rely on if we were to pass comprehensive voting rights reform, it is extremely dispiriting to watch them just play Calvinball over and over. We need Supreme Court reform, yesterday
Reposted by Kevin Elliott
dude was so all about the metaverse that he renamed the whole company, only to burn billions on a venture that anybody with sense knew was destined to fail. it is laughable that he remains in charge. merit simply does not exist
Meta Platforms is planning cuts to the metaverse—an arena Mark Zuckerberg once called the future of the company—and will shift spending to AI wearables.
Meta Plans to Shift Spending Away From the Metaverse
Zuckerberg’s bet on immersive online worlds has lost the company more than $77 billion since 2020.
on.wsj.com
December 4, 2025 at 11:47 PM
dude was so all about the metaverse that he renamed the whole company, only to burn billions on a venture that anybody with sense knew was destined to fail. it is laughable that he remains in charge. merit simply does not exist
Reposted by Kevin Elliott
Renaming the Institute for Peace after yourself as you defend extrajudicial executions and prepare for war in Venezuela is really leaning into the mad dictator shtick.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/03/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/03/u...
Trump Renames Institute of Peace for Himself
www.nytimes.com
December 5, 2025 at 12:03 AM
Renaming the Institute for Peace after yourself as you defend extrajudicial executions and prepare for war in Venezuela is really leaning into the mad dictator shtick.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/03/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/03/u...
Reposted by Kevin Elliott
once again, "the supreme court will act as a bunch of partisan republican hacks" is the single most accurate heuristic for predicting its behavior, putting any coherent legal theory to shame
because fuck you, that's why
because fuck you, that's why
December 4, 2025 at 11:19 PM
once again, "the supreme court will act as a bunch of partisan republican hacks" is the single most accurate heuristic for predicting its behavior, putting any coherent legal theory to shame
because fuck you, that's why
because fuck you, that's why
Reposted by Kevin Elliott
As the district court noted, the Trump admin and Texas Republican lawmakers _said_ that they were acting on the basis of race. They said so openly and plainly. Are fact-finders in the lower courts seriously supposed to plug their ears and say “I can’t hear you”?
Texas clearly did a racial gerrymander, which is illegal.
A district court found that Texas did a racial gerrymander, rejecting the new map because it is illegal.
But the Supreme Court reversed it.
Because? Must assume the gerrymanderers were acting in good faith (despite the evidence otherwise).
A district court found that Texas did a racial gerrymander, rejecting the new map because it is illegal.
But the Supreme Court reversed it.
Because? Must assume the gerrymanderers were acting in good faith (despite the evidence otherwise).
December 4, 2025 at 11:24 PM
As the district court noted, the Trump admin and Texas Republican lawmakers _said_ that they were acting on the basis of race. They said so openly and plainly. Are fact-finders in the lower courts seriously supposed to plug their ears and say “I can’t hear you”?
Reposted by Kevin Elliott
Snow is indeed a fine medium for public art.
December 4, 2025 at 11:49 PM
Snow is indeed a fine medium for public art.
American democracy cannot be restored without bringing the Roberts Court to heel
SCOTUS conservatives just blessed the Texas GOP's gerrymander. It'll be used next year.
They stay the lower-court ruling, written by a Trump-appointed judge, that found the gerrymander to be illegal.
While no clear vote, Alito wrote a concurrence; and only the three liberal justices dissented.
They stay the lower-court ruling, written by a Trump-appointed judge, that found the gerrymander to be illegal.
While no clear vote, Alito wrote a concurrence; and only the three liberal justices dissented.
December 4, 2025 at 11:49 PM
American democracy cannot be restored without bringing the Roberts Court to heel