Brendan Nyhan

@brendannyhan.bsky.social

130K followers 4.3K following 10K posts

Dartmouth political scientist and Bright Line Watch co-director. Previously Upshot NYT / CJR contributor, Spinsanity co-founder, All the President's Spin co-author.

https://sites.dartmouth.edu/nyhan/
http://brightlinewatch.org .. more

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Brendan Nyhan is an American political scientist and professor at Dartmouth College. He is also a liberal to moderate political blogger, author, and political columnist. He was born in Mountain View, California and now lives in Hanover, New Hampshire. .. more

Political science 39%

Sociology 22%

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Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 6d

There is nothing complicated or subtle or hard to understand about what is going on.

Trump may not succeed. But he will only fail if patriots stand up and defend our democracy and the Constitution. We must act, as @mashagessen.bsky.social writes, while we still can. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/18/o...

Reposted by David R. Miller

Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 15m

Monstrous acts and crimes are being committed right now, in our names, with our tax dollars:
-Renee Good - murdered by an armed agent of the state for protesting
-Alex Pretti - murdered by an armed agent of the state for protesting
-Liam Ramos (5) - used as bait to lure his father out of the house

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan

Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · 29m

This is so difficult to read. apnews.com/article/immi...

“”We had this discussion with him two weeks ago or so, you know, that go ahead and protest, but do not engage, do not do anything stupid, basically,” Michael Pretti said. “And he said he knows that. He knew that.””

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Scott L. Greer, Michelle L. Mazurek , and 1 more Brendan Nyhan, Scott L. Greer, Michelle L. Mazurek, Gerald Friedman

Brandy Zadrozny @brandyzadrozny.bsky.social · 1h

Alex Pretti "used to tell people off when they made sexist comments to female physicians. He bought me coffee when I had a really bad day as an intern...I laughed alongside him daily. He made a point to teach medical residents without judgement, but with a smile on his face and a joke."

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Scott A. Imberman

Ron Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 1h

Chief Strategist for Rand Paul.

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Trevon D. Logan

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 1h

Media: do not lead with the false government framing of what happened

Reposted by David R. Miller

Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 1h

This could end any day. Republicans in Congress are choosing not to do so.

G Elliott Morris @gelliottmorris.com · 4h

Reminder: All it would take to end the murder of American citizens by an untrained government goon squad is 16 Republicans in Congress voting with Dems to defund ICE (or 23 to impeach and remove Trump — 3 in House & 20 in Senate). That’s it. 23 Americans can vote for the public and end all of this.

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, David R. Miller

Radley Balko @radleybalko.bsky.social · 2h

Pretti clearly did not brandish his gun. Which means the government is saying he was killed for legally exercising his right to carry.

It’s as clear-cut a violation of the Second Amendment as I can possibly imagine. And we’re about to see the bulk of the gun rights crowd defend his murder.

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan

DetroitRudyOwens @detroitrudyowens.bsky.social · 2h

And another angle showing how the killed man, 37 yo nurse, no criminal record, was assaulted then shot to death with 10 bullets this morning in Minneapolis, by a masked federal agent. No sign of any crime was being committed. He was acting peacefully/lawfully. www.threads.com/@dino.luck/p...

Dino Luck (@dino.luck) on Threads

Another angle: Showing again, victim had no gun (both hands visible in front of him as he is on the ground). All he was guilty of is trying to protect another citizen from the brutalists. THIS WAS A...

www.threads.com

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan

Ryan Enos @ryanenos.bsky.social · 2h

This is a lie. Propaganda worthy of the worst authoritarian regimes.

Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele, Brendan Nyhan, Tom Shakespeare , and 1 more Kim L. Scheppele, Brendan Nyhan, Tom Shakespeare, David R. Miller

Thomas Leeper @thosjleeper.bsky.social · 2h

Minneapolitans are gathering on every block tonight at 7pm to hold a vigil for someone killed by our own government, for doing nothing but helping someone up off the ground.

What would you say if you saw this in other country?

What would you expect to happen to those responsible and accountable?

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, David R. Miller, Blair Fix

Brandon Friedman @brandonfriedman.bsky.social · 3h

This is courage. Looking a masked, government fascist dead in the eye, face to face, knowing full well that your life is on the line.

If elected officials had 1/10th of Alex Pretti's resolve, we would have far fewer troubles.

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Scott A. Imberman, Robert B. Reich

Jill Lawrence @jilldlawrence.bsky.social · 3h

OMG. "DHS said the episode began after a man approached Border Patrol agents with a handgun and they tried to disarm him. But footage from the scene shows the man was holding a phone in his hand, not a gun, when federal agents took him to the ground and shot him." www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01...

Update from Devon Lum

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan

Nicole Foy @nicolefoy.bsky.social · 3h

Greg Bovino of Border Patrol begins press conference just now reading the previous DHS statement describing (among other things) Alex Pretti approaching agents in a way that is directly contradicted by footage in this video www.youtube.com/live/_zA-3M-...

Mueller, She Wrote @muellershewrote.com · 4h

NEW VIDEO: this appears to be the footage from the woman in the pink coat.

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Henry Farrell

Will Stancil @whstancil.bsky.social · 3h

Do you honestly think people in the civil rights movement and other nonviolent movements faced no violence themselves? They practiced nonviolence because it works, because the oppressor wants a shooting war, which is the war it will win

Arno_Xen, PhD (ANTIFA) @arno-aman.bsky.social · 3h

How's your non-violent working Mr Gandhi stancil? They will kill each and everyone of you right if they had the chance and you will still be writing Kumbaya.

Will Stancil @whstancil.bsky.social · 4h

Observers have been working day and night to protect these neighborhoods from ICE, make the streets safe so kids can go to school and people can go to their jobs. Burning down the street undoes all our work. The people setting fires haven’t been putting in long hours watching plates or doors.

Reposted by Ben H. Ansell, Elizabeth Saunders, Will Jennings , and 10 more Ben H. Ansell, Elizabeth Saunders, Will Jennings, Brendan Nyhan, David H. Kaye, David R. Miller, Alison Johnson, Scott A. Imberman, Jason Lyall, Claire L. Adida, Greg Linden, Magda Teter, Nathan P. Kalmoe

G Elliott Morris @gelliottmorris.com · 4h

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan

Henry Farrell @himself.bsky.social · 5h

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/o... ""power is a “coordination game,” in which everything depends on what the public believes and does together. Even the most brutal tyrant does not have enough soldiers and police officers to compel everyone to obey at gunpoint"

Reposted by Elizabeth Saunders

Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 5h

My instinct as well. Opposition to authoritarianism is a coordination game. With that said, welcome thoughts from @stevelevitsky.bsky.social @dziblatt.bsky.social @tompepinsky.com etc

Reposted by Elizabeth Saunders, Keith Jones, Will Jennings , and 7 more Elizabeth Saunders, Keith Jones, Will Jennings, Brendan Nyhan, Philip N. Cohen, Juan Cole, Kevin Carey, W. Andy Knight, Talia Schaffer, Nathan P. Kalmoe

James Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · 5h

From this moment forward (and before, but clearly now):

-If you work for ICE.
-If you vote for money for ICE.

You are complicit. This is the gestapo. You're on the wrong side. You can't pretend not to know.

Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 5h

Posted this three hours ago

Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 9h

One thing authoritarian regimes do is establish impunity for government officials who break the law on their behalf

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Tom Clark

James Downie @jamescdownie.bsky.social · 6h

It's been less than a decade since the NRA was conspicuously silent after a Minnesota police officer killed Philando Castile, who had a valid gun permit: www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-na...

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Scott Gehlbach, Nathan P. Kalmoe

🦃 Seth Masket 🦃 @smotus.bsky.social · 6h

Abolishing ICE is not nearly sufficient. State and local officials need to start arresting and prosecuting these kidnappers and murderers.

Governor Tim Walz @governorwalz.mn.gov · 6h

I just spoke with the White House after another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning. Minnesota has had it. This is sickening.

The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now.

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, David R. Miller

Paul Musgrave @professormusgrave.bsky.social · 6h

Extrajudicial killings are not the sign of a strong regime but they may be the portent of a bloody one.

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, David R. Miller, Victor Pickard , and 3 more Brendan Nyhan, David R. Miller, Victor Pickard, Josh Pasek, Christopher Blair, Nathan P. Kalmoe

Zack Beauchamp @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social · 6h

We have just witnessed state security services execute a protestor in cold blood.

If they can get away with it, we have entered a new, exceptionally dangerous stage in America’s authoritarian slide.

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Russell T. McCutcheon, Robert C. Richards , and 7 more Brendan Nyhan, Russell T. McCutcheon, Robert C. Richards, James Goodwin, Anders Sundnes Løvlie, Mark Rice, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, Farah Mendlesohn, David Darmofal, Peter Jacobs

Matt McDermott @mattmfm.bsky.social · 6h

ICE attempted to order local police from the scene of the Minneapolis shooting, but the police chief refused and instructed his officers to preserve the crime scene.

www.startribune.com/ice-raids-mi...

Reposted by Lisa W. Fazio, Elizabeth Saunders, Brendan Nyhan , and 8 more Lisa W. Fazio, Elizabeth Saunders, Brendan Nyhan, Steve Peers, Michael Kevane, Jonathan Hopkin, Robert C. Richards, Scott A. Imberman, Juan Moreno‐Cruz, Mark Rice, Magda Teter

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 6h

What we are watching is a paramilitary force learning that they can kill with impunity, that the regime will smear the victim and defend them. Unless politicians and the legal system exerts accountability, it will not stop. donmoynihan.substack.com/p/past-the-b...

And what are they learning? Experts on the formation of internal security services in authoritarian regimes point to a sense of impunity as a warning sign. Regime officials abuse their power when they know they will be protected, and even praised, for doing so.

Over the course of weeks and months, we have seen images of DHS officials abusing American citizens and immigrants alike, including killing them. What we do not hear is regime officials calling for credible investigations into such abuses, or even expressing any concerns. Renee Good’s killer was announced innocent, and both Good and her wife was instead the subject of an investigation, a perversion of justice so obvious that an FBI agent and half-dozen career Department of Justice prosecutors assigned to Minnesota resigned.

Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 7h

Recommend doing this right now

Nora Reed (they/them ze/hir) @nora.zone · Apr 18

to turn off autoplaying video on the bluesky mobile app

select the icon in the top left corner

go to settings

go to content and media

make sure "autoplay videos and gifs" is toggled off

pointing at the hamburger menu icon in the top left hand corner of a mobile bluesky app screen

Reposted by Trevon D. Logan

Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 7h

You don't want to watch. All caveats about what we don't know during a breaking news event, but it looks very very very bad.

ashley fairbanks @ziibiing.com · 7h

ICE killed another Minnesotan.

there is video and it is very bad.

www.facebook.com/share/r/1aPB...

Reposted by Elizabeth Saunders, Brendan Nyhan, Sanford F. Schram , and 4 more Elizabeth Saunders, Brendan Nyhan, Sanford F. Schram, Michael D. McDonald, Manisha Sinha, Nathan P. Kalmoe, David Darmofal

Bill Childs @billchilds.bsky.social · 7h

“Federal agents briefly detained our reporter at the scene, who says he was tackled to the ground and had a gun put in his face.”

BREAKING: Federal agent shoots man in south Minneapolis

A Bring Me The News reporter was near the scene, and recorded multiple gunshots.

bringmethenews.com

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, David S. Cohen, Christine Kooi , and 2 more Brendan Nyhan, David S. Cohen, Christine Kooi, Cailin O’Connor, Nathan P. Kalmoe

ashley fairbanks @ziibiing.com · 7h

ICE killed another Minnesotan.

there is video and it is very bad.

www.facebook.com/share/r/1aPB...

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan

Victor Ray @victorerikray.bsky.social · 7h

The New York Times reports that a group of “scientific” racists misused National Institute of Health data (that families were assured would be protected) to write bogus papers on supposed to biological racial differences. Gift link.

Genetic Data From Over 20,000 U.S. Children Misused for ‘Race Science’

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