Chris Kaiser
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chriskaiserva.bsky.social
Chris Kaiser
@chriskaiserva.bsky.social
760 followers 660 following 370 posts
Policy Director ACLU of Virginia | Fmr: ACLU of Louisiana | Unrepentant Kentuckian | Cincinnati Reds stan | Opinions are mine alone.
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Reposted by Chris Kaiser
kredburn.bsky.social
Out today in HLR, my piece Skrmetti Beyond Scrutiny. What happened, what it means for trans rights and sex equality more broadly: harvardlawreview.org/print/vol-13...
Skrmetti Beyond Scrutiny - Harvard Law Review
In United States v. Skrmetti, the Supreme Court upheld Tennessee Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), a state law that prohibits transgender minors from accessing gender-affirming care.
harvardlawreview.org
November 11, 2025 at 1:36 AM
Reposted by Chris Kaiser
junlper.beer
a new genre of photo in the last year is federal agents working for ICE pointing guns directly at photographers
November 11, 2025 at 12:41 AM
chriskaiserva.bsky.social
In Virginia since January 2025, the number of formal 287(g) agreements (dedicating state/local police resources to help these guys) has gone from 0 to 33.

Unjustifiable.
rpsagainsttrump.bsky.social Republicans Against Trumpism @rpsagainsttrump.bsky.social · 2d
ICE is completely out of control
November 9, 2025 at 11:34 PM
Reposted by Chris Kaiser
anatosaurus.bsky.social
One, spicy, focus group participant here ("activatable" white women, Nov. 5) laying out how it undermines defiance by regular folks when those in power refuse to demonstrate courage & convictions.
Quotation from focus group participant: "We were able to see 420 pages of when wild Bill got his little willy wet. We can't see nothing on the Epstein files? Why is that? Because everything leads back to Trump and they're protecting him. And anybody that is defiant to that is being trampled on. That's where our fear are coming in. That's where we're thinking, 'What can little old me do when these powerful people are being trampled on?'"
November 9, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Reposted by Chris Kaiser
anatosaurus.bsky.social
There are endless examples of this regime of the bullies for the billionaires attacking our people. When we make believe we're in a fight for healthcare subsidies alone, as critical as those are, negotiating in good faith as if MAGA were normal party - we normalize the regime.
November 9, 2025 at 10:29 PM
Reposted by Chris Kaiser
heathercherone.bsky.social
The @chicagotribune.com has updated its story to clarify that the baby was exposed to pepper spray, not tear gas
Shots fired at immigration agents in Little Village as residents confront Bovino, Border Patrol, authorities say
Community members once again confronted a convoy of Border Patrol agents led by Cmdr. Gregory Bovino as it moved through Chicago’s South Side neighborhoods.
www.chicagotribune.com
November 8, 2025 at 11:02 PM
Reposted by Chris Kaiser
sjshancoxli.liberalcurrents.com
i sometimes hear that the reactionary right "has no coherent ideology" but once you see the zero-sum biopolitical basis of their thinking it becomes very straightforward
sharonk.bsky.social Sharon @sharonk.bsky.social · 1d
meanwhile, the infantrydort is poasting
November 9, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Reposted by Chris Kaiser
yappelbaum.bsky.social
BREAKING: Mark Wolf, appointed to the federal bench by Ronald Reagan, writes that he is resigning as a judge to have the freedom to speak out against the president's assault on the rule of law.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
November 9, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Reposted by Chris Kaiser
radleybalko.bsky.social
40 men Trump sent to CECOT tell the NYT they were beaten, tortured, and sexually assaulted. The details are worse than you can imagine.

We can’t let them get away with this. Miller and the other architects of this sadism need to go to prison.

www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/w...
‘You Are All Terrorists’: Four Months in a Salvadoran Prison
www.nytimes.com
November 9, 2025 at 2:20 AM
Reposted by Chris Kaiser
mikesacks.bsky.social
Judge Immergut permanently enjoins Trump from deploying federalized National Guard members to Oregon

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF OREGON STATE OF OREGON and the CITY OF PORTLAND, and STATE OF CALIFORNIA, Case No. 3:25-cv-1756-IM FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW Plaintiffs, v. DONALD TRUMP, in his official capacity as President of the United States; PETE HEGSETH, in his official capacity as Secretary of Defense; U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE; KRISTI NOEM, in her official capacity as Secretary of Homeland Security; and U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, Defendants. IMMERGUT, District Judge. INTRODUCTION On September 27, 2025, the President of the United States federalized 200 members of the Oregon National Guard over the objection of Oregon's governor and deployed them to a single federal building in Portland, Oregon. In the ensuing days, the President ordered the deployment of 400 federalized members of the Texas and California National Guards, all to the same federal building in Oregon. The mission of these deployments of military troops was ostensibly to quell violent protests outside the one-block Immigration and Customs Enforcement ("ICE") building in Portland. But after a three-day trial that included the testimony of federal, state, and local law enforcement officials and hundreds of exhibits describing protest activity outside the Portland ICE building, the evidence demonstrates that these deployments, which were objected to by Oregon's governor and not requested by the federal officials in charge of protection of the ICE building, exceeded the President's authority. While violent protests did occur in June, they quickly abated due to the efforts of civil law enforcement officers. And since that brief span of a few days in June, the protests outside the Portland ICE facility have been predominately peaceful, with only isolated and sporadic instances of relatively low-level violence, largely between protesters and counter-protesters. When considering these conditions that persisted for months before the President's federalization of the National Guard, this Court concludes that even giving great deference to the President's determination, the President did not have a lawful basis to federalize the National Guard under 10 U.S.C. § 12406…. Unless and until the President lawfully federalizes National Guardsmen under a statute such as 10 U.S.C. § 12406, "National Guard members serve solely as members of the State militia under the command of a state governor." Stirling v. Minasian, 955 F.3d 795, 799 (9th Cir. 2020) (internal quotations omitted). Therefore, the President's unlawful federalization of the National Guard violates the Tenth Amendment, which "reserves to the States" any powers not expressly delegated to the federal government in the Constitution. U.S. Const. amend. X. In Newsom v. Trump, 141 F.4th 1032 (9th Cir. 2025), the Ninth Circuit interpreted the provision permitting the President to call up the National Guard when he "is unable with the regular forces to execute the laws of the United States." 10 U.S.C. § 12406(3). This Court is bound to apply Newsom. However, this case presents novel issues not addressed in Newsom. Newsom did not discuss Section 12406(2), which permits the President to call up the National Guard when "there is a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States," nor did it fully delve into the meaning of "to execute the laws of the United States," contained in Section 12406(3). In resolving these issues, this Court draws on both Newsom's reasoning and the constitutional scope of Congress's calling forth power, which defines the outer boundaries of the President's power under 10 U.S.C. § 12406. Indeed, this Court, "as in all cases, [must] interpret the Constitution in light of its text, purposes, and 'our whole experience' as a Nation." NRB v. Noel Canning, 573 U.S. 513, 557 (2014) (quoting Missouri v. Holland, 252 U.S. 416, 433 (1920)). After analyzing these statutory provisions, as applied to the facts in this case, this Court arrives at the necessary conclusion that there was neither "a rebellion or danger of a rebellion" nor was the President "unable with the regular forces to execute the laws of the United States" in Oregon when he ordered the federalization and deployment of the National Guard. 10 U.S.C. § 12406(2)-(3). This Court acknowledges that some citizens may support these deployments as a helpful military supplement to effectuate the President's immigration agenda. But the Founders "embodied their profound fear and distrust of military power... in the Constitution and its Amendments," Reid v. Covert, 354 U.S. 1, 29 (1957) (plurality op.), which has lived on through the decades as "a traditional and strong resistance of Americans to any military intrusion into civilian affairs." Laird v. Tatum, 408 U.S. 1, 15 (1972). In the Supreme Court's words, "[s]light encroachments create new boundaries from which legions of power can seek new territory to capture." Reid, 354 U.S. at 39 (1957). This principle has been foundational to the safeguarding of our fundamental liberties under the Constitution. See New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254, 271-72 (1964) (noting that under the First Amendment, "freedoms of expression are to have the breathing space that they need to survive" (ellipses and internal quotations omitted)); Silverman v. United States, 365 U.S. 505, 512(1961) (noting in the Fourth Amendment context that illegitimate and unconstitutional practices get their first footing... by silent approaches and slight deviations from legal modes of procedure" (internal quotations omitted)). The "precise standard" to demarcate the line past which conditions would satisfy the statutory standard to deploy the military in the streets of American cities is ultimately a question for a higher court to decide. Newsom, 141 F.4th at 1051. But based on this Court's application of Newsom to the factual findings at trial and the meaning of 10 U.S.C. § 12406 in light of history and tradition, this Court finds that wherever this line precisely is, Defendants have failed to clear it. Therefore, for all the reasons stated below, this Court permanently enjoins Defendants' orders to deploy federalized members of the National Guard to Oregon.
November 8, 2025 at 1:28 AM
Reposted by Chris Kaiser
resnikoff.bsky.social
Striking contrast with the seemingly endless supply of op-eds, cable news appearances and Substack posts where eminent pundits inform us that normies don't care about airy abstractions like authoritarianism and the rule of law.
lastpositivist.bsky.social lastpositivist.bsky.social @lastpositivist.bsky.social · 4d
The more democratic elements of the American constitutional and economic order are actually throwing up road blocks to Trumpism. Protests and boycotts and low level courts and juries and cetera. Elite actors on the other hand are all too frequently caving. Fascinating study in who actually cares!
ryanjreilly.com Ryan J. Reilly “paints a vivid and urgent portrait of… disarray” @ryanjreilly.com · 4d
BREAKING: JUSTICE DEPARTMENT EATS A LOSS IN 'SANDWICH GUY' CASE AS JURORS FIND DEFENDANT NOT GUILTY www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...
November 6, 2025 at 9:35 PM
Reposted by Chris Kaiser
beijingpalmer.bsky.social
one of the early warning signs that Heritage was going full Nazi was that all their sane foreign policy hawks quit years ago when they started defending Putin
themountaingoats.bsky.social the Mountain Goats @themountaingoats.bsky.social · 4d
heritage foundation sounds like a great place to work and I hear there's openings
A staff meeting Wednesday — Roberts’s latest attempt to quell a week of resignations and condemnations over his defense of Carlson — was marked with calls for him to resign and squabbles over whether Christian employees would be forced to participate in Jewish rituals.
November 6, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Reposted by Chris Kaiser
propublica.org
Pregnancy became far more dangerous in Texas after the state banned abortion, according to our analysis, which found the sepsis rate for women hospitalized as they miscarried in the 2nd trimester shot up by more than 50%.

(Published February)
Texas Banned Abortion. Then Sepsis Rates Soared.
ProPublica’s first-of-its-kind analysis is the most detailed look yet into a rise in life-threatening complications for women experiencing pregnancy loss under Texas’ abortion ban.
www.propublica.org
November 6, 2025 at 2:25 AM
Reposted by Chris Kaiser
larryglickman.bsky.social
Trump wants a monopoly on both stoking public anger and personifying it--"I am your retribution"--and he is threatened that Mamdani is reframing and mobilizing anger for very different purposes.
thebulwark.com The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 5d
Trump on Mamdani's victory speech: “I thought it was a very angry speech, certainly angry towards me. And I think he should be very nice to me…It's a very dangerous statement for him to make.”
November 5, 2025 at 11:59 PM
Reposted by Chris Kaiser
matthew.flux.community
She spent the majority of her ad budget lying about trans people, in fact. Total failure: plus.flux.community/p/flailing-v...
Flailing Virginia governor candidate spends most of her money fearmongering about trans people
Religious extremist Winsome Earle-Sears has spent more than half of her advertising lying about less than 50 children
plus.flux.community
November 5, 2025 at 1:30 AM
Reposted by Chris Kaiser
jamellebouie.net
one last observation: donald trump has never won a majority of the vote and yet the political press treats him like the embodied spirit of the american people. will be interesting to see how they discount mamdani as representing new york if he wins less than a majority.
November 4, 2025 at 11:32 AM
Reposted by Chris Kaiser
darthbluesky.bsky.social
if u do not have anything nice to say well sometimes u are not wrong
June 8, 2023 at 1:42 PM
Reposted by Chris Kaiser
eruditorumpress.com
It’s very strange to repeatedly see Democratic “strategists” observe that the party is widely seen as focusing on identity politics—in spite of the Harris campaign largely avoiding them —and concluding this is a problem with party priorities and not with losing voters to misinformation.
November 2, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Reposted by Chris Kaiser
donmoyn.bsky.social
ICE shot an American citizen and food bank worker who tried to block them arresting an immigrant by pulling his car in front of them.
After being released from hospital: "He is now facing charges for assault on a federal officer."
www.calonews.com/featured-top...
Carlos Jimenez, a 24-year-old U.S. citizen, was on his way to work at a food bank when he was shot by ICE officers in what a DHS spokesperson calls “defensive shots.” On Thursday morning at approximately 6:30 a.m., ICE officers were at Vineyard Avenue in Ontario when Jimenez, who was not in the target vehicle, attempted to pull in front of the officers. According to Javier Hernandez, executive director of the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, Jimenez was trying to assist and provide aid to the person who was being stopped by ICE officers. After Jimenez was shot in the shoulder, the LA Times and LA Taco reported that he drove to his brother’s house so he could take him to the hospital.
November 2, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Reposted by Chris Kaiser
kameronhurley.com
This is from Autocracy, Inc, about how modern autocratic propaganda works.

I consider this every time I decide what to share and how to frame it.
Many of the propagandists of Autocracy, Inc., have learned from the mistakes of the twentieth century. They don’t offer their fellow citizens a vision of utopia, and they don’t inspire them to build a better world. Instead, they teach people to be cynical and passive, because there is no better world to build. Their goal is to persuade people to mind their own business, stay out of politics, and never hope for a democratic alternative: Our state may be corrupt, but everyone else is corrupt too. You may not like our leader, but the others are worse. You may not like our society, but at least we are strong and the democratic world is weak, degenerate, divided, dying.
November 2, 2025 at 12:04 PM
Reposted by Chris Kaiser
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
Trump’s approval rating on immigration CRATERED in 2018-2019 as he enacted family separation in 2018, and then as people saw the appalling conditions in Border Patrol custody in 2019.

Biden’s efforts to provide expanded pathways for refugees and asylum seekers was arguably the popularist position!
November 1, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Reposted by Chris Kaiser
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
Can I also just say, again, that the Biden admin under no circumstances committed to “left-wing” migration policy, in any way, shape, or form. I want Douthat to articulate what specific policies he thinks are included in that, because I think he seriously misunderstands the policies at issue.
michaelhobbes.bsky.social Michael Hobbes @michaelhobbes.bsky.social · 9d
Utterly bizarre to describe climate change policy as some kind of radical-left albatross.

The IRA contained precisely the kind of 'kitchen table' programs everyone says Democrats should focus on — and they're popular!

The problem was that Americans *didn't know* what the IRA was or who passed it.
It is completely obvious that the party lost in 2024 because it overcommitted to a range of unpopular left-wing positions, some of which yielded disastrous policy results (like the Biden migration wave) while others merely persuaded constituencies that had voted Democratic in the past (like blue-collar Midwesterners or culturally conservative Latino men) that the party now cared more about climate change In poll after poll, Americans have said that they know little to nothing about the IRA, with the most recent poll, out in April 2024, finding that 4 in 10 people say that they don’t know enough about the law’s provisions to have an opinion on them. At the same time, a July 2023 Data for Progress poll found that large numbers of Americans support provisions in the IRA when asked specifically about them, including tax credits for businesses that produce clean electricity, electric vehicles, and new clean energy technologies (69%); rebates up to $14,000 per household to improve home energy efficiency (71%); and ramping up production of American-made clean energy technologies (73%). And perhaps most significantly, support for these key IRA provisions has grown over time among all likely voters, especially Republican voters.
November 1, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Reposted by Chris Kaiser
iwillnotbesilenced.bsky.social
Two Illinois Guardsmen claim to have sworn an oath over orders, stating that they will not turn on their city
November 1, 2025 at 2:33 AM
Reposted by Chris Kaiser
yasharali.bsky.social
1. A watershed moment.

The President of the Heritage Foundation and Heritage Action, Kevin Roberts , has announced that the organization is standing by Tucker Carlson in the aftermath of Tucker’s interview with neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes.

This isn’t Kevin bending his knee to Trump…this is something new
October 30, 2025 at 8:59 PM