David R. Brockman, Ph.D.
@drdrbrockman.bsky.social
Pinned
Welcome new Bluesky friends! I study and write about religion and politics, especially #ChristianNationalism. If you'd like to check out some of my work, here's a place to start: www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/david...
Reposted by David R. Brockman, Ph.D.
ICE deported a woman who owned a home in the US for 30 years. A judge banned ICE from deporting her to Sierra Leone where she had been tortured, so it deported her to Ghana, which kidnapped her and sent her back Sierra Leone anyway. ICE is part of this illegal conspiracy.
November 25, 2025 at 4:40 PM
ICE deported a woman who owned a home in the US for 30 years. A judge banned ICE from deporting her to Sierra Leone where she had been tortured, so it deported her to Ghana, which kidnapped her and sent her back Sierra Leone anyway. ICE is part of this illegal conspiracy.
Reposted by David R. Brockman, Ph.D.
(MSNOW) - President Trump is considering removing Kash Patel as FBI director in the coming months, as he and his top aides have grown increasingly frustrated by the unflattering headlines Patel has recently generated, according to three people with knowledge ..
@ms.now
www.ms.now/news/trump-k...
@ms.now
www.ms.now/news/trump-k...
November 25, 2025 at 7:01 PM
(MSNOW) - President Trump is considering removing Kash Patel as FBI director in the coming months, as he and his top aides have grown increasingly frustrated by the unflattering headlines Patel has recently generated, according to three people with knowledge ..
@ms.now
www.ms.now/news/trump-k...
@ms.now
www.ms.now/news/trump-k...
Reposted by David R. Brockman, Ph.D.
"By 2025, Brexit had reduced UK GDP by 6% to 8%, with the impact accumulating gradually over time. We estimate that investment was reduced by between 12% and 18%, employment by 3% to 4% and productivity by 3% to 4%"
Read the Stanford report:
siepr.stanford.edu/publications...
Read the Stanford report:
siepr.stanford.edu/publications...
The Economic Impact of Brexit
Other
siepr.stanford.edu
November 25, 2025 at 7:31 PM
"By 2025, Brexit had reduced UK GDP by 6% to 8%, with the impact accumulating gradually over time. We estimate that investment was reduced by between 12% and 18%, employment by 3% to 4% and productivity by 3% to 4%"
Read the Stanford report:
siepr.stanford.edu/publications...
Read the Stanford report:
siepr.stanford.edu/publications...
Reposted by David R. Brockman, Ph.D.
NEW: Trump weighs sacking Patel. www.ms.now/news/trump-k...
President Trump may have had enough of Kash Patel, according to sources
The president is weighing whether to oust the FBI director after scrutiny of Patel's stewardship of bureau resources, including his girlfriend’s security detail and use of a government jet.
www.ms.now
November 25, 2025 at 7:36 PM
NEW: Trump weighs sacking Patel. www.ms.now/news/trump-k...
Reposted by David R. Brockman, Ph.D.
New: Rep. Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat and frequent critic of Donald Trump, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday claiming Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte abused his power to retaliate against the president’s political opponents
buff.ly/iAkiJsh
Complaint: buff.ly/CWDI351
buff.ly/iAkiJsh
Complaint: buff.ly/CWDI351
November 25, 2025 at 7:48 PM
New: Rep. Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat and frequent critic of Donald Trump, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday claiming Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte abused his power to retaliate against the president’s political opponents
buff.ly/iAkiJsh
Complaint: buff.ly/CWDI351
buff.ly/iAkiJsh
Complaint: buff.ly/CWDI351
Reposted by David R. Brockman, Ph.D.
An Iranian professor at the University of Oklahoma has been released from immigration detainment, three days after his weekend arrest at an airport in Oklahoma City, according to a statement he posted online and a colleague at the university. nyti.ms/4rqBI3e
Vahid Abedini, University of Oklahoma Professor, Released After ICE Detainment
Vahid Abedini, who colleagues said was in the United States on an H-1B visa, was arrested on his way to a conference in Washington. It was unclear why.
nyti.ms
November 25, 2025 at 8:00 PM
An Iranian professor at the University of Oklahoma has been released from immigration detainment, three days after his weekend arrest at an airport in Oklahoma City, according to a statement he posted online and a colleague at the university. nyti.ms/4rqBI3e
Reposted by David R. Brockman, Ph.D.
Senator Kelly’s remarks in the video are “a 100% accurate representation of what the law says."
“No American citizen should have to deal with this type of preposterous investigation.”
- Professor Eugene Fidell, leading military justice expert in Wall Street Journal
www.wsj.com/politics/mar...
“No American citizen should have to deal with this type of preposterous investigation.”
- Professor Eugene Fidell, leading military justice expert in Wall Street Journal
www.wsj.com/politics/mar...
Pentagon Investigates Misconduct Allegations Against Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly
The review comes after Kelly, a retired Navy captain, appeared in a video with other lawmakers telling military members not to obey unlawful orders.
www.wsj.com
November 25, 2025 at 12:52 AM
Senator Kelly’s remarks in the video are “a 100% accurate representation of what the law says."
“No American citizen should have to deal with this type of preposterous investigation.”
- Professor Eugene Fidell, leading military justice expert in Wall Street Journal
www.wsj.com/politics/mar...
“No American citizen should have to deal with this type of preposterous investigation.”
- Professor Eugene Fidell, leading military justice expert in Wall Street Journal
www.wsj.com/politics/mar...
Reposted by David R. Brockman, Ph.D.
A U.S. District Judge has ruled that interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan (who had no prosecutorial experience before this role) was improperly appointed by the Trump administration, agreeing with Comey’s defense team.
The ruling means that both federal indictments are dismissed. trib.al/WZbNPi9
The ruling means that both federal indictments are dismissed. trib.al/WZbNPi9
November 24, 2025 at 10:43 PM
A U.S. District Judge has ruled that interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan (who had no prosecutorial experience before this role) was improperly appointed by the Trump administration, agreeing with Comey’s defense team.
The ruling means that both federal indictments are dismissed. trib.al/WZbNPi9
The ruling means that both federal indictments are dismissed. trib.al/WZbNPi9
Reposted by David R. Brockman, Ph.D.
NEW: The RNC has filed a sweeping new lawsuit in Michigan aiming to strike down a state law that protects voting access for U.S. citizens abroad — the GOP’s second attempt in under two years, and a far broader challenge than the one they lost in 2024.
Republicans Launch Major New Attack on Michigan-Based Overseas Voters
Read more here.
bit.ly
November 24, 2025 at 7:46 PM
NEW: The RNC has filed a sweeping new lawsuit in Michigan aiming to strike down a state law that protects voting access for U.S. citizens abroad — the GOP’s second attempt in under two years, and a far broader challenge than the one they lost in 2024.
Reposted by David R. Brockman, Ph.D.
Finally, the media worm is turning on Trump:
*NYT reports Rs quietly looking beyond Trump
*Axios says "red alert" time for Trump/GOP
*Politico reports MAGA culture-war now failing
*Trump clearly declining in many polls
On the pod we parse through all this evidence:
newrepublic.com/article/2035...
*NYT reports Rs quietly looking beyond Trump
*Axios says "red alert" time for Trump/GOP
*Politico reports MAGA culture-war now failing
*Trump clearly declining in many polls
On the pod we parse through all this evidence:
newrepublic.com/article/2035...
Trump Is a Weak, Failing President, and the Media Is Finally Saying So
As Trump’s downward spiral starts producing harsher media coverage, a writer who regularly dissects MAGA and political media explains why he’s entering a tailspin that will be very hard to reverse.
newrepublic.com
November 24, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Finally, the media worm is turning on Trump:
*NYT reports Rs quietly looking beyond Trump
*Axios says "red alert" time for Trump/GOP
*Politico reports MAGA culture-war now failing
*Trump clearly declining in many polls
On the pod we parse through all this evidence:
newrepublic.com/article/2035...
*NYT reports Rs quietly looking beyond Trump
*Axios says "red alert" time for Trump/GOP
*Politico reports MAGA culture-war now failing
*Trump clearly declining in many polls
On the pod we parse through all this evidence:
newrepublic.com/article/2035...
Reposted by David R. Brockman, Ph.D.
Defending Texas sovereignty has been central to Gov. Greg Abbott’s political identity. Yet he has helped President Donald Trump erode states’ authority over elections, policing and deploying the National Guard.
Gov. Greg Abbott, long a defender of states’ rights, embraces Trump’s push to expand presidential power
Defending Texas sovereignty has been central to Abbott’s political identity. Yet he has helped Trump erode states’ authority over elections, policing and deploying the National Guard.
www.houstonpublicmedia.org
November 24, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Defending Texas sovereignty has been central to Gov. Greg Abbott’s political identity. Yet he has helped President Donald Trump erode states’ authority over elections, policing and deploying the National Guard.
Reposted by David R. Brockman, Ph.D.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has launched a campaign against CAIR, declaring the Muslim civil rights organization a foreign terrorist organization. What’s unclear is whether that will hold up under a legal challenge.
Gov. Greg Abbott’s campaign against Muslim group faces challenges under Texas and federal law
Abbott declared the Council on American-Islamic Relations a foreign terrorist organization and a transnational criminal organization, invoking a 2023 Texas statute. CAIR is suing the governor, alleging violations of due process and freedom of speech.
www.houstonpublicmedia.org
November 24, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has launched a campaign against CAIR, declaring the Muslim civil rights organization a foreign terrorist organization. What’s unclear is whether that will hold up under a legal challenge.
Reposted by David R. Brockman, Ph.D.
Still open for applications: Our 2026 Elections Internship. Get front-row experience covering a high-octane election cycle with us. www.texasobserver.org/jobs/
Work for the Texas Observer
We’re a nonprofit with a strong public service mission; we seek to expose injustice and to produce the kind of impact journalism that makes a difference.
www.texasobserver.org
November 24, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Still open for applications: Our 2026 Elections Internship. Get front-row experience covering a high-octane election cycle with us. www.texasobserver.org/jobs/
Reposted by David R. Brockman, Ph.D.
Enrollment by international students from China dropped by 3 percent, from India by 4 percent, and enrollment from students from Mexico has flatlined. Here are the likely consequences for Texas' education and economy:
The High Cost of Targeting International Students in Texas
The Trump administration’s bans and airport detentions are derailing the academic dreams of students who carry out important research—and sometimes pay hefty tuition—to attend Texas institutions.
www.texasobserver.org
November 23, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Enrollment by international students from China dropped by 3 percent, from India by 4 percent, and enrollment from students from Mexico has flatlined. Here are the likely consequences for Texas' education and economy:
Reposted by David R. Brockman, Ph.D.
Rubio told senators that the so-called Ukraine peace plan, which reads like a list of Russian demands. was actually given to the Trump team by Moscow, according to a Republican senator. Now Rubio's denying it and insisting it really is a US plan. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/23/u...
Rubio Insists U.S. Authored the Ukraine Peace Plan
www.nytimes.com
November 23, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Rubio told senators that the so-called Ukraine peace plan, which reads like a list of Russian demands. was actually given to the Trump team by Moscow, according to a Republican senator. Now Rubio's denying it and insisting it really is a US plan. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/23/u...
Reposted by David R. Brockman, Ph.D.
President Donald Trump’s directive to change the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War could cost as much as $2 billion, according to six people with knowledge of the potential cost. NBC News’ Gordon Lubold reports.
November 23, 2025 at 7:01 PM
President Donald Trump’s directive to change the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War could cost as much as $2 billion, according to six people with knowledge of the potential cost. NBC News’ Gordon Lubold reports.
Reposted by David R. Brockman, Ph.D.
The idea that Trump built a durable, multiracial working-class coalition was always overstated. trib.al/oX4FTOF
Exit polls from New Jersey and Virginia show the GOP lost overwhelmingly among all three voting blocs: voters under age 30, Black voters, and Latinos.
Exit polls from New Jersey and Virginia show the GOP lost overwhelmingly among all three voting blocs: voters under age 30, Black voters, and Latinos.
The Young Voters and Minorities Who Backed Trump in 2024 Hate Him Now
Political analyst Michael Podhorzer discusses why the Republican candidates in New Jersey and Virginia came nowhere near matching Trump’s 2024 support among voters of color and young voters.
trib.al
November 23, 2025 at 12:03 PM
The idea that Trump built a durable, multiracial working-class coalition was always overstated. trib.al/oX4FTOF
Exit polls from New Jersey and Virginia show the GOP lost overwhelmingly among all three voting blocs: voters under age 30, Black voters, and Latinos.
Exit polls from New Jersey and Virginia show the GOP lost overwhelmingly among all three voting blocs: voters under age 30, Black voters, and Latinos.
Reposted by David R. Brockman, Ph.D.
It isn't even clear that the Kremlin likes this plan
NEW: Russian officials and state media continue to set information conditions to reject the US-proposed 28-point peace plan, indicating that the Kremlin is actively conditioning the Russian people to not accept anything less than a full victory in Ukraine. 🧵(1/8)
Read more: isw.pub/UkrWar112225
Read more: isw.pub/UkrWar112225
November 23, 2025 at 12:47 PM
It isn't even clear that the Kremlin likes this plan
Reposted by David R. Brockman, Ph.D.
Trump’s 28-point peace plan with Russia “is misnamed,” @anneapplebaum.bsky.social argues. “It is not a peace plan. It is a proposal that weakens Ukraine and divides America from Europe, preparing the way for a larger war in the future.”
The Murky Plan That Ensures a Future War
Who will benefit from the White House’s 28-point proposal for Ukraine?
bit.ly
November 22, 2025 at 10:15 PM
Trump’s 28-point peace plan with Russia “is misnamed,” @anneapplebaum.bsky.social argues. “It is not a peace plan. It is a proposal that weakens Ukraine and divides America from Europe, preparing the way for a larger war in the future.”
Reposted by David R. Brockman, Ph.D.
A Texas A&M University appeals panel has unanimously ruled that the school was “not justified” when it fired a lecturer who had been accused of teaching a course that recognized more than two genders.
Texas A&M Wrong to Fire Professor Melissa McCoul Over Gender Lesson, Panel Rules
The firing put the school at the center of national debates over gender identity and academic freedom. A faculty panel ruled unanimously against the termination.
nyti.ms
November 22, 2025 at 10:52 PM
A Texas A&M University appeals panel has unanimously ruled that the school was “not justified” when it fired a lecturer who had been accused of teaching a course that recognized more than two genders.
Reposted by David R. Brockman, Ph.D.
Since January, a dynamic has emerged:
• DHS has repeatedly appealed to Christianity and scripture to justify its mass deportation efforts
• Some of the fiercest *critics* of DHS’ actions — to the point of protests and arrests — have been Christian clergy religionnews.com/2025/11/15/a...
• DHS has repeatedly appealed to Christianity and scripture to justify its mass deportation efforts
• Some of the fiercest *critics* of DHS’ actions — to the point of protests and arrests — have been Christian clergy religionnews.com/2025/11/15/a...
November 22, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Since January, a dynamic has emerged:
• DHS has repeatedly appealed to Christianity and scripture to justify its mass deportation efforts
• Some of the fiercest *critics* of DHS’ actions — to the point of protests and arrests — have been Christian clergy religionnews.com/2025/11/15/a...
• DHS has repeatedly appealed to Christianity and scripture to justify its mass deportation efforts
• Some of the fiercest *critics* of DHS’ actions — to the point of protests and arrests — have been Christian clergy religionnews.com/2025/11/15/a...
Reposted by David R. Brockman, Ph.D.
Turns out the press conference from this meeting was mostly just Trump saying nice things about Mamdani and sometimes politics is a mystery, folks.
I’m curious if much of this will be televised, and if so, whether Trump will try to go after Mamdani on camera as he has with other WH visitors.
If he does, it’ll be interesting to see how Mamdani, whose campaign relied on him being great on camera, responds.
If he does, it’ll be interesting to see how Mamdani, whose campaign relied on him being great on camera, responds.
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will meet with President Trump at the White House Friday putting the frequent foe of conservatives face-to-face with one of his biggest critics. n.pr/4a1AHIw
November 21, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Turns out the press conference from this meeting was mostly just Trump saying nice things about Mamdani and sometimes politics is a mystery, folks.
Reposted by David R. Brockman, Ph.D.
🚨BREAKING: Federal district court DENIES Texas' motion to stay order blocking new congressional map. A good outcome and the last step before Texas going to Supreme Court. Subscribe to Democracy Docket for full coverage and to stay informed. hubs.ly/Q03M8rql0
November 21, 2025 at 4:24 PM
🚨BREAKING: Federal district court DENIES Texas' motion to stay order blocking new congressional map. A good outcome and the last step before Texas going to Supreme Court. Subscribe to Democracy Docket for full coverage and to stay informed. hubs.ly/Q03M8rql0
Reposted by David R. Brockman, Ph.D.
Reposted by David R. Brockman, Ph.D.
Eleanor Coppola’s new memoir explores the difficulties of having a celebrated director for a husband, and a celebrated director for a daughter. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/critics-notebook/life-at-the-edge-of-a-famous-family
Life at the Edge of a Famous Family
Eleanor Coppola’s new memoir, “Two of Me: Notes on Living and Leaving,” explores the difficulties of having a celebrated director for a husband, and a celebrated director for a daughter.
www.newyorker.com
November 21, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Eleanor Coppola’s new memoir explores the difficulties of having a celebrated director for a husband, and a celebrated director for a daughter. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/critics-notebook/life-at-the-edge-of-a-famous-family