Jen Bendery
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jbendery.bsky.social
Jen Bendery
@jbendery.bsky.social
I report on Congress, the Trump administration and now authoritarianism for HuffPost.

Tips: [email protected] / [email protected]

Signal: jbendery.41
Pinned
Speaking of Jane Goodall, my favorite quote by her:

“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
Reposted by Jen Bendery
“Mr. Carlson expressed bafflement over the reaction to his session with Mr. Fuentes. He said he did not understand what was so problematic about his guest…” www.nytimes.com/2025/11/15/u...
Once He Was ‘Just Asking Questions.’ Now Tucker Carlson Is the Question.
www.nytimes.com
November 16, 2025 at 2:30 AM
Reposted by Jen Bendery
“Maybe somebody thought ‘Oh it’s a small place, it’s rural, they’re probably quiet, we can overpower them,” said City Councilor Steve Hickman.

“We’ve been underestimated.”

www.newsfromthestates.com/article/fede...
Federal defense contractor backs out of potential Oregon Coast ICE facility
A defense contractor with a history of providing housing for military operations withdrew its inquiry seeking land at the Newport Municipal Airport, a city official said Wednesday, as growing evidence...
www.newsfromthestates.com
November 16, 2025 at 2:21 AM
Reposted by Jen Bendery
I'm seeing people wonder why ICE is going after Charlotte.

ICE has been at war with Charlotte's sheriff ever since he won in 2018.

We'd covered this at Bolts back in the day; this quote is from that sheriff:
“When the 8 African American sheriffs took over the largest counties in North Carolina, it became a threat to the good ol’ boy system,” says the sheriff of Charlotte. These new sheriffs broke ties with ICE.

But GOP lawmakers cracked down this week, overbidding the governor’s veto to adopt this law:
North Carolina GOP Is Cracking Down on the Black Sheriffs Who Stood Up to ICE
Boosted by new supermajorities, Republicans are closing in on legislation to mandate more collaboration with ICE and preempt local policies hard-won by immigrants’ rights advocates.
boltsmag.org
November 15, 2025 at 10:43 PM
Reposted by Jen Bendery
I wanted to share probably the most important sermon I’ve given and it’s while I’m being arrested. It’s torture pure and simple what happens at #Broadview. I’m ok, though I was thrown to the ground and choked with my pectoral cross. A review of the video shows I was peaceful - did I deserve this?
November 15, 2025 at 5:57 AM
Good morning. ☕

ICYMI: Young progressives are "over it," running for local office everywhere and winning in wild places.
www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-...
'They Are Over It': The Trump Backlash Quietly Underway
In the past year, nearly 75,000 people have signed up to run for local and state office through Run for Something. And its candidates are winning.
www.huffpost.com
November 15, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Reposted by Jen Bendery
November 15, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Reposted by Jen Bendery
Trump: Epstein and I had a very bad relationship for many years. You have got to find out what did he know with respect to Bill Clinton… all those people that knew including JP Morgan Chase..

Reporter: If there is nothing incriminating in the files, why not—

Trump: QUIET! QUIET!
November 15, 2025 at 4:14 AM
Reposted by Jen Bendery
Hold up
November 15, 2025 at 12:41 AM
Reposted by Jen Bendery
Official U.S. Government account refers to its citizens as "imbecilic morons".
November 15, 2025 at 3:14 AM
Reposted by Jen Bendery
NEW: The backlash to Trump has been coming in big waves. Dems' sweep in last week’s elections. The 7 million people who turned out for “No Kings” protests.

But it's been fueling something else all year: a surge in young progressives signing up to run for office.
www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-...
The Trump Backlash That's Flying Under The Radar
In the past year, nearly 75,000 people have signed up to run for local and state office through Run for Something. And its candidates are winning.
www.huffpost.com
November 14, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Reposted by Jen Bendery
Amazing piece by Jen with some quotes from yours truly inside.

@runforsomething.net is changing the landscape of the country one race at a time, excited to play my own part in my own community.
NEW: The backlash to Trump has been coming in big waves. Dems' sweep in last week’s elections. The 7 million people who turned out for “No Kings” protests.

But it's been fueling something else all year: a surge in young progressives signing up to run for office.
www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-...
The Trump Backlash That's Flying Under The Radar
In the past year, nearly 75,000 people have signed up to run for local and state office through Run for Something. And its candidates are winning.
www.huffpost.com
November 14, 2025 at 7:48 PM
NEW: The backlash to Trump has been coming in big waves. Dems' sweep in last week’s elections. The 7 million people who turned out for “No Kings” protests.

But it's been fueling something else all year: a surge in young progressives signing up to run for office.
www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-...
The Trump Backlash That's Flying Under The Radar
In the past year, nearly 75,000 people have signed up to run for local and state office through Run for Something. And its candidates are winning.
www.huffpost.com
November 14, 2025 at 7:00 PM
This is cool. COURIER has created a searchable database with all 20,000 of the files just released from Epstein’s estate.

Trump's name appears in them more than anyone else, in 1,628 documents.
couriernewsroom.com/news/we-crea...
We created a searchable database with all 20,000 files from Epstein’s Estate
Easily find every mention of Trump, Clinton, blackmail, and potential sex crimes in the thousands of private messages between Epstein and his close associates.
couriernewsroom.com
November 14, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Reposted by Jen Bendery
NEW: A 12-foot-tall, faux bronze statue of Trump and Jeffrey Epstein skipping and holding hands has magically reappeared in downtown D.C. this morning.

A day after Dems released bombshell emails suggesting Trump knew about Epstein's child sex trafficking ring. www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-...
Trump-Epstein ‘Best Friends Forever’ Statue Reappears In DC After Bombshell Emails
Anonymous activists are back with their statue, which the Trump administration previously damaged, to satirically honor the men's "long-lasting bond."
www.huffpost.com
November 13, 2025 at 5:40 PM
💔
The woman whom the House Ethics Committee determined Matt Gaetz paid for sex when she was 17 years old was living in a homeless shelter, working at McDonald's, and needed the money for braces www.nytimes.com/2025/11/13/u...
November 13, 2025 at 8:22 PM
Capitol Hill continues to have a strong anti-Trump sign game. Spotted this one on a short walk today.
November 13, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Reposted by Jen Bendery
WOW, new signage!
November 13, 2025 at 4:10 PM
John Fetterman was transported to a hospital this morning after falling and hitting his face.

Docs discovered he'd had a ventricular fibrillation flare-up, a form of sudden cardiac arrest. His office says he's doing well and “receiving routine observation." www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-...
John Fetterman Hospitalized After Fall
www.huffpost.com
November 13, 2025 at 6:22 PM
NEW: A 12-foot-tall, faux bronze statue of Trump and Jeffrey Epstein skipping and holding hands has magically reappeared in downtown D.C. this morning.

A day after Dems released bombshell emails suggesting Trump knew about Epstein's child sex trafficking ring. www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-...
Trump-Epstein ‘Best Friends Forever’ Statue Reappears In DC After Bombshell Emails
Anonymous activists are back with their statue, which the Trump administration previously damaged, to satirically honor the men's "long-lasting bond."
www.huffpost.com
November 13, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Reposted by Jen Bendery
Thomas Massie to CNN on the Epstein files: "This vote is gonna be on your record for longer than Trump is gonna be president. And what are you gonna do in 2028 and 2030 when you're in a debate … and they say, 'How can we trust you? You covered up for a pedophile back in 2025.'"
November 13, 2025 at 2:50 AM
Reposted by Jen Bendery
Reporter: Can you respond to these Epstein emails that were released today?

Trump: *no answer*
November 13, 2025 at 3:28 AM
Reposted by Jen Bendery
BREAKING: At Pope Leo XIV’s urging, U.S. Catholic bishops just delivered the strongest rebuke of a sitting president in Church history — condemning Trump-Vance raids as “inhumane” and “dehumanizing” in a 216–5 vote.
NEW: At Pope Leo’s Urging, Bishops Issue Historic Rebuke of Trump’s Raids
Nearly all U.S. Catholic bishops united in Baltimore to denounce the Trump administration’s “inhumane” deportation campaign — a near-unanimous, unprecedented moral stand against a sitting president.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
November 13, 2025 at 3:21 AM
Reposted by Jen Bendery
Trump just ignored a bunch of reporter questions about Epstein in the Oval Office.
November 13, 2025 at 3:35 AM