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Ben Silverstein ❌👑

@bensilverstein.bsky.social
2.3K followers 256 following 466 posts

I like burritos, dislike fascism, and do digital at @indivisible.org. Opinions my own.

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Reposted by Ben Silverstein ❌👑
Axios @axios.com · 24/09/2026
BREAKING: White House defies court order, doesn't reinstate access for banned reporters
axios.com
White House defies court order, doesn't reinstate access for banned reporters
CNN is set to be the television pool for President Xi Jinping's visit to the White House on Thursday evening.
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Ben Silverstein ❌👑 @bensilverstein.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
In case some voters forgot that Republicans have kicked millions off their healthcare, the White House had a press conference today, 42 days out from Election Day, about how they're kicking more people off their healthcare. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
washingtonpost.com
Trump officials cut 760,000 enrollees from ACA, claiming fraud
Vice President JD Vance’s anti-fraud task force concluded that the people were wrongly signed up for the government health care program.
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Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Amazing stuff buried in new NYT poll: *Dems lead GOP on economy AND ON IMMIGRATION *70% of Latinos disapprove of Trump (!), 63% STRONGLY (!!) *60% of independents disapprove of Trump STRONGLY (!!!) On the pod, we bring you all these numbers and much more: newrepublic.com/article/2154...
newrepublic.com
Trump Rages Openly at Midterm Woes as His Worst Poll Yet Lands Hard
As a gold-standard poll delivers harsh news to a seething Trump, a Democratic strategist with experience in midterms explains what the data is really telling us—and how to prepare for what’s coming.
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Ben Silverstein ❌👑 @bensilverstein.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Regardless of how corrupt you know Trump to be, this is still a shocking headline. Since returning to office, Trump has made more security trades than every member of Congress combined. www.bloomberg.com/graphics/202...
bloomberg.com
Trump Made 29,000 Securities Trades, More Than All of Congress
Donald Trump made nearly 29,000 securities trades in 17 months — more than every member of Congress combined. The stock-purchasing ban he’s pushing would leave him exempt
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Reposted by Ben Silverstein ❌👑
amanda moore 🐢 @noturtlesoup17.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
"ICE arrested 50,000 people in July, and another 50,000 in August, eclipsing the monthly arrests made during the peak of Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago, Operation Catahoula Crunch in New Orleans, and Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota." www.turtlediaries.net/p/ice-is-sti...
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Ben Silverstein ❌👑 @bensilverstein.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
A Republican nominee for the Florida state legislature marched in Charlottesville with one of the neo-Confederate groups found liable for conspiring to commit violence at Unite the Right. Reporting from @talkingpointsmemo.com talkingpointsmemo.com/news/florida...
talkingpointsmemo.com
Exclusive: He Marched With Nazis in Charlottesville. Now He’s Expected to Join the Florida Legislature.
The Republican nominee for a seat in the Florida House of Representatives...
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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Yikes, if this is accurate, its basically the owner class using their power to shut down dissent. The Patriots Robert Kraft told Sheerhan his concert would be cancelled if Mackelmore stayed on the your, and that other stadium owners would follow suit.
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Ben Silverstein ❌👑 @bensilverstein.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
lol didn't expect Trump-world to walk back the dividend bribe lie until after the election, but his PAC is already describing it as merely *up to* $5,000. Next week it'll be a coupon for $5 off a Trump phone.
Screenshot of an email from Trump's PAC reading: At the Convention, I told you:


If Republicans win the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate – BOTH OF THEM – I will look to issue a dividend check to every adult citizen in the United States of America for up to $5,000.


IF WE WIN: How might a dividend check be written out to you?
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Ben Silverstein ❌👑 @bensilverstein.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Since he released the Epstein Files, sent me my DOGE check, brought costs down, started no new wars, ended the war on Ukraine, and provided tariff dividends to every American, I gotta say I'm pretty excited about this $5k!
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Indivisible ❌👑 @indivisible.org · 10/09/2026
Trump promising every voter $5,000 from the Republicans who already control Congress:
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The Nexus Project @nexusproject.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
THREAD 🧵 This week, Elon Musk's America PAC launched hundreds of anti-trans ads, part of a $100 million midterm spend. In 2024, a Musk-funded PAC ran antisemitic ads reminding Muslim voters that Doug Emhoff is Jewish. That's not a coincidence.
Screenshot of an article headline reading, “Elon Musk Targets Democrats on Transgender Issues in Key Senate Races.” The subheadline says a political group associated with Musk is running attack ads against Democrats in Texas, Ohio, and Iowa.Screenshot of an article headline reading, “Antisemitic Ads About Doug Emhoff Target Muslim Voters in Michigan.” The subheadline says a Republican-linked group appears to be running ads reminding Muslim voters of Kamala Harris’s pro-Israel views and her husband’s Jewish faith.
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Ben Silverstein ❌👑 @bensilverstein.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
It’s very, very bad for the fight against antisemitism if a corporation can call someone an antisemite for criticizing a merger and that actually catches on. It’s an escalation of the weaponization of false antisemitism smears which make regular people skeptical of actual incidents of antisemitism
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Alexandra Petri @petridishes.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
the year is 2027. gas costs $83 and lettuce is at war with us. however every location on every map now says AMERICA
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Ben Silverstein ❌👑 @bensilverstein.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Fascist bullshit, going after anti-extremism leaders instead of the violent hate groups, on the anniversary of Unite the Right. This is scary as hell, but the fascists are going to lose. Solidarity with Heidi. www.cnn.com/2026/08/12/p...
cnn.com
Exclusive: Former Southern Poverty Law Center CFO arrested on fraud charges | CNN Politics
A former chief financial officer at the Southern Poverty Law Center has been arrested in California and for her alleged role in overseeing secret payments to informants inside of White supremacist gro...
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Ben Silverstein ❌👑 @bensilverstein.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
News just broke that the economy lost jobs last month, and all Trump can think about is his golden ballroom ("military center," lol).
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Chris Hayes @chrislhayes.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
The moment Collins announced she was a no on Blanche, you KNEW they had the votes.
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Ben Silverstein ❌👑 @bensilverstein.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
What El-Sayed has actually said about his views on Israel/Palestine (vs. what others claim he believes) is quite good, so here it is:
I believe we have a responsibility to uphold international law. I believe we have a responsibility to treat every single state the same way, around international law. I believe in a process that offers a free Palestinian people the equal rights to peace, dignity and self-determination that a free Jewish Israeli people ought to have. And then I will support whatever the outcome is that a free Palestinian people and a free Jewish Israeli people decide is the right outcome. If that’s two states, great, I’m for it. If it’s one state, I’m for that. If it’s this “land for all” model, or twenty-three states, or whatever it is that they decide.
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The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
So much this
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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 05/08/2026
El-Sayed: "My commitment to Jewish safety is the same commitment that I have to the safety of my own daughters. Because if there is one question of political philosophy that ought to animate us all, it's what would we do if we treated all our kids like they were all of our kids?"
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Ben Silverstein ❌👑 @bensilverstein.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
What El-Sayed has actually said about his views on Israel/Palestine (vs. what others claim he believes) is quite good, so here it is:
I believe we have a responsibility to uphold international law. I believe we have a responsibility to treat every single state the same way, around international law. I believe in a process that offers a free Palestinian people the equal rights to peace, dignity and self-determination that a free Jewish Israeli people ought to have. And then I will support whatever the outcome is that a free Palestinian people and a free Jewish Israeli people decide is the right outcome. If that’s two states, great, I’m for it. If it’s one state, I’m for that. If it’s this “land for all” model, or twenty-three states, or whatever it is that they decide.
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Gwen Snyder is uncivil @gwensnyder.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Kevin is not exaggerating, VDARE was not white nationalist in the sense of "well if you get right down to it the modern GOP has always been white nationalist" VDARE was white nationalist in the sense of "yeah those Nazis sure are white nationalist"
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Ben Silverstein ❌👑 @bensilverstein.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
HELL YEAAAAAAAAAAAA
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Headquarters @headquartersnews.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Chicago teen shares his experience in ICE detention centers: I am 18 years old and I just graduated from high school in Chicago. I was in ICE detention for 2 months and 10 days. They kept me in solitary for 2 days for no reason, alone in a room with just a toilet. They never let us go outside.
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Reposted by Ben Silverstein ❌👑
R.E.M. @remhq.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Here’s to 40 years of Lifes Rich Pageant
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Brian Finucane @bcfinucane.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
If you’re considering whether terms like ethnic cleansing or pogrom might be applicable to impending government action, there could be a problem.
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Ben Silverstein ❌👑 @bensilverstein.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
We're 99 days away from election day, 69 days from the earliest registration deadlines, just over 50 from the earliest early voting. Hard to exaggerate the chaos that would be caused if the SAVE Act were actually passed at this point. Fortunately, Trump doesn't have the votes.
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Reposted by Ben Silverstein ❌👑
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
NEW: The Trump admin just published a new regulation allowing asylum officers at USCIS to deny hundreds of thousands of “affirmative asylum” applications without an interview, sending applicants directly to deportation proceedings. This means many people will never get a chance to argue their case.
This document is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on 2026-07-28 and available online at https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2026-15190, and on
1985
https://govinfo.gov
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
de: 9111-97
8 CFR Part 208
[CIS No. 2851-26; DHS Docket No. USCIS-2026-0199]
RIN 1615-AD18
Affirmative Asylum Referrals Without Interview
AGENCY: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, DHS.
ACTION: Interim final rule with request for comments.
SUMMARY: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is amending its regulations
to permit U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to refer certain affirmative
asylum applications to the Department of Justice (DOJ Executive Office for Immigration
Review (EOIR) without interview. USCIS still offers an interview prior to a grant or
denial of asylum. DHS is also removing the requirement that a letter communicating the
basis for referral of asylum include an assessment of the alien's credibility.
DATES: Effective date: This interim final rule (IFR) is effective [INSERT DATE OF
PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER].
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Ben Silverstein ❌👑 @bensilverstein.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Suuuuuuper impeachable in a normal world
Trump Administration Admits Canceling Grants to States That Did Not Vote for Him
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Andrew Lawrence @ndrew.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
its been like 5 weeks now since we’ve had an accurate and reliable count of how many us senators are alive
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Ben Silverstein ❌👑 @bensilverstein.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
The guy justifying war crimes was confirmed 99-0. A stain on the entire Senate.
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Ben Silverstein ❌👑 @bensilverstein.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
There was a fundraiser for Venezuela earthquake relief at last night's Red Sox game. Meanwhile Trump has collected $13B from Venezuela's oil and no one knows where it is. archive.is/g7lg0#select...
archive.is
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Ben Silverstein ❌👑 @bensilverstein.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
The victim had already been taken down. This was an execution. There must be accountability.
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Sami Schalk @drsamischalk.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Police murdered a Black man in the street in Madison WI today. Shot point blank in the head while on the ground, tased, and surrounded by four cops. It looks like an execution. Multiple videos circulating online. Things are about to get very bad here.
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Ben Silverstein ❌👑 @bensilverstein.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Never seen an administration brag about how much the public opposes its dumb war and wants it to end
A screenshot of a White House instagram post showing 60.4% support for a peace deal
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Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Trump’s net approval among men is -22, the lowest in either of his terms. (via YouGov)
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Elizabeth N. Saunders @profsaunders.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Can't get numb to this: The United States is stuck in a war it started, cannot end, and may further escalate to no avail, having dismantled its diplomatic apparatus, depleted its military stockpile, and destroyed its credibility. A historic strategic mistake harming millions in many different ways.
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Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Page One. @nytimes.com
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Ben Silverstein ❌👑 @bensilverstein.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Fun time to be a Red Sox fan
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Kyle Clark @kylec.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
NEW: Aurora Police say an ICE detention center employee shot a protester last night. She is expected to survive. 42-year-old Brandon Booth, who works for the ICE contractor GEO Group, is being held on suspicion of attempted second degree murder and other charges.
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Eliot Higgins @eliothiggins.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Is this translated from the original German? www.whitehouse.gov/releases/202...
Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller made clear there must be no retreat: “One of the hallmarks of left-wing violence and terrorism is its completely pre-textual and disingenuous appeal to civil liberties in an effort to shield its own violence… When the leftist — who does not believe in freedom, who does not believe in civil rights, who does not believe in any ordinary notion of justice — protests that we are violating his rights, understand the he is lying to try to persuade people who are not closely following the political scene that some injustice has perpetrated against him. We must stay the course and be completely unflinching in the pursuit of justice against these enemies of civilization.”
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Laura Bassett @lebassett.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Casually threatening mass rapes
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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 17/07/2026
to hear Trump tell it, American elections were completely corrupted while he was president and he was helpless to stop it, then they were cleaned up by Biden ahead of Trump's victory in 2024, and now that Trump is president again they are once again becoming third world caliber
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Ben Silverstein ❌👑 @bensilverstein.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Trump's big news is China acquired the publicly available voter file? Bro, DOGE employees took off with our Social Security info on thumb drives.
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Ben Silverstein ❌👑 @bensilverstein.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
If you watch the speech tonight and are wondering “who is dumb enough to believe this?” the answer is: very few people, but the senior senator from Alabama is among them.
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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 15/07/2026
OSSOFF: Who won the 2020 election? CLAYTON: Uhm, you know, I'm not going to do this with you O: This is a job interview. You have an obligation to be honest with the committee. Who won the 2020 election? C: I'm not gonna get into that with you O: You're not being honest or forthright C: ...
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Ben Silverstein ❌👑 @bensilverstein.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
People keep getting murdered during ICE traffic stops and Trump doesn't want it to stop. www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-...
huffpost.com
Trump Says ICE 'Cannot Give Up' Traffic Stops, Undercutting Reported Agency Directive
“The men and women of ICE are doing a GREAT job, one that has to be done,” the president said.
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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 14/07/2026
stuff like this is why one important avenue for court reform is just nixing the shadow docket altogether and forcing these people to explain themselves to the public when they issue orders. also, making their records property of the united states and subject to publication when they leave the bench.
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Ben Silverstein ❌👑 @bensilverstein.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Target of warrant/not target of warrant, the point is this: None of us are safe until all of us are safe. And we’ll never be safe with ICE thugs on the streets.
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Bill @bill-of-lefts.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
the answer is bexause the author of this article is party to many crimes of an international nature
lil Marco explains “why we’re dismantling the international criminal court”
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Ben Silverstein ❌👑 @bensilverstein.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
So if that report is true, Trump is going to give a speech about how he sucked at protecting elections, but Biden did a good job. Smart.
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