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Chris Brennan

@bychrisbrennan.bsky.social
2.1K followers 556 following 836 posts

USA Today columnist writing about people, power and politics. Tell me a story: cbrennan@usatodayco.com. www.usatoday.com/staff/72269205007/…

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Reposted by Chris Brennan
Rich Raho @richraho.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
The Keynote Speaker at the Annual National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in March, folks.
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Chris Brennan @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Will Trump declare martial law to control the midterms? Sounds outlandish, right? Not if you listen to what Trump and his supporters have to say about it. My USA Today newsletter digs into it. www.usatoday.com/story/nlette...
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Karly Kingsley @karlykingsley.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
When the edible kicks in and you’re stuck listening to Eric Schmitt talk about sports ball and John Kennedy talk about the Easter Bunny
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Jim Lokay @jimlokay.com · 29/09/2026
If you want to really know how the outrage machine gets fired up: 1. Schmitt plans to drop “bombshell” on Smith 2. Someone plants story that Schmitt is a Vance VP contender to run same day 3. Right-wing Twittersphere gets talking points 4. Schmitt steps in it 5. Scheduled tweets go out anyway
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Chris Brennan @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Election administrators are talking to state and local law enforcement agencies about how to respond if armed federal agents try to enter polling places, and watching three federal lawsuits filed this month to prevent that. www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...
usatoday.com
Election workers prepare for midterms and ... armed agents? | Opinion
Trump's tactic has been to overwhelm, paralyze norms and protocols, to get away with something before he can be stopped. Elections are no exception.
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Chris Brennan @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Sometimes #SlopSeptember still leads to #RedOctober. This @Phillies team enters the post-season with a final-game win and more questions than answers. #GoPhils
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Mark Hamill @markhamillofficial.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Isn't it nice when there's something we can ALL agree on? #ReleaseTheUnredactedEPSTEIN-Files
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USA TODAY Opinion @usatodayopinion.usatoday.com · 27/09/2026
"President Donald Trump just lost the same argument that Richard Nixon lost as president 55 years ago about trying to stymie unflattering media coverage," writes columnist @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social. bit.ly/4yZ5E9l 📸: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
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USA TODAY Opinion @usatodayopinion.usatoday.com · 26/09/2026
"Everything Trump now claims as a win was available to him 20 months ago on the very first day of his second term," writes columnist @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social. bit.ly/3UXeru2 📸: Annabelle Gordon/Reuters
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Chris Brennan @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
If you’re lucky in work and life, you meet a few people who teach you the proper way to do a thing and the best way to have a blast doing it. John Baer was that guy. The sharp wit. The dry delivery. The grin that always followed. www.pennlive.com/politics/202...
pennlive.com
John Baer, chronicler of Capitol politics for a half-century, dies at 79
Baer, a celebrated Pennsylvania political journalist known for his sharp wit and accountability reporting, died after a battle with cancer.
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USA TODAY Opinion @usatodayopinion.usatoday.com · 25/09/2026
"Trump wants to pick the voters in the November midterms, rather than having the voters pick their representatives in Congress," writes columnist @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social. bit.ly/4gYCEZt 📸: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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Chris Brennan @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Donald Trump just lost the same argument that Richard Nixon lost 55 years ago about trying to stymie unflattering media coverage. The bruised emotions of a thin-skinned politician, the legal precedent goes, do not amount to a national security threat. www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...
usatoday.com
Thin-skinned Trump fails again. He should've learned from Nixon. | Opinion
Donald Trump, like Richard Nixon, sees any journalism that could expose him to criticism as some kind of unfair attack.
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Chris Brennan @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Did a video about Trump and Greenland and Denmark and petulance. www.usatoday.com/videos/opini...
usatoday.com
Trump's Greenland deal isn't what he says it is | Opinion
As always, Trump's announcement ran long on bluster and short on details.
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Chris Brennan @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Trump's announcement about Greenland ran long on bluster and short on details. Here's what he left out – everything he now claims as a win was available 20 months ago on the first day of his second term, without the need to attack American allies. www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...
usatoday.com
Trump could've had this Greenland agreement all along | Opinion
Greenland and Denmark sound like they just waited for our petulant president to finish his tantrum about something he could've just asked for.
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Chris Brennan @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Whew! I thought he was going to hit me up to fund an after-party. 😅
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Chris Brennan @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
It felt like the Eagles held the ball for three-quarters of that Titans game… and STILL had to win it in the final seconds. A nail-biter season? Sounds familiar.
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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 18/09/2026
Q: China is one of the most repressive countries for journalists in the world-- TRUMP: Well, I don't know about that. I think we're repressive also
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Chris Brennan @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Standard Trump #distractiontactics. Hey! Look at this dumb thing! Don't look at the war in Iran or inflation or the midterm generic ballot! Also, did you know 'dumb' is spelled with a 'b'? apnews.com/article/trum...
apnews.com
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Boo!-per Lund @cooperlund.online · 17/09/2026
It’s important to remember that Hasan Piker isn’t in the business of getting people elected, or in the business of politics in general, he’s in the Hasan Piker business and that stock goes up whenever he does something that makes people talk about Hasan Piker
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Chris Brennan @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
I did the math. Trump’s war of choice with Iran is about to hit $50 billion in cost and will run to $90 billion if it goes a full year. I used my USA Today Translating Politics newsletter to look at what that money could buy instead. www.usatoday.com/story/nlette...
usatoday.com
Let's do the math on Trump's war
Let's break down the math on Trump's expensive and unpopular war of choice.
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Chris Brennan @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
We’ve reached the point in the election cycle when Republicans dance their two-step for mail ballots. Trump crashes out about them while the RNC urges voters to use them in the midterms. My USA Today column: www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...
usatoday.com
The RNC urges mail-in voting as Trump melts down about it | Opinion
We've reached the stage in 2026 midterm election cycle when Republicans dance the GOP two-step for mail ballots.
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Chris Brennan @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
The vagueness in Trump's latest threat is intentional. This isn't about stopping foreign trade. It's about telling the Federal Reserve that he's willing to create even more economic chaos if he doesn't get lower interest rates. My USA Today column: www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...
usatoday.com
Trump is learning he can't bully Fed into lower interest rates | Opinion
The Federal Reserve's board will meet on Sept. 15 and 16 to consider what to do about interest rates. Trump has been busy making trade war threats.
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Reposted by Chris Brennan
Dan Diamond @ddiamond.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Trump today: the idea that “Robots will be marching into our cities” is a wild hoax Trump last week: posts multiple images of himself leading robots marching into cities
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Chris Brennan @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Time for the GOP mail-ballot two-step. Trump warns Americans not to vote that way… while the Republican National Committee urges Americans to vote that way.
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Chris Brennan @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
At what point this season did the @phillies.com just collectively forget EVERYTHING about running the bases?
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Chris Brennan @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
What a lede: "Republicans spent the first five hours of their midterm convention in Dallas warning about socialism on Wednesday before President Trump surprised many of them with an audacious trillion-dollar proposal to redistribute wealth." www.nytimes.com/2026/09/10/u...
nytimes.com
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Chris Brennan @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
"It all smells familiar, like a house that has caught on fire. Something explodes, high and to my right. I flinch as others, who have been here all day, don’t bother to lift their heads. The fire grows larger." bychrisbrennan.com/2014/09/sept... Photo: @jimmacmillan.com
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Rex Huppke @rexhuppke.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Hah! My sharp colleague @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social asked Trump's Truth Social chatbot if we'll be getting the $5,000 the president promised last night. Hilarity ensued.
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Chris Brennan @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Trump's own social media chatbot didn't think much of his promises of DOGE and tariff dividend checks when I asked last year. I asked Truth Social AI today about his new $5,000 "Trump dividend" promise. The chatbot remains unimpressed. My USA Today column: www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...
usatoday.com
Trump's own social media chatbot doubts his $5,000 promise | Opinion
For you MAGA fans hoping for a quick $5,000 check for your vote, do you really want to commit a federal crime for a promise Trump isn't going to keep?
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Chris Brennan @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
The Republican midterm convention looks like a flop. But Trump has been an extraordinary asset for one political party – the Liberal Party of Canada. My USA Today newsletter explains: www.usatoday.com/story/nlette...
usatoday.com
Trump's tariffs give boost – to Carney
President Donald Trump has been an extraordinary asset for one political party – the Liberal Party of Canada.
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Chris Brennan @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Trump's new promise of a $5,000 "Trump dividend" check reminded me that I'm still waiting on my "DOGE dividend" check and my "tariff dividend" check. And that Trump's own chatbot told me last year that the check is not in the mail. www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...
usatoday.com
Trump lied about DOGE 'dividends' that never came. His chatbot just admitted it. | Opinion
Trump might suggest that he'll send you money. But he really wants you to send him money.
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Chris Brennan @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Ahead of tomorrow's 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, my former Philadelphia Daily News colleague @jimmacmillan.com and I spoke about how we got to Ground Zero and how it changed us. www.usatoday.com/videos/opini... Read more here: bychrisbrennan.com/2014/09/sept...
usatoday.com
We were journalists at Ground Zero. It changed us forever. | Opinion
On Sept. 11, 2001, columnist Chris Brennan was working with his colleague for the Philadelphia Daily News. Here's what they saw at Ground Zero.
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USA TODAY Opinion @usatodayopinion.usatoday.com · 07/09/2026
"As always with Trump overreach, this has become a mess in every kind of way," writes columnist @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social. bit.ly/4dkOOt8 📸: Hannah Beier/Reuters
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Chris Brennan @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
A GOP nightmare scenario – deeply unpopular Donald Trump shows up at next week's midterm convention in Dallas to advocate for a deeply unpopular cause – data centers across America. My USA Today column: www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...
usatoday.com
Trump pushes data center projects as Republicans slink away | Opinion
Trump's data center declarations delight Democrats and make Republicans cringe, leaving Vance to try to reassure skeptical voters before the midterms.
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USA TODAY Opinion @usatodayopinion.usatoday.com · 04/09/2026
"That's the thing about bigots – they're almost always just so lazy about their bigotry," writes columnist @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social. bit.ly/4hWI87X 📸: Rebecca Cook/Reuters
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Chris Brennan @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Trump again explicitly ties federal disaster recovery funds to politics. If you're MAGA and OK with that, ask yourself how you'd react if a Democrat did the same. My USA Today column: www.usatoday.com/story/nlette... Sign up for my newsletter here: profile.usatoday.com/newsletters/...
usatoday.com
Trump prioritizes aid – for his allies
Trump sees federal disaster recovery funding as a reward – or a punishment.
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Reposted by Chris Brennan
Dickinson College Media Relations @dickinsonmedia.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
"I think past is prologue, and given the administration's repeated attempts to, in effect, federalize election administration, almost anything goes from this point on," fmr. federal judge & Dickinson College Pres. John E. Jones III tells @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social @usatoday.com bit.ly/4xyMNBM
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Will SCOTUS stop Trump's mail ballot scheme? I asked judges. | Opinion
The battle over mail-in ballots is being waged in U.S. courts, including the Supreme Court. I asked three judges if they think Trump will succeed.
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Chris Brennan @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
I asked three former federal judges whether the Supreme Court will stop to Trump's effort to federalize elections and the use of mail ballots. All three want quick court action, but see more trouble ahead. My USA Today column: www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...
usatoday.com
Will SCOTUS stop Trump's mail ballot scheme? I asked judges. | Opinion
The battle over mail-in ballots is being waged in U.S. courts, including the Supreme Court. I asked three judges if they think Trump will succeed.
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USA TODAY Opinion @usatodayopinion.usatoday.com · 31/08/2026
"Trump will get a big stage in Dallas and the attention he constantly craves," writes columnist @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social. bit.ly/4cPGXUh 📸: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
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Chris Brennan @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
"If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that's what I'm going to do." -- JD Vance, Sept. 15, 2024 www.npr.org/2024/09/15/n...
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Eric Columbus @ericcolumbus.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
I didn’t expect the answer to “Who will unite Americans after Dolly Parton” to be Milo Yiannopoulos.
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David_j_roth @davidjroth.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
"Lake America" instantly just absolutely clogged with algae. Six uniformed National Guard guys standing on a beach dumping windex into it. It smells like a turtle tank.
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Chris Brennan @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Trump is not a successful deal maker, because no deal Trump makes is worth a damn. Canada already knows that. American midterm voters are going to learn that lesson too. My USA Today newsletter: www.usatoday.com/story/nlette...
usatoday.com
Trump is really bad at this
No deal Trump makes is worth a damn. Canada already knows that.
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Rex Huppke @rexhuppke.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
My latest video column, on Trump's stupid trade war with Canada. (Apologies for the handsomeness.) www.usatoday.com/videos/opini...
usatoday.com
Nobody wants Trump's trade war with Canada | Opinion
President Donald Trump decided it's a great time for a trade war with Canada.
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Chris Brennan @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Trump and the Republican Party lack a winning midterm message. So they need a boogeyman to scare voters. But they also lack new ideas. So we get a retread – a revival of Islamophobic rhetoric. My USA Today column: www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...
usatoday.com
Flailing GOP needs a boogeyman for midterms. Enter Islamophobia. | Opinion
President Donald Trump has made anti-Muslim prejudice a major part of his campaigning since he ran for president in 2016. Now we're getting a retread.
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Chris Brennan @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Donald Trump is a drag on Republicans in the midterms. So Republicans are having a midterm convention. But Trump needs all things to be about Trump. So the midterm convention will be a massive Trump rally, intensifying that drag. My USA Today column: www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...
usatoday.com
The GOP midterm convention is for an audience of one. Trump. | Opinion
President Donald Trump is so deeply unpopular that the RNC convention platform and attention he clearly covets could backfire badly for his party.
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Chris Brennan @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Tranquility Base, we have landed. #rockhall
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USA TODAY Opinion @usatodayopinion.usatoday.com · 22/08/2026
"[Senate Republicans] treat Trump as if he has no agency as an American president," writes columnist @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social. bit.ly/4qDM8ws 📸: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
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Chris Brennan @bychrisbrennan.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Ah, Rock Hall…
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Philip Bump @pbump.com · 20/08/2026
There is no functional difference between people looking for rampant voter fraud and ghost hunters.
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