Sign in

John Chunk-Smith

@chunksmith.bsky.social
39 followers 36 following 126 posts

A British view through clear eyes.

PostsRepliesMedia
John Chunk-Smith @chunksmith.bsky.social · 09/06/2025
Kash Patel's comment about the Trump-Elon spat when he was on is noteworthy: "I'm not participating in any of that conversation." A diplomatic statement. But also one in which Patel doesn't come to the defense of Trump. www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
independent.co.uk
Kash Patel has ‘WTF’ moment on Joe Rogan as he learns of Trump vs. Musk mid-interview
‘I’m not participating in any of that conversation between Elon and Trump,’ Kash Patel insisted during the interview.
020
Reposted by John Chunk-Smith
Paul Waldman @paulwaldman.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
The credulity with which people are greeting these "deals" is absurd. These countries just say "We'll invest eleventy trillion dollars in the US!" to give Trump something he can claim as a victory. If 1/100th of it ever happens it'll be a shock. It's all fake.
1221208355
John Chunk-Smith @chunksmith.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
Just remember, George, it’s only communist if Democrats do it! If Republicans do it, then it’s just fine. Pretty soon MAGA world will start rationalizing why it’s not a communist thing to do.
160
Reposted by John Chunk-Smith
Allison Gill @muellershewrote.com · 11/05/2025
The GOP wanted to impeach Biden for a fake $5M bribe from Ukraine that was made up by a guy sitting in prison for lying about it, but they’re cool with a $400M plane from Qatar. Do I have that right?
608202726037
Reposted by John Chunk-Smith
Daniel Drezner @dandrezner.bsky.social · 10/05/2025
Wow who could have foreseen these difficulties oh that’s right every foreign policy expert not affiliated with MAGA. www.wsj.com/politics/tru...
441154250
Reposted by John Chunk-Smith
John Chunk-Smith @chunksmith.bsky.social · 07/05/2025
I can’t help but think that the future of classic American conservatives lies within the Democratic Party. This could be a win-win in that the Democrats could end up with more appeal, more votes, and more seats. Certainly compromises would have to be made by both groups.
021
John Chunk-Smith @chunksmith.bsky.social · 07/05/2025
I can’t help but think that the future of classic American conservatives lies within the Democratic Party. This could be a win-win in that the Democrats could end up with more appeal, more votes, and more seats. Certainly compromises would have to be made by both groups.
021
John Chunk-Smith @chunksmith.bsky.social · 06/05/2025
I keep wondering when people who voted for him will realize just how out of touch he is.
010
John Chunk-Smith @chunksmith.bsky.social · 06/05/2025
Nothing screams "moral courage" and "kindness" like mocking a child.
1360
John Chunk-Smith @chunksmith.bsky.social · 05/05/2025
What’s sickening is that people like this are able to convince Americans that Trump is making the US a “nation of laws” despite the fact that he is flouting laws on a regular basis. It’s difficult to have a nation based on the rule of law when the president ignores the ones he doesn’t like.
120
John Chunk-Smith @chunksmith.bsky.social · 05/05/2025
Just as when “nobody” knew healthcare was complicated, “nobody” didn’t know that the Fifth Amendment existed until just now.
052
Reposted by John Chunk-Smith
George Takei @georgetakei.bsky.social · 05/05/2025
It was always performative outrage.
395222844511
John Chunk-Smith @chunksmith.bsky.social · 03/05/2025
We’re getting closer. Any day now he’ll say declare that he should be pope. variety.com/2025/digital... #papacy #trump
variety.com
Trump Posts AI-Generated Image of Himself Dressed as the Pope
Trump posted an image depicting himself as pope, with the Vatican's conclave to select the next leader of the Catholic Church to begin May 7.
010
Reposted by John Chunk-Smith
George Takei @georgetakei.bsky.social · 02/05/2025
Two dolls because of one clown.
344125222066
John Chunk-Smith @chunksmith.bsky.social · 02/05/2025
This is a dangerous way to run a country. The rule of law becomes grounded in whims. Those whims lead to chaos and a lack of justice. This is why laws are important: they are established and adhered to until they are overturned, not simply until people “feel” that they’re wrong.
000
John Chunk-Smith @chunksmith.bsky.social · 02/05/2025
So many people make statements like this: they want something to happen a certain way because it “feels right”.
100
John Chunk-Smith @chunksmith.bsky.social · 02/05/2025
Last I checked, running a business chaotically is not a good way to run a business. And yet Trump advocates love to proclaim his business savvy as a strength in running government.
000
John Chunk-Smith @chunksmith.bsky.social · 02/05/2025
A brief reminder: the Soviets also repeatedly said “you just need to give it more time.” #trumponomics #trumpeconomy
000
John Chunk-Smith @chunksmith.bsky.social · 02/05/2025
Following mass shootings, Democrats demand change. Meanwhile, Republicans say that the heart of the issue is mental health. And yet the leader of their party just slashed $1 billion in grants for student mental health. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/01/u... #gunviolence #mentalhealth
nytimes.com
Trump Administration Cancels $1 Billion in Grants for Student Mental Health
Congress authorized the money in a bipartisan breakthrough around addressing gun violence after a shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, killed 19 children and two teachers.
021
Reposted by John Chunk-Smith
Mark Cuban @mcuban.bsky.social · 01/05/2025
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/01/b...
nytimes.com
2193096545
John Chunk-Smith @chunksmith.bsky.social · 01/05/2025
Thank you for a ray of hope, @mcuban.bsky.social
000
John Chunk-Smith @chunksmith.bsky.social · 01/05/2025
The Trump administration has declared a war on Christmas. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/29/b... #waronchristmas #trump #tariffs
nytimes.com
Retailers Fear Toy Shortages at Christmas as Tariffs Freeze Supply Chain
Toy makers and stores are freezing holiday orders, predicting shortages and higher prices. Some are consulting bankruptcy lawyers, fearing their firms won’t survive.
010
Reposted by John Chunk-Smith
local blogger @fergoe.blacksky.app · 01/05/2025
Trump heard "Har-something" and a Black voice so he immediately went into talking about Harlem instead of Harvard lmao
33983156
John Chunk-Smith @chunksmith.bsky.social · 01/05/2025
This goes to show you that it doesn’t matter what Trump is asked: he’ll give the same semi-canned response. He basically would have said the same thing even if he had actually understood that the question was about Harvard, not Harlem. And he shows that we he tries to tie the two together.
020
Reposted by John Chunk-Smith
Cédric Mas @cedricmas.eurosky.social · 30/04/2025
Good Night World
Un immense livre en train d’être brûlé par des petits personnages avec marqué « I hope everyone realizes that scrubbing historical references from web sites is no different than burning books »
471386368785
John Chunk-Smith @chunksmith.bsky.social · 30/04/2025
It’s as if the two of them are doing their best to spoof classic British comedy.
0190
John Chunk-Smith @chunksmith.bsky.social · 30/04/2025
As much as I empathize with the people who say they don’t sign up for this, they should have been paying more attention. One mustn’t be a die-hard politics junky to predict what Trump would do.
020
Reposted by John Chunk-Smith
California Dreamin’… 😎 @jerasikehorn.bsky.social · 26/04/2025
Strange, huh?! 👇
26171522155
John Chunk-Smith @chunksmith.bsky.social · 25/04/2025
How she can say that with a straight face while ignoring everything Trump has done is staggering.
2765
Reposted by John Chunk-Smith
Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 23/04/2025
The reason billionaires like McMahon are obsessed with student debt is that creating financial precarity makes people more stressed about losing their job. If you’re worried about your job you’re less likely to quit and find work elsewhere. You’re less likely to ask for a raise. It’s pure class war.
14456811674
Reposted by John Chunk-Smith
JJ in DC @jjindc.bsky.social · 22/04/2025
But her emails www.nbcnews.com/politics/nat...
nbcnews.com
Info Pete Hegseth shared with wife, brother came from top general’s secure messages
Hegseth has denied the information he shared was classified, but it was given to him on a system for sensitive and classified information, sources told NBC News.
0133
John Chunk-Smith @chunksmith.bsky.social · 22/04/2025
How long until Trump declares that the Vatican should consider him for pope?
000
Reposted by John Chunk-Smith
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 17/04/2025
New in PN: White guy DEI "Pretending that Hegseth got nominated on merit is ridiculous, but it’s a fiction conservatives have all agreed to adopt. To admit he’s not qualified would mean acknowledging that straight white maleness does not automatically confer expertise."
publicnotice.co
White guy DEI
Affirmative action, Trumper style.
17153841443
Reposted by John Chunk-Smith
The New Republic @newrepublic.com · 17/04/2025
Not only is Trumpworld’s evidence of Abrego Garcia's supposed criminality exceedingly thin; we’ve now learned that the officer who attested to it was later suspended for serious professional misconduct.
newrepublic.com
Trump’s Case Against Man Deported in “Error” Just Took Another Big Hit
Trumpworld claims Kilmar Abrego Garcia was in MS-13. But new information concerning the local cop who attested to that charge at the time raises fresh questions about it.
1012747
Reposted by John Chunk-Smith
Paul Waldman @paulwaldman.bsky.social · 17/04/2025
Trump admin claims: Thursday: Abrego Garcia is a top MS-13 terrorist Friday: Abrego Garcia killed JFK Saturday: Abrego Garcia is the head of ISIS Sunday: Abrego Garcia piloted all 3 planes on 9/11 Monday: Abrego Garcia ran the Fyre Festival Tuesday: Abrego Garcia beat Riley Gaines at a swim meet
1061541295
John Chunk-Smith @chunksmith.bsky.social · 17/04/2025
Soon enough ICE will be fabricating evidence against Abrego Garcia.
100
John Chunk-Smith @chunksmith.bsky.social · 17/04/2025
This bodes ill for Americans in general. The Trump administration is showing that it will just fabricate “evidence”. There are enough law enforcement (and law-enforcement adjacent) groups that support him that it’s likely they will provide this “evidence” so as to support Trump’s agenda.
000
John Chunk-Smith @chunksmith.bsky.social · 16/04/2025
This is what happens when you cut deals with someone who was trained by a lawyer for the mob.
000
Reposted by John Chunk-Smith
Vince D. Monroy @vincedmonroy.bsky.social · 15/04/2025
Molly Jong-Fast: “I'm going to respectfully push back on this. This is thought policing 101. This is not okay. They are using anti-antisemitism as a cloak. This is about targeting speech. It has nothing to do with anti-antisemitism and everything to do with authoritarianism.” #HarvardUniversity
29252761205
John Chunk-Smith @chunksmith.bsky.social · 16/04/2025
The Democrats can't even figure out how to take on an issue that is as clear cut as this. They need new PR people.
050
John Chunk-Smith @chunksmith.bsky.social · 16/04/2025
It is indeed a horrid statement. The second bullet, though, is right on the nose: Democrats are awful with their messaging and at picking battles. Bullet #2 puts this on full display. The issue is not about taking the bait for "one hairdresser", it's about fighting against illegal actions by Trump.
241
John Chunk-Smith @chunksmith.bsky.social · 16/04/2025
The Trump admin is on a quest to make the US less intelligent, likely because educated people are more likely to vote for Democrats. In the long run, this is an own-goal: a less educated electorate will be less competitive on the global stage. MAGAs are in "win now, who cares about later" mode.
000
Reposted by John Chunk-Smith
JJ in DC @jjindc.bsky.social · 16/04/2025
🧵 ICE FLIGHTS THREAD - 16 APR 25 Because they want to hide them 😬 Watching 10 aircraft: 8 x GlobalX Airbus 320 2 x Eastern Air Exp Boeing 737 Starting locations: 3 x A320 at La Salle LA 3 x A320 at Harlingen TX 2 x A320 + 1 x B737 at Phoenix 1 x B737 at San Antonio Updates will appear below ⤵️
media.tenor.com
a man in a military uniform is sitting in a classroom with other men and says `` it 's classified . ''
ALT: a man in a military uniform is sitting in a classroom with other men and says `` it 's classified . ''
415672
John Chunk-Smith @chunksmith.bsky.social · 16/04/2025
With several questions marks hanging over the US economy, the Trump administration continues on with Operation Distract.
022
John Chunk-Smith @chunksmith.bsky.social · 16/04/2025
This isn’t a one off instance with Maine, and that is why the Republican stance of “states rights” is an issue: how much do you truly believe in something if you frequently don’t adhere to it?
010
John Chunk-Smith @chunksmith.bsky.social · 16/04/2025
Republicans love to champion states rights—that is, until a state does something they don’t like. There’s actually a long history of this among American conservatives. www.reuters.com/world/us/us-...
reuters.com
US to take legal action against Maine over Trump executive order on transgender athletes
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on Wednesday was due to unveil legal action against Maine, in an escalation of President Donald Trump's conflict with the state for refusing to ban transgender athletes from participating in women's and girls' sports.
110
Reposted by John Chunk-Smith
Evan Bernick, a finite mode with a smol hooman and a lorg floof @evanbernick.bsky.social · 15/04/2025
What Judge Xinis is banking on is that the government does not want to spend two weeks in discovery. Two big things can happen: (1) They just make the call and get him back (2) They spend two weeks creating a public record of their own fuck ups and then get sanctioned
364121482702
John Chunk-Smith @chunksmith.bsky.social · 15/04/2025
It beggars belief that JD Vance could have such a poor grasp of power. There are many types of power other than military power: social, economic, and cultural just to name a few.
000
John Chunk-Smith @chunksmith.bsky.social · 15/04/2025
The implication of Marco’s statement is that all a president needs to do is claim that an issue relates to foreign policy and then—magically—there is no need to pay attention to any other laws.
000