@harrylitman.bsky.social
Host & exec prod, "Talking Feds Pod" and "Talking San Diego." FCA Lawyer. Teach con law at UCSD & UCLA. Senior Fellow USC. Former US Atty, Dep Assis AG. Founding Contributor, The Contrarian
Meet the new boss…
Protesters should start carrying CAVA bags.
www.startribune.com/tom-homan-mi...
In "Are You F***ing Kidding Me?" Harry convenes #EmilyBazelon, @sbg1.bsky.social, & @ruthmarcus.bsky.social to grapple with Alex Pretti's killing, to examine Trump’s corrosive moves against the FBI and DOJ, and to ask how much worse things will get before they better. bit.ly/KiddingTF
26.01.2026 18:00 — 👍 39 🔁 7 💬 2 📌 0
Here you have it—an ALL NEW @talkingfeds.bsky.social w/ #EmilyBazelon, @sbg1.bsky.social, & @ruthmarcus.bsky.social. We unpack the horrifying news from Minnesota, plus Trump’s escalating attacks on the FBI, DOJ, and rule of law. bit.ly/KiddingTF
26.01.2026 18:00 — 👍 58 🔁 15 💬 1 📌 1WSJ: “A preliminary analysis of the video’s audio suggests a total of 10 shots were fired from a single semiautomatic firearm.”
Suggests among the 8 officials, only one fired all the shots.
👇👇👇
26.01.2026 02:57 — 👍 450 🔁 161 💬 22 📌 4
Heartbreaking.
A Colleague Remembers Alex Pretti (w/ Dr. Aasma Shaukat)
open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...
👇👇👇 @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social and I are very much on the same page here. We had a substack live this morning talking it through on harrylitman.substack.com. It will be posted in the next couple days
26.01.2026 02:07 — 👍 344 🔁 83 💬 5 📌 3The killing of Alex Pretti by federal agents roils the country and accountability hangs in the balance. Bright & early Mon., Talking Feds breaks it all down—from the events in Minnesota, to Jack Smith's testimony, to the FBI's degradation.
26.01.2026 00:24 — 👍 298 🔁 45 💬 5 📌 0bsky.app/profile/saty...
25.01.2026 18:30 — 👍 66 🔁 21 💬 6 📌 0Minnesota making moves in both state & federal court to prevent feds from sidelining them and worse, obstructing an investigation. These moves are important in themselves but also as templates for how to battle fed opposition in the event of a homicide prosecution for the killings of Good or Pretti.
25.01.2026 04:03 — 👍 1562 🔁 366 💬 20 📌 8Really smart move. Will the full a circuit and Chief Judge Colloton preserve an administrative stay in the face of this showing I just likelihood of success but irreparable injury and balance of equities
25.01.2026 03:03 — 👍 311 🔁 89 💬 9 📌 4UPDATE: Here's request from @ACLU & others to 8th Circuit to lift administrative stay the appeals court granted (anonymously) earlier in week. That set aside for now a district court judge's order limiting DHS agents' tactics against peaceful protesters. Doc storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
25.01.2026 02:00 — 👍 354 🔁 120 💬 6 📌 2Every sentence a lie
25.01.2026 02:59 — 👍 334 🔁 76 💬 27 📌 1
House Republicans have summoned ICE officials to testify under oath immediately
open.substack.com/pub/harrylit...
Also, may I say that I don’t agree with people saying ICE and CBP need “more training.” They’re doing exactly what this administration has trained them to—impose a reign of fear in blue cities. They don’t need more training. They need to be ripped up root and branch.
24.01.2026 23:01 — 👍 38676 🔁 9576 💬 1121 📌 892
Attorney General Bondi Reprehensibly Ties End of ICE Actions in Minnesota to the State Releasing Its Voter Rolls to DOJ electionlawblog.org?p=153962
25.01.2026 02:47 — 👍 229 🔁 78 💬 23 📌 7
WOW on Pretti's denial of medical treatment
"I informed the ICE agents that I am a physician, and I asked to
assess the victim.
At first, the ICE agents wouldn't let me through. ... But none of the ICE agents who were near the victim were performing CPR, ... None of the agents were helping him."
A video of Alex Pretti reading out the final salute of an unnamed veteran he cared for until the end of his life in the ICU, posted to Facebook by his son.
25.01.2026 01:18 — 👍 46817 🔁 18157 💬 1016 📌 1873
“There are many responses to the Pretti killing to undertake from many quarters. But above all, it’s the immediate responsibility of Congress. It is now a clarion call of a generation. Congress must answer it, swiftly, fully, and fearlessly.”
open.substack.com/pub/harrylit...
Minneapolis Mayor Frey at press conference: I think we've only had 3 homicides in Minneapolis this year, two committed by ICE.
24.01.2026 23:10 — 👍 790 🔁 240 💬 16 📌 7Worse than Kent State, really than any episode I can think of probably dating back to Reconstruc & earlier b/c
1. continuing, not 1 off.
2. organized, not individual ofcrs losing it
3. literally at hand of federal government, which is
4. immediately lying & circling the wagons to prevent inves.
24.01.2026 21:58 — 👍 408 🔁 152 💬 5 📌 8
ACLU plaintiffs sh make motion for reconsideration to 8th circuit to dissolve stay on district ct injunction that would cover most of the reign of lawlessness this am in Minn: pepper spray, beatings, killings, all v peaceful protesters.
add some measure to protect crime scenes from fed destruction
4. again, feds trying to prevent investigation, even to the point of refusing to obey a warrant
Yes there must be full investigation & accountability. Yes Minn are being provoked by invading masked marauders in uniform.
But all comes 2nd to immediate remedy: Congress MUST stop all ICE funding now.
We have for now the same kaleidoscopic jumble as in the aftermath of every such episode.
But real clarity emerges when look at last two weeks:
1. again a US citizen committing no crime
2. again a murderous illegal onslaught by ICE
3. again, instantaneous pack of lies by Bovino & Co
Wow
Minneapolis today
gotta say this was a really informative conversation for me about a very important and very fast developing situation. Thanks @ag.state.mn.us for your time during an incredibly demanding stretch.
22.01.2026 20:58 — 👍 134 🔁 37 💬 2 📌 0
TODAY at 8pm EST/5pm PST I'll be on the @talkingfeds.bsky.social Substack for our weekly LIVE Q&A for paid subscribers. Subscribe here (bit.ly/TFSubstack) and comment your questions below this post
22.01.2026 18:03 — 👍 24 🔁 4 💬 0 📌 0
