Sasha Abramsky

Trump fired the BLS chief for publishing statistics that make him "look bad." Funnily enough, I don't think he needs other people's help in making him look bad; the man who paved over the WH Rose Garden with concrete is doing a pretty good job of that all by himself.

Trump says he’s directing team to ‘immediately’ fire senior official over jobs numbers | CNN Business President Donald Trump is directing his team to “immediately” fire Dr. Erika McEntarfer, the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, whom he accused of manipulating the monthly jobs reports fo...

Firing people for delivering objective economic data is perhaps scariest thing the Trump administration has done. It means that, in future, no economic data will be trustworthy because officials know that to keep their jobs they have to make Trump look good. Fascism...
www.cnn.com/2025/08/01/b...

Smithsonian removes reference to Trump’s impeachments from presidency exhibit | CNN Politics In a statement to CNN Thursday, The Smithsonian said the decision was made after a review of the museum’s “legacy content” this year.

The White House spokesperson's comments on "improper" history and only exhibiting "American greatness" would be truly at home in a news story by, say, TASS circa 1950. There's nothing even remotely cognizant of how complex democracy is here. Authoritarian gibberish.
www.cnn.com/2025/08/01/p...

Forced Starvation Is a Grotesque Inversion of Jewish Traditions I learned from a young age that you shouldn't let your neighbor go hungry. Benjamin Netanyahu would do well to revisit this tradition.

My Nation column. It was a hard piece to write, but I felt it was necessary to say. www.thenation.com/article/poli...

Keep Your Head, America Donald is Through the Looking Glass

My latest Santa Fe Reporter column, on the inversion of right and wrong, moral and immoral in Trumplandia. sfreporter.com/columns/lett...

From KGB Cells to Alligator Alcatraz: How Authoritarians Normalize the Grotesque During a recent trip to Tallinn, I visited the horrific manifestations of an unredeemable totalitarian regime. A similar system is unfolding in Trump's America.

Some thoughts on Alligator Alcatraz and its implications. www.thenation.com/article/soci...

Brazilian president: "I'd like to say something to the American people; If Trump was Brazilian and did what he did at the Capitol, he'd be on trial in Brazil for violating the Constitution. He would be arrested if he had done that."

(ht: @ronxyz.bsky.social)

No Matter the Perspective, Democracy's in Trouble Trump trains doomed charge toward autocracy is clear to see from anywhere

My latest Santa Fe Reporter column.
sfreporter.com/columns/lett...

Fireworks expected Giving democracy an autocrat for its birthday has consequences

Thoughts on July 4th, and what it means in the Trump era. A 2,500 word essay I wrote for the Santa Fe Reporter. sfreporter.com/coverstories...

Trump’s Attack on CA Environmental Law Brings Us Closer to Climate Catastrophe Trump wants to destroy the ability of states to chart their own course on combating climate change.

Earlier this month, Congress removed CA's ability to phase out the sale of new gas-driven cars by 2035. Trump signed this power grab into law. Predictably, it will mean more CO2 emissions and a faster stampede to climate catastrophe. Here's my Truthout article on it: truthout.org/articles/tru...

The Supreme Court Allows Trump Officials to Deport Migrants to “Third Countries” The Supreme Court ruled from its emergency docket that the Trump administration could temporarily send immigrants to third-party countries with which they have no connection.

Even before today's insane Supreme Court ruling on birthright citizenship, the hard-right majority on the court has been on a tear this week. Here's my column on the justices allowing deportations to third countries. www.thenation.com/article/poli...

Massive Nationwide 'No Kings' Protest the Largest Demonstration of Opposition Yet to Trump Fascism BTL

Counterpoint interview I did on the dangers of the political moment. btlonline.org/massive-nati...

A Birthday Grift for America Millions protest while Big Orange plays with his army men

My Santa Fe Reporter column on Trump's military parade.
sfreporter.com/columns/lett...

Two days ago, a US senator was manhandled by government agents in broad daylight. Today, state representatives in Minnesota have been shot. This madness has got to stop.

After Massive Cuts to Forest Service, US Enters Fire Season Woefully Unprepared The results could be catastrophic, especially in states that have experienced unprecedented fires in recent years.

Truthout article on cuts to Fire Service in run-up to fire season. truthout.org/articles/aft...

Trump Is Weaponizing the Justice System in Plain Sight Kilmar Abrego Garcia is just the latest example of cases in which the administration is finding the flimsiest of reasons to label undocumented immigrants as “criminals.”

My Nation column on Trump's extraordinary attacks on immigrants and on all those who seek to speak up on their behalf. www.thenation.com/article/soci...

Dear Mr. Leopold, This letter is in response to your correspondence to the United States Institute of Peace (USIP or the Institute) regarding a request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). We understand that your request was submitted on March 18, 2025. As you may know, at the time of your request, USIP was operating under the control of Mr. Kenneth Jackson and Mr. Nate Cavanaugh of the United States Department of Government Efficiency. Mr. Jackson and Mr. Cavanaugh disabled and restricted access to the Institute's FOIA system, terminated the employees responsible for processing FOIA requests, and restricted the use of Institute tinancial resources. The United States District Court for the District of Columbia declared all actions taken by Mr. Jackson and Mr. Cavanaugh to be null, void, and without legal effect" and affirmed USIP's current leadership on May 19, 2025. USIP leadership regained control of the Institute's FOIA system on June 4, 2025. Accordingly, we received your request on June 4, 2025. We regret any confusion caused by Mr. Jackson's and Mr. Cavanaugh's actions.

Happy FOIAFriday the 13th! NEW issue of my newsletter is out.

In March, I filed a #FOIA request with the US Institute of Peace just as DOGE was taking over the agency. This week USIP sent me the most incredible response to a #FOIA request I have ever received.
www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...

NOW at backgroundbriefing.org | Elizabeth Goitein - Trump's Lawless Unleashing of the Military | @sashaabramsky.bsky.social - Finally Governor Newsom Steps Up to Challenge Trump | @mckenziefunk.com - Trump is Asking For $45 Billion More for Private Prisons

Video: Senator Padilla Forcibly Removed After Confronting Noem Senator Alex Padilla, Democrat of California, was forced to the floor, handcuffed and removed by federal agents after interrupting a news conference by the homeland security secretary Kristi Noem on T...

This is how the Trump people treat a US senator from California. It's beyond outrageous. This is the quintessential thuggery of totalitarianism; it's redolent of how opposition leaders are treated in Turkey or Russia, not how American democracy should function. www.nytimes.com/video/us/pol...

Here's another angle from Fox News reporter Bill Melugin of Sen. Alex Padilla getting roughed up by law enforcement after he tries to question Kristi Noem at her presser:

“I’m Senator Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary. Because the fact of the matter is, a half dozen... Hands off!”

BREAKING: Judge says Mahmoud Khalil cannot be detained or deported based on Rubio’s determination. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Every elected Democrat - not just in California but nationwide - should be on TV and radio today telling this story to the American people and condemning Trump’s DHS agents for trying to round up first graders in elementary school.

We feed you.
They hunt us.

Live Updates: Trump Says Protesters at Military Parade Will Face 'Heavy Force' (Gift Article)

It gets really repetitive after a while saying Fascist is as Fascist does... but not sure how else to interpret this. Peaceful protests against the tinpot King's idiotic military parade will be met with "heavy force." What a shining example we are sending the world!!

www.nytimes.com/live/2025/06...

this is good

Trump Calls Up the Marines. Democracy Is in Danger. The president is creating fake emergencies and then implementing real military interventions.

My Nation column on Trump sending the Marines into LA.
www.thenation.com/article/poli...

Trump can't even be bothered to camouflage that he's looking for a bloodbath. He urges police to "bring in the troops" in response to a crisis that his own Administration created; the protests were largely peaceful until Trump federalized the National Guard. This isn't leadership; it's gangsterism.

Trump’s Dangerous Escalation in LA Federalizing the National Guard in response to ICE protests risks bloodshed—which is exactly what this administration wants.

My thoughts on what the Federal takeover of CA's national guard means -- and why it is so extraordinarily dangerous.

www.thenation.com/article/poli...

Opinion | Corruption Has Flooded America. The Dams Are Breaking.

www.nytimes.com/2025/06/08/o...

The federalization of CA's national guard is a giant step toward implementing Trump and Vance and Hegseth's fascist vision. It is a stunning usurpation of powers. Let no-one say they did not know what was unfolding. This is America's Burning of the Reichstag moment, an excuse for dictatorship.