"Velshi" on MSNBC

Rob Reiner: White House pressure on media is ‘beyond McCarthy era-esque’ From the cancellation of Stephen Colbert, to the preemption of Jimmy Kimmel and the postponing of Jessica Chastain’s new series, President Trump’s administration is using politics to squeeze Hollywood. Acclaimed filmmaker Rob Reiner calls the current climate “beyond McCarthy era-esque” and warns Ali Velshi, “This is just the beginning.” He says his colleagues need to speak up: “Our job now, as communicators, is to start communicating to the rest of the country.”

“Our job now, as communicators, is to start communicating to the rest of the country," acclaimed filmmaker Rob Reiner says of intensifying political pressure on the entertainment world. He warns the Trump administration's fear tactics are "just the beginning." #Velshi

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Worrying signs for the economy amid Trump's 'utterly inane and insane' dismantling of BLS A new ADP report indicating significant drops in private employment is "definitely a negative signal" for the economy, economist Justin Wolfers tells Ali Velshi. But amid the government shutdown, we don't have an up-to-date jobs report or even someone leading the Bureau of Labor Statistics, after Trump withdrew his controversial nominee, E.J. Antoni. "The only thing he'd ever done with statistics was misrepresent them," Wolfers said. 

"Every economist around the world uses this BLS data," @justinwolfers.bsky.social warns of worrying consequences of the Trump administration's dismantling of the Bureau of Labor Statistics that stretches beyond the U.S. "It's important that it's a well-run organization." #Velshi

Is ‘TrumpRx’ a gift or a grift? As part of a multi-pronged deal with Pfizer, President Trump announced a new government website called “TrumpRx,” where he says Americans can buy discounted drugs directly from manufacturers. Co-Founder of The Contrarian, Norm Eisen, tells Ali Velshi that Americans are “already getting lower prices” because of the Affordable Care Act, and TrumpRx is “another example of President Trump deceiving and distracting” for political gain.

"This is another example of President Trump deceiving and distracting," @normeisen.bsky.social says of Trump's newest financial endeavor, TrumpRx, created to lower drug costs. "Some people watching this will have to pay tens of thousands of dollars more if they want to keep good healthcare." #Velshi

Chicago Alderperson handcuffed by federal agents speaks out as ICE escalates tactics Since returning to office, President Trump has sought to reshape Immigration and Customs Enforcement to fit his mass deportation agenda. ICE insists agents use a “minimal amount of force” when making arrests, but video footage shows otherwise. Now with Trump ordering federal deployments into Chicago against the wishes of local officials, Chicago Alderperson Jessie Fuentes says, “This is not about safety or security. This is about sowing division. This is about control.”

"What we are seeing is a clear escalation of ICE agents choosing to abuse individuals physically and abuse their constitutional rights," says Chicago Alderperson @jessiefuentes.bsky.social after being detained by ICE herself for defending the rights of a detained, injured constituent. #Velshi

The Vought Doctrine: Make it hurt It’s day five and counting of a budget impasse in Washington, but critics say characterizing this moment as a government “shutdown” is misleading. For months, Donald Trump and his budget director Russell Vought have taken a sledgehammer to the federal bureaucracy and are now using this moment to gut agencies and programs that benefit working and middle-class Americans, while conveniently keeping in place everything that benefits the wealthy. 

Russell Vought is not only Pres. Trump’s budget director but also an author of Project 2025, and he’s seizing this government shutdown moment to pursue his ideological drive to gut federal agencies and programs that benefit Americans. #Velshi

Jeffries: White House ‘radio silent’ since Monday meeting On day four of the government shutdown, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries joined Ali Velshi to discuss the state of negotiations around the government shutdown – notably that they are not happening. He also dismissed the White House’s claim that the shutdown would force them to conduct mass layoffs across the federal government, saying it is “just pretext” for what they have already been doing. “This is why it's important for us as Democrats, of course, to continue to hold the line on behalf of the American people,” Jeffries said.

The White House says the shutdown is forcing them into laying off federal workers. Minority Leader @hakeem-jeffries.bsky.social says “that’s just pretext for something that they’ve already been doing...They have been engaging in mass firings since January 20th." #Velshi

Teach Republicans a 'painful lesson': Shutdown tips for Democrats from a former GOP strategist With no end in sight to the government shutdown, Donald Trump and OMB Director Russell Vought are threatening to fire civil servants en masse and freeze federal funds. They claim Democrats are forcing their hands – but this is exactly what the Trump administration has been doing all along, as laid out in the Project 2025 playbook. “There’s going to be a political consequence to this that the Republicans will have to eat,” and Democrats should want to teach the Republican base a “painful lesson,” former GOP strategist Rick Wilson tells Ali Velshi.

"He's bluffing." Former GOP strategist @therickwilson.bsky.social says that Trump & "political arsonist" Russ Vought know that they have a weak hand in the shutdown fight, despite all their big talk. "There's gonna be a political consequence to this that Republicans will have to eat." #Velshi

“We live in a free country”: Steve Schmidt condemns Trump’s war on Americans All in one week, federal agents stormed a Chicago apartment complex, Donald Trump told 800 of the military’s top brass that America’s cities should be used as “training grounds” and that American citizens are “the enemy within,” and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth denigrated women in combat and mocked transgender service members. According to ex-GOP strategist Steve Schmidt, these actions represent a desecration of military values. “There will be a moment where every email; where every detail; where every criminal act that has taken place during this rogue, fascist administration comes to be known– and is held to account,” says Schmidt. “We live in a free country.”

This week:
– Military-style raid on Chicago apt bldg
– Defense Sec. desecrates military values
– Trump plots to turn troops on Americans

PSA to Trump, via @thewarningses.bsky.social:
“We the people will not succumb to fascism.” #Velshi

Velshi: Trump is using the shutdown to punish his rivals – and the American people Four days into a government shutdown, congressional Republicans are refusing to negotiate and have ultimately done away with regular order. President Trump is using the shutdown as an excuse to punish his political rivals and advance his agenda by canceling government funding to Democratic-led states, from infrastructure funds for New York to transit funds for Chicago.

In 2017, John McCain voted against his own party’s plan to repeal the ACA bc he wanted the Senate to return to regular order. Now? Majority Ldr John Thune says,“there’s nothing to negotiate,” while Trump calls a govt shutdown an “unprecedented opportunity” to make cuts to “Democrat Agencies.”

John Fugelsang: Right-wing Christians use the Bible ‘as a prop’ & ignore Jesus’ message The son of a former Franciscan brother and nun, Christianity is deeply important to John Fugelsang, and inspired him to write the new book “Separation of Church and Hate.” “They don’t really follow this holy book they wave around like a prop,” Fugelsang tells Ali Velshi. Fugelsang argues that the rhetoric of Christianity “has been hijacked” by right-wingers and Christian nationalists whose ideology actually runs counter to the teachings of Jesus.

For @johnfugelsang.bsky.social, Christianity is about “siding with the underdog and the marginalized,” but the right has “hijacked” rhetoric around the faith “as cover for meanness.” He says many turn away from organized religion because “they’re turned off to all the cruelty and hypocrisy.” #Velshi

Velshi Banned Book Club: PEN America releases new ‘Banned in the USA’ list A new report released by PEN America outlines the disturbing new trend of book bans becoming normalized. The report tracked more than 6,800 instances of books being temporarily or permanently pulled from library shelves during the 2024-2025 school year. Author Stephen King tops the list with the most books banned. Critics warn that schools are “obeying in advance” pulling books from the shelves before it’s even demanded. 

PEN America's new report says book bans have become "rampant and common." Legendary author and member of the #VelshiBannedBookClub Stephen King has been singled out as the most banned author for the 2024-2025 school year. #VELSHI

Velshi Banned Book Club: Author Jennifer Finney Boylan on PEN America’s ‘Banned in the USA’ list Book bans have slowly become normalized in recent years and a new report from PEN America shows the alarming consequences. Under President Trump, the book ban movement has escalated with the federal government becoming a potent force for restricting book titles deemed to be controversial. PEN America President and author Jennifer Finney Boylan warns “this is not normal. This is not the way democracy is supposed to function… free people read books."

PEN America's new banned book list is out, showing an alarming number of books being pulled off shelves. PEN America President @jennyboylan.bsky.social joined the #VelshiBannedBookClub to warn against this new normal. “We’re only as strong as our tolerance for stories we don’t agree with.” #VELSHI

‘How you get a real autocracy’: New memo lays groundwork for next phase of Trump’s crackdown Donald Trump recently signed a new presidential memo that the White House says aims to counter domestic terrorism. But legal experts warn that it is overly broad and could be used as a framework to crack down on political dissent. “That’s the thing that ultimately scares me the most,” former Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes tells Ali Velshi. “The combination of the weaponization of the justice system and the politicization of the military is how you get a real autocracy in this country.”

Legal experts are warning about a sweeping new presidential memo that could be used to target people for investigation and crack down on dissent. Fmr. Deputy NSA @rhodesben.bsky.social speaks about the dangers of weaponizing the justice system and politicizing the military.

The myth of the ‘marketplace of ideas’— and how it warps free speech The so-called “marketplace of ideas” doesn’t simply reward truth or the strongest arguments— it rewards power. Without guardrails, the strongest players dominate while minority views are sidelined. Mary Anne Franks, professor at George Washington Law, warns nowhere is this more apparent than under Trump, who owns his own social media platform and uses it as a propaganda megaphone. The marketplace, as an idea, Franks says, “is not designed to get us truth or democracy or autonomy or any of the things that we think the First Amendment is supposed to get us.” Dahlia Lithwick, Senior Editor at Slate, adds, about the First Amendment, “There's both too much law and not enough law and an immense amount of abuse of the space between the two.”

The “market place of ideas” isn’t free or fair—it’s dominated by those with power. Especially when the President owns his own platform, says @maryannefranks.bsky.social. In this way, the Trump admin “has, not just skin in the game, [but] an entire shakedown racket,” says @dahlialithwick.bsky.social

Trump’s GOP: Free speech for me, but not for you The same people who once posed as champions of “free speech” during the years when Donald Trump wasn't president are now demanding government sanction, criminal penalties, firings, and surveillance of those who criticize them. Open markets - including the marketplace of ideas - don’t just reward truth—they reward power. And without certain thoughtful intervention, stronger players dominate weaker ones, and minority views are trampled. That’s the world the second Trump era is ushering in - and if we don’t change our conception of the First Amendment, the loudest voices shouting “free speech” will continue to be the ones burying it.

Champions of free speech when Trump was out of office are now demanding govt sanction, firings, and surveillance of their critics. It’s time to change our conception of the First Amendment or the loudest voices shouting “free speech” will continue to be the ones burying it. #Velshi

Former FTC commissioner fired by Trump speaks out Last week, the Supreme Court let President Trump’s firing stand for a Democratic member of the Federal Trade Commission, pending litigation. Alvaro Bedoya, one of two commissioners Trump fired in March, warns with the president’s weaponizing of the independent, bipartisan FTC, “We’re seeing corporate executives get off easy.”

The FTC does quiet, vital work to protect consumers and ensure a fair marketplace. President Trump has fired both Democratic commissioners, breaking a 90-year precedent. One of those fired Dems, @bedoyausa.bsky.social, warns there’s “the appearance, at a minimum, of corruption.”
#Velshi

‘It’s the Secret Sauce’: Experts stress the importance of foreign workers Skilled foreign workers need an H-1B visa to work in the U.S., and now that the Trump administration has placed a $100,000 fee on such visas, workers who usually bring their talents to the U.S. could soon turn to other countries. Immigration attorney Allen Orr argues the U.S. will suffer as a result. “Many of the H-1B holders are people we educate in this country,” Orr said. “So, it’s not just a brain drain, it’s that we’re turning the talent we train in this country over to other nations.” American Medical Association president Dr. Bobby Mukkamala says the new fee will be especially detrimental to the U.S. health care industry, which has a growing shortage of physicians. “It’s been critical to have international medical graduates come to this country to practice medicine to fill that void,” he said. 

“It’s been critical to have international medical grads come to this country to practice medicine,” @ama-assn.org said. But the new $100K H-1B visa fee could deter them from coming. @allenorr.bsky.social adds: “what distinguishes the U.S. from the rest of the world is having this talent here.”

How the Supreme Court’s 'shadow docket' keeps the public – and other judges – in the dark  President Trump has submitted a record number of emergency cases to the Supreme Court’s “shadow docket,” persuading it to overturn lower court rulings that go against his administration’s policies. Slate senior writer Mark Joseph Stern warns the high court is giving Trump “unprecedented control over the federal government” with little or no explanation and even less transparency. Jeff Rosen says its use of the shadow docket “invites chaos.”

When a lower court judge rules that a Trump admin policy is illegal & blocks it, Trump’s DOJ rushes an emergency appeal to the SCOTUS’s “shadow docket” to get it overturned. They usually win. Emergency requests have their uses, but the Trump admin is abusing the system. And SCOTUS is letting him.

Matt Stoller: Media concentration *is* authoritarianism—where a handful of media giants control public discourse ABC’s temporary pre-emption of Jimmy Kimmel’s show is a symptom of a systemic crisis that allows a shrinking pool of media moguls to buy up ever-greater shares of the airwaves, says monopoly expert Matt Stoller. Consolidation, he warns, “is necessary in - and is authoritarianism.” Boycotts can pressure CEOs to reconsider capitulating to Trump, but the long-term solution is for lawmakers to “deconcentrate and democratize the economy.”

Kimmel’s censorship revealed that media consolidation *is* authoritarianism, says @matthewstoller.bsky.social. Rebuilding democracy post-Trump will require “deconcentrating” markets so that a handful of billionaires don’t gatekeep entire industries. #Velshi

The Jimmy Kimmel affair showed how media giants can gerrymander the airwaves A look at how decades of media consolidation set the stage for the censorship of Jimmy Kimmel and public pushback forced his return. With just a handful of media orgs controlling the airwaves, free speech is under fire. But the Kimmel episode also highlights people-power, and how collective resistance can check authoritarianism where institutions fall short.

The Kimmel episode exposed how a handful of billionaires can gerrymander the airwaves–but ordinary Americans pushed back with boycotts, sending media giants a clear message #Velshi

The New Resistance: Young Democratic mayoral candidates fighting for change in the Trump Era The Democratic party has been struggling to mount a unified defense against the Trump administration. Author and scholar Bill McKibben argues that there’s a group of Democratic newcomers who may illustrate how to govern in the Trump era: not on a federal level but at a municipal one. McKibben says that unlike more established politicians these up-and-comers are actually trying “to address the issues of the day instead of trying to hem-and-haw around the edges and look for small advantages.”

The future of the Democratic party may rely on a class of newcomers. The New Yorker’s Bill McKibben argues progressive mayoral candidates are connecting with voters because “they're actually living life, not just living politics.” #VELSHI

Velshi Banned Book Club: ‘The God of Small of Things’ by Arundhati Roy Author Arundhati Roy joins the Velshi Banned Book Club to discuss her Booker Prize-winning novel “The God of Small Things,” and to share her perspective on the subversive power of storytelling to shatter social and political boundaries. Though written in 1997, Roy’s exploration of these social rigidities–from Indian caste codes to societal taboos to familial responsibility–remains relevant as ever in the broader fight against literary censorship.

“We stopped being able to have conversations, and when you can’t have conversations, you ban books,” says Booker Prize-winning author Arundhati Roy. Roy argues “books are so subversive” that in the mere act of banning them, “you show your own weakness.” #VelshiBannedBookClub

Beyond Trump’s carriage ride: Britain’s cautionary tale for the U.S. Donald Trump’s visit to Britain this week came with royal pageantry, but the cautionary tale is what’s outside the palace gates. Britain’s post-Brexit reality is a warning for America. From Brexit to MAGA, both nations abandoned the larger stories that once bound their people together.

Castles and carriage rides for Trump. Outside the castle gates: a poorer, more isolated post-Brexit Britain. The cautionary tale for the U.S.: stop ceding identity to demagogues—and deliver reform that actually helps people. #Velshi

'We're all in it together': Historian Kyle Harper on the importance of vaccines in human health As measles cases in the U.S. reach their highest level in a quarter century and RFK Jr. leads an anti-vaccine push from the federal government, it's crucial to understand the importance of vaccines. Historian and University of Oklahoma professor Kyle Harper tells Ali Velshi that "vaccines are arguably the innovation, the discovery that has done more than any other to contribute to human health, to longevity, and to overall human wellbeing," and that "for most of the human past, infectious diseases were difficult or impossible to control."

In 2025, deadly diseases like smallpox and polio aren’t exactly a major fear. And that’s thanks to vaccine development. Historian Kyle Harper says vaccines are the innovation that “has done more than any other to contribute to human health” #Velshi

Royal fanfare, hard truths: Ben Rhodes on America’s future Donald Trump’s visit to Britain this past week came with royal pageantry, but the cautionary tale is what lies outside the palace gates. Ben Rhodes joins to explain why the American Dream feels “stale,” how inequality fuels identity appeals, and what it takes to reclaim the American Dream. Democratic leadership, he says, must be about “rebuilding the system” and removing barriers that keep doors closed for ordinary Americans. Trump is ultimately a story of distraction, he says, noting that “the oldest trick in the book” is to keep the working class angry at a scary “other” while doing nothing to fix their problems.

The oldest trick: keep workers mad at a “scary other” while nothing gets fixed. Trump’s U.K. spectacle can’t hide Britain’s warning, says @rhodesben.bsky.social.

On making the "American Dream" real again: Democrats must "rebuild democracy"—attack corruption, remove barriers for people. #Velshi

The president who cried ‘Witch Hunt’: How Trump escapes accountability & devalues oversight roles Donald Trump’s seemingly unique ability to avoid accountability is a key reason advocates for democracy are so worried right now. And for years, he’s used a simple tactic to evade his critics: calling every allegation, investigation, or pointed question put to him a “witch hunt.” Ali Velshi speaks with former Inspector General Michael Missal and National Security Attorney Bradley Moss about how devaluing the work of people like inspectors general leads to “less transparency, less oversight, and less accountability.”

Trump has long used one tactic to evade his critics: he calls any allegation against him a "witch hunt." Fmr. Inspector General Michael Missal & National Security Attorney @bradmossesq.bsky.social discuss how Trump's attacks lead to "less transparency, less oversight, and less accountability.”

'We can no longer trust big tech:' The government wants your personal data. Tech giants are happy to oblige. The Intercept reported Google handed over Gmail data of a student protestor to ICE investigators. Longtime Silicon Valley investor Roger McNamee says tech companies’ willingness to hand over personal data to the government is chilling: “Big Tech is now operating as though it is bigger than the government.” Plus, a warning from immigration attorney Allen Orr on violations of digital privacy: "We're creating a class of individuals who will not have access" to the internet "because of fear of repercussions."

The Intercept reports Google gave ICE investigators a student protestor's personal Gmail data. Roger McNamee ( @moonalice.com ) warns Americans: "We are going to be the victims." Immigration attorney @allenorr.bsky.social adds "we are behind" on digital privacy regulations. #Velshi

President of the American Federation of Teachers: Critical Thinking Is Under Attack President of the American Federation of Teachers Randi Weingarten warns teachers are under attack as a way to undermine critical thinking in schools. “The framers of this constitution of ours understood that critical thinking was absolutely key to stopping tyrants,” she said. “When you see all these propagandists try to undermine critical thinking, they are trying to stop our kids from being able to understand fact from fiction, to understand disinformation and misinformation.”

The role of teachers "is to teach kids how to think, not what to think,” says @rweingarten.bsky.social in response to the conservative push to influence school curriculum. She says students should be taught a variety of different perspectives so they can become “free thinkers.” #Velshi

Lina Khan on media, mergers, & muzzling dissent When FCC Chair Brendan Carr threatened ABC over a controversial monologue by comedian Jimmy Kimmel, his show was suspended hours later by the network. Former Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan warns that today’s consolidated media landscape is caving to the Trump administration’s political demands with huge implications for our democracy. 

ABC’s move to bench Jimmy Kimmel w/ an upcoming merger in the backdrop has sent chills across the media landscape. @linamkhan.bsky.social warns corps are choosing profit “over any type of commitment to democracy”—and that extreme concentration of economic power is fundamentally incompatible with it.

‘Do it the easy way or the hard way’: FCC chair sparks free speech crisis FCC chair Brendan Carr this past week warned ABC to “do this the easy way or the hard way.” Hours later, ABC benched late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel—right as the network’s media partners push a multi-billion-dollar merger that hinges on FCC approval. Pres. Trump piled on, declaring that any critical coverage of him should be “illegal.” Why all the government threats, corporate capitulation, and muzzling of free speech leave our democracy hanging on by a thread.

FCC chair warns ABC to “do this the easy way or the hard way.” Hours later, Jimmy Kimmel is benched from TV. Trump warns any critical coverage of his administration should be “illegal.” Are we still living in a democracy? #Velshi