Top recent posts by Brooklyn Community Builders on Bluesky

An embarrassingly obvious point, but... This. Is. Illegal. If anything like the rule of law were in force, Trump couldn't arbitrarily increase a tariff because he is annoyed. In important and increasing ways, the rule of law in the US no longer exists. www.cnn.com/2025/10/25/b...

This is several days old. But amidst so much else id missed it. That’s a stunning number. No wonder they about-faced. Reminder of the power of consumers in oligarch era, not subject to the same kind of targeting.

Imagine being 17, your little brother by your side, begging to speak to your dad as he’s dragged away. You may never see him again. And this is every day. Soul shattering, nightmarish stuff, never to be forgiven.

the way Trump and his administration keep going on livestreams and tv to laugh about this, I can’t really compare it to anything political that comes to mind, only thing that comes to mind rn is a serial killer who writes letter taunting family of their victim.

Democrats should just start rolling out ad after ad of Reagan voiceovers.

My wife’s (in some cases three-time) trump voting relatives have started mentioning the ballroom to me, negatively; anecdata but I’d like to see some high quality polling. I think it’s a mistake by certain elite elected Dems to think this story isn’t breaking thru

It has been said before, but it bears repeating: the elderly who’ve worked their entire lives to get $800 a month on Social Security aren’t bankrupting America. It’s tax-evading billionaires like Trump who are bleeding this country dry.

We should not just be asking the real price of this ballroom, how it’s really being financed and how Trump could get away with this East Wing demolition and desecration of our history. We should find out whether he’s building an underground bunker and how much he’s stealing for himself.

Prodding everyone to look up Scott Bessent’s wealth. 🤡 www.forbes.com/sites/kylemu...

You may not have food or healthcare for your children, but did you know that the White House will now have a classy dance floor for nepotistic pedophiles

This is true—Bessent owns $25 million of farmland in North Dakota—and a reminder of why farm bailouts are nothing more than a giveaway to feudal lords who demand the government grossly distort agricultural economics to make their tax haven "farms" even more valuable to them.

For an administration that came out of the box threatening Canadian independence, Greenland’s sovereignty, the Panama Canal, etc., it sure has a glass jaw. 🤡

NEW: Don Trump Jr.--after helping pick top Pentagon officials to join his dad's administration--has now become an investor and advisor to Pentagon drone builders. This as President Trump orders Pentagon to buy more drones. A NYT investigation of this latest conflict. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/24/u...

People all over the country need to understand that federal agents are not in Chicago to prevent violence – they're in Chicago to cause violence.

“.. Crypto was supposed to free us from the chains of government control, but now it is finally revealing what that freedom really means: removing all checks on the power of the wealthy to do what they want, discharged at last from law .. and civic obligation ..” www.nytimes.com/2025/10/24/o...

The president doesn’t have a constitutional right to impose a tariff because he doesn’t like a foreign country’s TV ad. I know this doesn’t matter to the dictator in the White House, but I thought I’d point it out in case we ever start following the Constitution again.

“One atrocity after another just this past week…If you’re fine with all that, you should ask yourself what’s broken inside of you…The true danger of corruption is that evil ceases to be regarded as such by otherwise good people. It just becomes the new normal.” open.substack.com/pub/mattlaba...

NBC wants you to trust its coverage of the East Wing demolition even though NBC's parent company helped pay for the destruction.

Both NYT and WaPo took the same dishonest approach: skip how it was done without Congress or public feedback, skip how it's funded illegally with private money, then also dodge the merits of the Epstein ballroom itself by framing the issue around the strawman 'can the White House ever be renovated?'

You know who else upgraded his bunker?

I came across this from that other place, written 12 days after J6 and two days before Trump was evicted and Biden took over. We are in the trouble we’re in because Trump was not held accountable for his crimes, particularly inciting a ldeadly insurrection. Accountability is key for our future.

Trump’s uncanny ability to never forget perceived slights raises questions about Biden’s health

Competitive "D vs. R" elections I think most people are still unaware of: —Dems are defending 4 tough legislative seats in Washington (2 of them), New Hampshire, & New York. —Mississippi has a court-ordered legislative races. —Swing-y Pennsylvania counties are electing county executives.

Yes, but he owned the libs and defeated woke. So we’ll vote for him again.

A picture worth 1,000 votes? The photos of a demolished White House wing and landscape could be breaking through in ways other things haven’t. An iconic part of U.S. history razed to build a ballroom for the hugely rich? Nothing could be more attention-getting or less subtle, in words or visuals.

Shame we don't have a name for this phenomenon, maybe @mmasnick.bsky.social can come up with one.

“.. A broad range of specialists .. have called Mr. Trump’s orders to the military patently illegal .. murders — regardless of whether the 43 people blown apart, burned alive or drowned in 10 strikes so far were indeed running drugs.” @charliesavage.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2025/10/24/u...

Arguments already getting re-written. 🤡

A triumph for the left in Ireland's presidential election: www.politico.eu/article/irel...

We shouldn’t make it optional for the super-rich to fund the government If they feel like it now and then. There’s a mechanism called “taxes.”

At least we can take comfort in the fact that the people who tore down the East Wing and the people who build this garish ballroom are almost certainly going to get stiffed.

If—and this is a huge "if"—it allows the unilateral presidential imposition of tariffs at all, IEEPA does so only in the context of an "unusual and extraordinary threat ... to the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States." Which of those is "Trump got his feelings hurt"?

GOP. Congress. ‘Nuff said

Countries and states doing daylight savings time at all is bad enough, but different countries doing the clock change on *different days* is deranged and should be illegal

ICYMI: This week, I published my story about text messages I exchanged with Lindsey Halligan — the prosecutor now pursuing criminal cases against Letitia James and James Comey. It’s a wild ride, and I’m still trying to make sense of it all. Your Sunday read: ⬇️ www.lawfaremedia.org/article/anna...

And also, come the bleep on

The Ukrainians have proved themselves to be brave, persistent and unwilling to forsake their independence to a murderous dictator. A good model for Americans.

“Federal agents detain a man in a parking lot in the Avondale neighborhood following a confrontation during immigration raids, after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered increased federal law enforcement presence to assist in crime prevention, in Chicago.” @reuters.com

I’m def not saying his brain isn’t leaking out of his ears every time he talks but a lot of what people on here say is evidence of cognitive decline for trump you need to realize that at least half of that is just because he’s incredibly stupid

There is almost no way the East Wing wasn’t riddled with asbestos. And seemingly no attempt at mitigating the peril of its demolition. Which puts workers at risk but also…people living and working in White House? And who go to the golf course where the rubble is being “repurposed”

Sarah Longwell, publisher of the (sort of) conservative news and opinion website, The Bulwark, as interviewed by Dylan Byers of @puck.news

About 60% of U.S. workers are not white men. Wouldn't know it from Trump's Department of Labor. Are we still supposed to pretend that neither bigotry nor misogyny are key to Trumpism?

Piling on Johnson is easy, but don’t forget if just a few Republicans would crossover and side with Democrats they could together stand up to Trump

"'The (expletive) out of there man. The (expletive) are you guys doing here? Get out of our city,' Carlos Rodriguez, the resident who filmed the videos, can be heard saying on the recording." Full report: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/25/c...

Trump is in a snit with Canada so he just announced an extra 10% tariff on Canadian goods. I seem to remember how these tariffs were all part of some national emergency. His feelings are now a national emergency?

“As so much has been dismantled, we are reminded that our social compact as a nation and people is based on the power of ideas and beliefs to bind us. If these ideas lose their power, then it’s not hard to see how our nation unravels.” www.americaamerica.news/p/what-of-am...

For one example: I covered the Ayman Soliman situation — the children’s hospital Muslim chaplain beloved here in the Cincy area jailed by Trump’s ICE for weeks, with intention of deporting him to Egypt where he says he’d face political targeting perhaps death — here very closely. Like so many cases…

zeteo.com/p/trump-addi...

“The benefits of liberalism, though, are largely not separable from the philosophy of liberalism…Far from being a boring and stale political project, we should remind people of the bold claims of liberal ideas and the astonishing success they’ve already had.” open.substack.com/pub/theunpop...

RJ O’BRIEN: “.. I will say this. This looks like a clear loss for the United States. China's control of rare earths is and will continue to be significant .. This is a loss.” www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

This type of consultant brain behavior from Democrats disgusts me share.inquirer.com/wt2NgH

The U.S. is “on a trajectory” toward authoritarian rule, according to a sobering new intelligence-style assessment by former US intelligence and national security officials, who warn democratic backsliding may soon become entrenched without organized resistance. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Donald Trump is a fascist and Stephen Miller is a Nazi. Together, they are building an American terror state.

Do not forget that this happened and that Trump should be in prison for it right now.

Stephen Miller is an angel of death. Stephen Miller is a Nazi. Trump is his fascist god, and you are his enemy. It’s well past time to wake up. steveschmidt.substack.com/p/maga-is-tu...

Don’t say there is nothing you can do. Because there always is.

“What of America do you hold dear? What do you treasure enough that you are willing to defend it despite or because of the onslaught of attacks?” www.americaamerica.news/p/what-of-am...

movies that so many other love deeply and I find meh to terrible: The Departed Heat The Irishman Trying to give Heat another try rn and my god it is bad.

To be fair, he explicitly and publicly campaigned on this and then won www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...

Last time I checked in on the Mellon family, they were funding John Edwards' love child www.politico.com/story/2012/0...

🧵 Pop quiz: Who said these things about Trump? 🧵 1. “America’s Hitler.” 2. “Lacks the character and moral center we desperately need.” 3. “A race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot.” 4. “Con artist.” 5. “Insulting to women.” 6. “Inexcusable.” 7. “Pathological liar.”

Oh so now liberals want to make it illegal for our king to have nice things

Angry that Canada aired an ad using Reagan's own words about tariffs, Trump said: "I can play dirtier than they can." Sounds like something a mob boss would say, doesn't it?

who wore it better

The view from 2039 “America remains vast, inventive, and rich in resources. It will most likely endure in some form. But the era in which it underwrote the world’s peace, prosperity, and ideals is over. The ‘indispensable nation’ has become dispensable.” michaelwood627.substack.com/p/debt-and-t...

Again I ask - Sunday shows why?

It’s self-dealing all the way down www.nytimes.com/2025/10/24/u...

The president says he is boosting tariffs on Canadian imports by 10% because he doesn't like an ad they ran last night during the World Series, and which he falsely describes as inaccurate. Oh, and here's the Reagan address in question—judge for yourself! www.youtube.com/watch?v=5t5Q...

Mamdani is just killing the #BrokenTimes. Its coverage is like a five-year-old's temper tantrum over trying asparagus.

It will be an amazing footnote if Trump’s goon squad really increases Brandon Johnson’s popularity

This sorry about how Chicagoans of all races, walks of life and hobbies are organizing to protect their neighbors is really galvanizing.

Another way to say this. When demand for the story exceeds supply that's not the end of it... is it? Of course when supply (verifiable happenings) exceeds demand we have a different kind of problem, don't we?

Trump team defends demolition of the East Wing to make room for a massive ballroom by noting that past presidents made changes to the White House. But Truman consulted first and got bipartisan buy-in from Congress. @lukebroadwater.bsky.social @ashleyahn88.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2025/10/23/u...

Listen up magats! Also you should start smoking again. Great for weight loss. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Scott Bessent is the best of the Trump Cabinet. And he is an idiot and an utter embarrassment

Because Mike Johnson and the rest of MAGA is quite content to let Donald Trump run everything. Congress remaining shutdown is an ideal situation for them. Trump is steamrolling ahead enacting policy & spending money, no Congress required!

Ah, so she's not a racist, she just thinks there too many non-white people on TV and she finds it upsetting.

Fear, Greed, Civic Virtue and the Fall of the Elites talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/fear-...

A very thought-provoking “dispatch from the future.” I’ll be discuss this interesting piece with its author, Michael Wood, on Bulwark on Sunday live at noon (or you can watch the recording later). michaelwood627.substack.com/p/debt-and-t...

Strong turnout in Day 1 of early voting in New York City, with 79,409 votes cast. Compared to the first day of early voting in *BOTH* 2021 and 2024, a higher share of the vote came from Manhattan & Queens; a lower share of the vote came in Staten Island and the Bronx.

“Joy is the good carbs that help people stick around and endure” is such a good line

Sorry, I don’t mess with dudes with an affinity for Nazi symbolism. It’s a hard no for me.

…. Firstly: even if true, holy shit trump is not the guy to do it Second: stfu

It took a pedophile to abolish Congress, well done, dead man

It’s striking how little attention billionaire Timothy Mellon has received. Before he donated $130 million to the Trump admin, ostensibly to pay troops during the shutdown, he was the 2nd biggest donor to outside groups in 2024: www.opensecrets.org/outside-spen... www.nytimes.com/2025/10/25/u...

So I read that this attack on Venezuela and the murders of people in small boats is about cocaine now (because they aren't trafficking fentanyl, duh.) How many cocaine deaths were there in the U.S. last year? It's important since they're using a fatuous "self-defense" rationale for doing this.

I hate doing the “what happened to America First” messaging because America first was always a transparent lie but holy shit, if you are putting “America first” what are u doing dicking around militaristically in Venezuelan territory

Johnson has subordinated himself to the president so much that even Trump in private jokes that "I'm the speaker and the president," @anniekarni.bsky.social reports. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/25/u...

I was cleaning out some old boxes today and came upon one that had political magazines and memorabilia I have kept. For some reason I hung onto this Time Magazine from December 2000. I had to sit down.

“I’m the speaker and the president,” Mr. Trump has joked.." www.nytimes.com/2025/10/25/u...

Zip tying a mom and little kids www.tiktok.com/t/ZTMxg5a2j/

Oh hey, read my profile of the very odd Tim Mellon from back during the campaign.

"Personality cults...create an image of the autocrat as indispensable, unique, and the only man who can save the nation. The more such leaders are associated with brutality and corruption, the more their propaganda depicts them as in office by divine dispensation." open.substack.com/pub/lucid/p/...

YARDENI: “.. The S&P 500 is now up 15.5% ytd .. On average over the past 10 years, the index has increased by a total of four percentage points in November and December combined. If it does so again this year, the index would rise to 7063 from Friday's close.” @yardeniresearch.bsky.social

Will miss Higgins’ dogs terribly.

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I think there's consensus that we all should call it the Epstein Ballroom. And I propose renaming the rest the Gold House.

Not actually helping. #caturday