I know that I am out there. I am a consistent Democratic Party base voter.
I have had it with ICE. It’s got to go. It is a rogue organization, made up of low-rent hires, that has been allowed to terrorize people in American cities. The cruelty and atrocities – they have not earned the benefit of the doubt.
But, I realize that my position on them, can be seen as that far end. So, I’m not going to condemn Democrats who aren’t willing to go as far as I am, just as long as they are willing to commit to what they believe would be serious reforms.
Greg Sargent has been thinking on this topic:
Greg Sargent
@gregsargent.bsky.social
· 4h
The extraordinary courage of people who are documenting ICE atrocities in places like Minneapolis, at great personal risk, are also achieving something else: They’re changing the public’s mind about immigration. We have a rare opportunity here. 1/(new piece)
newrepublic.com/article/2059…Greg Sargent
@gregsargent.bsky.social
· 4h
To this day, reporters marvel at GOP governors who bussed migrants to cities. But JB Pritzker and Gavin Newsom have flipped the script: By encouraging people to document ICE atrocities, they’ve helped create the basis for a revitalized opposition politics. 2/Greg Sargent
@gregsargent.bsky.social
· 4h
JB Pritzker’s chief of staff tells us that people appalled by ICE brutality badly wanted to join the fight. So Pritzker encouraged people to start recording. This takes seriously the role of information warfare in the age of Trump, enlisting ordinary people in it. 3/Greg Sargent
@gregsargent.bsky.social
Follow
Behind all this is a deeper argument among Dems over how persuasion really works: The consultant class theory versus those who argue that the consultants are not seriously reckoning with the scale of today’s information challenges.I try to lay this out here. 4/
Greg Sargent
@gregsargent.bsky.social
· 4h
I think the events of the last year strongly favor taking the state of the info environment more seriously. When ordinary people and elected Dems drew attention to some of the worst Trump/Miller atrocities, Trump’s approval on immigration fell, and kept falling. 5/Greg Sargent
@gregsargent.bsky.social
Follow
Polls that ask respondents if they support deporting people with jobs/no criminal records show solid majority opposition. My theory is that all the attention to ICE has sharpened the distinction in people’s minds between removing criminals vs noncriminals. 6/Greg Sargent
@gregsargent.bsky.social
· 4h
I think it’s also time to revisit the theory of those who interpreted Trump’s 2024 win as evidence of a durable cultural turn against immigrants, a theory associated with David Leonhardt. Much of what we’re seeing now badly complicates that theory. 7/Greg Sargent
@gregsargent.bsky.social
· 3h
This theory holds that most Americans agree that Trump was *in some sense right* about the ill social/cultural impacts of immigration. I think it’s clear now that majorities do not share this view. So let’s revisit the theory and come up with something better. 8/Greg Sargent
@gregsargent.bsky.social
Follow
MAGA worldview holds that immigrants threaten national “social solidarity,” as JD Vance put it to Douthat. Trump’s win persuaded some that majorities see it that way. But polls and the events of the last year suggest majorities reject that basic understanding. 9/Greg Sargent
@gregsargent.bsky.social
· 3h
I say ICE horror has awakened people’s awareness of their social/econ ties to immigrants. That gives Ds an opening to restate case for path to legalization+making legal immigration easier+plus asylum/enforcement concessions.This piece suggests a way to do it. 10/
https://bsky.app/profile/gregsargent.bsky.social/post/3meqyko6d5c2o
Here is the link to the complete article.
Tammy Duckworth
@duckworth.senate.gov
Follow
You called our concerns “fake news” just yesterday.
You’re backtracking because you know this new rule could hurt our heroes’ access to care, and Veterans across the country called you on your bullshit.
If you take Veterans’ concerns seriously, you’d rescind the rule entirely.
https://bsky.app/profile/duckworth.senate.gov/post/3mfaf2ppts22j
Andrew Feinberg
@AndrewFeinberg
Extraordinary statement from King Charles III on the arrest of his brother.
https://x.com/AndrewFeinberg/status/2024456549125521758?s=20
Laura Chapin
@laurachapin.bsky.social
Follow
So the former President of South Korea has been sentenced to life in prison for insurrection, a former prince of England has been arrested for Epstein ties, but in the US Trump is freely blabbering and shitposting because he’s protected by John Roberts and the Republican Party?
9:57 AM · Feb 19, 2026
where’s the Appropriations Bill for this?
Maine
@TheMaineWonk
‼️‼️ BREAKING: Trump announces that the United States will be contributing $10 billion to his Board of Peace.
A $10 billion contribution to a Board that Trump chairs without congressional appropriation or authorization.
It’s a giant slush fund. Full stop.
Veronica McDonald
@veronicamcdonald.bsky.social
Follow
I don’t have a problem with “white men” running for office or holding office. My problem is “white men” (and their enablers of any/every race/gender) telling everyone who is NOT a “white man” to sit down, give up and don’t even bother trying. That’s the problem I’m having.
11:28 AM · Feb 19, 2026
“And we’re gonna punish you severely if you do try.”
That’s why people got so upset by the Bowen Yang/Matt Rogers podcast because not only did they tell Jasmine Crockett to sit down and stop trying, they tried to rally other white people to cut Crockett off at the knees by not giving her any money.
They didn’t even know who James Talarico was but they had marching orders from this “Keith Edwards” person (who is now running around saying “Vote for James Talarico because he’s going to be Independent of Democrats”) to encourage people to stop Jasmine Crockett by shutting down her money.
12:06 PM · Feb 19, 2026
Now ask yourself, why is Talarico being touted as somebody who will be “independent of Democrats?”
What does that mean, exactly?
Because if Talarico is running to serve Independents and MAGA, he has no business being the DEMOCRATIC Senator from Texas.
12:06 PM · Feb 19, 2026
What exactly does “independent of Democrats” mean? Does that mean if Trump is impeached, Talarico will vote to acquit so the Republicans he somehow convinces to vote for him won’t be mad at him? Does that mean he’ll be appeasing white voters who just want to “come together and get along?”
12:06 PM · Feb 19, 2026
Then you have James Carville and his ilk running around saying no more Black candidates, just find the white person that can run up in the black church and get those blacks to hum and sway and there’s your winner.
12:06 PM · Feb 19, 2026
Why would black folk vote for the white man who makes you hum and sway when black folk could vote for the black candidate who stays on beat?
That’s why the content creator Morgan was concerned about Carville’s connections to Talarico’s campaign and what their agenda means for Black Texans.
12:06 PM · Feb 19, 2026
Because if Talarico is just going to be Fetterman, Manchin, Sinema or Cornyn/Paxton lite, there is no point for Black folks to hum and sway in those voting lines in November either.
But y’all got it.
12:06 PM · Feb 19, 2026
I will say if Jasmine Crockett ends up winning this primary, James Talarico will have nobody to blame but himself and his associates because they are making people pay attention to this primary and they’re not liking what they’re seeing coming out of the Talarico side.
12:06 PM · Feb 19, 2026
Veronica McDonald
@veronicamcdonald.bsky.social
Follow
It’s too late to tell Talarico supporters to “stop”. But they need to stop.
He will probably win this primary but he will lose worse than the mediocre Allred did in 2024, because of what his campaign and associates are doing today.
Dont’ say you weren’t warned, though.
12:06 PM · Feb 19, 2026
https://bsky.app/profile/veronicamcdonald.bsky.social/post/3mfa6p3z7sl2x
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested?🤔🤔🤔
Nick Reeves #RejoinEU #NAFO #FBPE
@nickreeves9876
JD Vance’s owner, Peter Thiel, says America is like Weimar Germany in the 1920s:
“Liberalism is exhausted… Democracy whatever that is, is exhausted… so we have to start talking far outside the Overton Window.”
This was precisely what the Nazis tried to sell to Germans, that Weimar was “too liberal” and needed “strong leadership” to save it from degeneracy. Thiel made these remarks at a talk to promote German philosopher Carl Schmitt, who was a Nazi, a racist, and a rabid antisemite, who presented his theories as an ideological foundation of the Nazi dictatorship and a justification of the Führer state.
https://youtu.be/vfbndRTlsg4?si=HTDWV5XsGGdP6UiN
(much of the content of this post comes from a post by the excellent
@jimstewartson)
https://x.com/nickreeves9876/status/2023802040837603628?s=20
Kit Maher
@KitMaherCNN
The Trump airport trademark application is unusual — hubs named for Reagan, JFK or the Clintons weren’t protected by trademark filings by the former presidents or their families.
“Normally, the private individual who’s being honored isn’t protecting his or her name as a trademark,” trademark attorney
@JoshGerben
told me.
The trademark also includes a lengthy list of merchandise that would fall under its purview: Watches, clocks, jewelry, clothing, cuff links, collectible coins, belts and “plastic slippers used in the airport environment when going through security to keep feet and socks clean.”
https://x.com/KitMaherCNN/status/2024198330352369768?s=20
scary lawyerguy
@scarylawyerguy
Maybe that’s bc the Reagans, Kennedys, and Clintons wouldn’t think to try and profit off having airports named after their family members. I don’t know, just a thought 🙃
https://x.com/scarylawyerguy/status/2024219419019284510?s=20
Variety
@Variety
Viola Davis is making her literary debut with “Judge Stone,” an upcoming courtroom thriller she co-wrote with James Patterson.
“Judge Stone” centers on Judge Mary Stone, a respected circuit judge in the tiny Alabama town of Union Springs who must navigate a deeply divisive, ethically fraught courtroom battle.
https://variety.com/2026/shopping/news/viola-davis-novel-judge-stone-buy-online-1236666722/
CNN
@cnn.com
Follow
Immigration and Customs Enforcement cannot re-detain Kilmar Abrego Garcia because a 90-day detention period has expired and the government has no viable plan for deporting him, a federal judge ruled. cnn.it/4kHhwqR
CALL TO ACTIVISM
@CalltoActivism
🚨HUGE: IL Governor JB Pritzker has just ELIMINATED $1 BILLION in medical debt for the people of his state.
This will change the lives of millions of families struggling with bills due to unexpected illnesses. Share if EVERY state should follow suit. This is how it’s done!
https://x.com/CalltoActivism/status/2024212717670703390?s=20
Dave Keating
@DaveKeating
New data shows #Brexit has lowered UK GDP by 6-8% over the past decade. Investment down 12-18%, employment down 3-4%.
It’s even worse than economists had predicted pre-referendum, because they thought there would be a bounce-back long term.
“Economists were roughly right on the magnitude of the impact, but wrong on the timing. The consensus pre‑referendum forecast of a 4% long‑run GDP loss turned out to be close to the actual loss after five years, but too optimistic about the longer run.”
https://x.com/DaveKeating/status/2023673273653866520?s=20
Pivot Podcast
@thepivot
“We actually lived around the KKK out there and dealt with them on a daily basis.” Aldis Hodge
The weight of one’s journey is never really known until their experiences reveal how heavy it may be. Aldis shares his upbringing, what his family endured growing up and how it’s shaped his life perspective…how can something be different now when the problem was never fixed to begin with?
https://youtu.be/nxIBwkZ2_iY
Full episode out now streaming on all audio platforms and
@youtube
#actor #podcast #culture
@Realrclark25
@FredTaylorMade
@OfficialCrowder
https://x.com/thepivot/status/2024168237743689974?s=20
Mr. Nobody
@MmisterNobody
Palantir Technologies CEO Alex Karp couldn’t stay seated in his chair as he proudly stated, “We kill people sometimes,” while speaking to shareholders.
Maniac.
https://x.com/MmisterNobody/status/2023780218650194110?s=20
Juliette Kayyem
@juliettekayyem
I could go on about how no female CEO, dressed as if they just got out of bed and acting like they are on speed while talking to investors of a public company, could get away with this but the truth is nobody should.
https://x.com/juliettekayyem/status/2024110833089851771?s=20
Scott MacFarlane
@MacFarlaneNews
Trump administration has filed an appeal .. after a judge ordered slavery exhibits that were removed from the President’s House Site in Philadelphia to be returned
https://x.com/MacFarlaneNews/status/2024091420311670826?s=20
Yahoo News
@YahooNews
The U.S. Supreme Court announced on Tuesday that it has adopted new software to assist in identifying whether a case poses a potential conflict of interest for the justices, who decide for themselves whether to step aside from participation in cases.
https://yahoo.com/news/articles/us-supreme-court-adopts-technology-180939657.html?taid=6994c3f060b08100012a809a&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter
Mediaite
@Mediaite
Trump Appoints His 26-Year-Old Ex-Receptionist to Commission Overseeing White House Ballroom Construction
https://x.com/Mediaite/status/2023880961772187901?s=20
Andrea R. Flores
@Arosaflores
A must read story about the transformation of USCIS. This is why the current moment is much bigger than just the future of ICE, because this admin is transforming every immigration component into an enforcement agency.
https://x.com/Arosaflores/status/2023779709767606730?s=20
Jonathan Blitzer
@JonathanBlitzer
US Citizenship & Immigration Services is an agency most Americans rarely hear about. It administers the *legal* immigration system. Under Trump, the agency has turned into an enforcement tool in service of the broader crackdown. My latest
@NewYorker
https://x.com/JonathanBlitzer/status/2023768813574258963?s=20
Cuckturd
@CattardSlim
Trump & his kids are opening their own Polymarket. They can now personally profit off every House vote, press conference, executive order, Tariff decision. You name it.
Haven’t heard the Trump’s talk about Burisma for a while. 🤔
https://x.com/CattardSlim/status/2023916924846141550?s=20
Little Susie Collins is so CONCERNED
Sahil Kapur
@sahilkapur
New: Trump’s election bill tops 50 Senate votes
@SenatorCollins
is #50 for SAVE America Act, per
@BasedMikeLee
.
House passed it.
Trump supports it.
The 60-vote rule is now the only thing preventing it from becoming law. Democrats vow to filibuster it.
https://x.com/sahilkapur/status/2023867653438501262?s=20
News12NJ
@News12NJ
KICKING INTO HISTORY: Jennifer Jones, a dancer and actress from Newark, will become the first Rockette to be included in the Hollywood Museum’s list of Black entertainers on Thursday.
#News12 #NewJersey #JenniferJones #Newark #Rockette
https://bit.ly/4aoqsho
৻ꪆ.
@filmsbratz
— my “vintage black films of old hollywood” list has expanded since i posted it last. nearly at 300 films & still growing! it’s filled with films, short-films & soundies (the first music videos). check it out to get more into old black hollywood. 🎞️🌹👩🏾
https://x.com/filmsbratz/status/2023926152096633068?s=20
Josh Dawsey
@jdawsey1
In all-hands meeting tonight on Capitol Hill, Trump’s political team is encouraging his Cabinet to visit competitive 2026 midterm districts and highlight affordability issues and administration’s work on prescription drug prices ahead of midterms, people familiar say.
5:39 PM · Feb 17, 2026
https://x.com/jdawsey1/status/2023905198561796101?s=20
The AZ – abc15 – Data Guru
@Garrett_Archer
A “striker” bill will be heard in the AZ Senate tomorrow that would require county election officials to enter into an agreement with ICE allowing them to enter vote centers and polling places.
https://x.com/Garrett_Archer/status/2023813159111573594?s=20
Brian Stelter
@brianstelter
This just in from CBS: “THE LATE SHOW was not prohibited by CBS from broadcasting the interview with Rep. James Talarico. The show was provided legal guidance that the broadcast could trigger the FCC equal-time rule for two other candidates, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett, and presented options for how the equal time for other candidates could be fulfilled. THE LATE SHOW decided to present the interview through its YouTube channel with on-air promotion on the broadcast rather than potentially providing the equal-time options.”
1:33 PM · Feb 17, 2026
https://x.com/brianstelter/status/2023843159604596894?s=20
Acyn
@Acyn
Crockett: We actually received a phone call a little bit earlier today—they explained that they actually told CBS that they could go ahead and move forward with the interview of James Talarico. They just needed to offer me equal time… I’ve been on Colbert multiple times..
https://x.com/Acyn/status/2023945678494593531?s=20
Pablo Manríquez
@PabloReports
SCOOP: Trump’s embattled DHS secretary Kristi Noem ordered historic buildings demolished at headquarters. Now her workers are inhaling asbestos on the daily — and are not very happy about it.
https://x.com/PabloReports/status/2023929029099667704?s=20
Mike Madrid
@madrid_mike
All these conservatives praising Marco Rubio saying we need a Latino President are the same ones who couldn’t handle a Latino half-time show last week.
7:10 PM · Feb 17, 2026
https://x.com/madrid_mike/status/2023927989512401237?s=20
Good Morning, Everyone😊😊😊