Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
Trump officials shut down bribery probe of border czar Tom Homan "Homan was caught on tape accepting a bag filled with $50,000 in cash from an undercover FBI agent" wapo.st/46xMPh8 (gift link)
Author, dad, journalist at Mother Jones/CIR. My book TRIGGER POINTS is the story of expert teams who are preventing mass shootings, from K-12 schools to the FBI https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062973533/
16,994 followers 372 following 1,107 posts
view profile on Bluesky Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
Trump officials shut down bribery probe of border czar Tom Homan "Homan was caught on tape accepting a bag filled with $50,000 in cash from an undercover FBI agent" wapo.st/46xMPh8 (gift link)
Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1.bsky.social) reposted
Gov. Josh Shapiro to NBC: "Without question, they're trying to stifle dissent." "Whether you agree with Jimmy Kimmel or not, whether you found him funny or not, to fire someone because he told a joke about the president repeatedly, and the president didn’t like it ... that is dangerous."
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
Trump indeed has a talent for making utter nonsense sound legitimate. ‘My government is defending free speech by punishing speech that I have determined is bad speech.’ That’s literally the argument he’s making here. Against America’s free press. Which is absurd and, obviously, unconstitutional.
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
I can't recall many shows that are so compelling to watch and also move the needle on an important conversation, literally worldwide. "Adolescence" is brilliant, and it deserved all the Emmys it just won. It's also missing something vital, which I explore here. www.motherjones.com/media/2025/0...
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social) reply parent
2/ I spoke earlier this week with @alletson.bsky.social about the dangers we now face with rising political violence in America, especially given how the Trump administration has sought to exploit Kirk's death. Listen here 👉 play.prx.org/listen?ge=pr... @revealnews.org @motherjones.com
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
1/ I'm glad to see this @ezraklein.bsky.social interview with Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. The horrific killing of Charlie Kirk has brought our country to a dark crossroads. The Trump WH so far aims to push us down an even more perilous path. Cox points to a better one. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/19/o...
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
Trump's $15 billion lawsuit against the New York Times got tossed onto the trash heap by a federal judge in just four days, reconfirming the well-known concept that it doesn't take long to recognize pure bullshit www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
Letting RFK Jr. play Russian roulette with the nation's public health is terribly stupid and will have bad consequences www.nytimes.com/2025/09/19/h...
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
WSJ ed board on the Trump takedown of Kimmel: "'We can do this the easy way or the hard way,' Carr told a podcaster, in words that could have been uttered by a New Jersey mob boss." Yet what they fail to admit is that no Dem or "left" admin has done anything like this www.wsj.com/opinion/fcc-...
David Enrich (@davidenrich.bsky.social) reposted
Federal judge tosses Trump's lawsuit against the @nytimes.com, less than four days after it was filed. The ruling calls the lawsuit "improper and impermissible." Trump is allowed to refile a new, shorter complaint if he wants.
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
“‘I’m working on my Sunday column and I’m going to play bridge this afternoon,’ she told one reporter, ‘so I don’t have time to read all this crap.’ “That is when Mom went viral.” www.wsj.com/us-news/mari...
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
In America, anyone is free to make a stupid joke, even if the joke is factually wrong and makes some people feel very mad. The government cannot censor it using threats and intimidation. This right is enshrined in the constitution. That’s the point of this stupid joke from JD Vance, yes?
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
Joe Rogan should invite Jimmy Kimmel on his show to talk about how the Trump government is by far the biggest threat to free speech in modern American history
Barack Obama (@barackobama.bsky.social) reposted
After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like.
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social) reply parent
It should be crystal clear by now for anyone who is still somehow in denial: Trump’s MAGA movement was never about “free speech.” It was and is about gaining and keeping power, at any cost.
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
In July, Trump and his FCC chair Brendan Carr celebrated CBS cancelling Stephen Colbert—and Trump also threatened then that Jimmy Kimmel would be “next up.” Now that’s happened too. This is government censorship of comedians who Trump dislikes. This is the US constitution being set on fire.
Clara Jeffery (@clarajeffery.bsky.social) reposted
These are terrifying times. Corporate media is caving utterly. Support non-profit media, public media, local media, and the last few old MSM companies with good owners. We tick at least two of those boxes and so if you value our reporting, you can give here secure.motherjones.com/flex/mj/key/...
Radley Balko (@radleybalko.bsky.social) reposted
This was after Colbert was canceled. Which was two months ago.
Governor JB Pritzker (@govpritzker.illinois.gov) reposted
A free and democratic society cannot silence comedians because the President doesn’t like what they say. This is an attack on free speech and cannot be allowed to stand. All elected officials need to speak up and push back on this undemocratic act.
Malcolm Nance, Leading Resister (@malcolmnance.bsky.social) reposted
TERRORISM EXPERT HERE: He cannot designate an idea as a terrorist group. There is no org called ANTIFA. There is no leadership or funding path or no membership. Also there is no terrorism law in America. Ask Luigi. He wants to call anyone a terrorist. That’s Fascism. #ReleaseTheEpsteinFiles
Mother Jones (@motherjones.com) reposted
🎧 In the wake of ABC’s indefinite suspension of Jimmy Kimmel, this episode of "More to the Story" (published earlier today) is essential listening: @revealnews.org examines how the tragedy of Charlie Kirk’s murder is accelerating a political crackdown. LISTEN:
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
“When we have the weight of the United States government behind extremist views, we’ve got a problem.” —Barack Obama
Steven T. Dennis (@steventdennis.bsky.social) reposted
Scott Bessent, like Lisa Cook, had two homes listed as primary residences in mortgage documents at the same time. The two homes were each listed as primary residences on the same day in docs signed on his behalf by his lawyer. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social) reply parent
"Kirk’s death has fueled X’s popularity. After the shooting videos circulated on the platform and users expressed their emotions about the assassination, people flocked to download the app...X’s head of product posted that “X had more first-time downloads in US than on any single day in its history"
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
“We have regressed. We are in a worse place now than when countries and companies came together to say never again to violence and hate speech online.” www.nytimes.com/2025/09/16/t...
Justin Wolfers (@justinwolfers.bsky.social) reposted
Fed statement makes it official: Stagflation is in the room. "Job gains have slowed, and the unemployment rate has edged up... Inflation has moved up and remains somewhat elevated. "
Reveal (@revealnews.org) reposted
In the wake of Charlie Kirk's death, Trump “is immediately casting blame on his political opponents, demonizing and turning the heat up," says @markfollman.bsky.social. “And that is a recipe for more violence. The very top of our political leadership is stoking a political and cultural war."
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
“In final conversation with ChatGPT, Adam wrote he did not want his parents to think they did wrong, according to the lawsuit. ChatGPT replied, “That doesn’t mean you owe them survival. You don’t owe anyone that.” The bot offered to help him draft a suicide note” www.nbcsandiego.com/news/nationa...
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
“He had never heard gunshots before in his life, until he heard them in his school.”
Kyle Clark (@kylec.bsky.social) reposted
"I've had an escape plan for every classroom I've been in for the last twelve years." Student leaders from Evergreen High School share their candid thoughts with our @marcsallinger.bsky.social following last week's shooting.
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social) reply parent
That statistic is not useful, as I said. Nearly half of the US population is male. So you have narrowed the pool of potentially worrisome people down to...about 160 million people
Brendan Nyhan (@brendannyhan.bsky.social) reposted
"Nearly every agent on Baltimore’s domestic terrorism squad was reassigned this year to work full time on immigration enforcement, forcing them to walk away from investigations of a network of violent predators that targets and exploits children online"
Joshua J. Friedman (@joshuajfriedman.com) reposted
Donald Trump sues the New York Times (and Susanne Craig, Russ Buettner, and Michael S. Schmidt) for defamation, and the complaint for some reason begins thus: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Eric Lipton NYT (@ericlipton.nytimes.com) reposted
NYT response to lawsuit filed by Donald Trump against the newspaper and several NYT reporters. share.google/oTnqn8SIgHFV...
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
“While crime keeps falling, the other investigative work of the FBI is being delayed, frustrating law enforcement officials and leading some to quit.” www.nytimes.com/2025/09/15/u...
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social) reply parent
Congrats on your ironic use of 'shyt on.' What you seem to have missed, beyond the whole point of the piece... “a stunning work of art” “a rare form of artistic lightning in a bottle” “crisp realism and inescapable pathos” “another of the several superb performances” “memorable storytelling”...
Mother Jones (@motherjones.com) reposted
"Adolescence" swept the Emmys, with eight wins including best directing under its belt. But as @markfollman.bsky.social argues, the Netflix megahit misses a key truth: targeted violence isn’t sudden or “inexplicable.” It leaves red flags we can’t afford to ignore.
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
"The back-to-back deals violate longstanding norms for political, diplomatic and private deal-making among senior US officials and their children, according to three ethics lawyers interviewed.... And they have generated alarm among some former government officials." www.nytimes.com/2025/09/15/u...
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
The Netflix megahit “Adolescence” just won eight Emmy awards and is a stunning work of art—but as I explain in this new piece, it also neglects a key aspect of online radicalization and how to prevent the violence www.motherjones.com/media/2025/0...
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social) reply parent
My reported essay also dives deep into some disturbing new developments with online radicalization that go far beyond the terrain covered in “Adolescence”—an evolving danger that is fueling school shootings, political assassinations, and more. www.motherjones.com/media/2025/0... 2/x
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
I wrote about a key missing piece to the Netflix megahit “Adolescence.” The series is up for 13 Emmy awards tonight and is a stunning work of art — but it also neglects a vital aspect of online radicalization and how to prevent the violence. www.motherjones.com/media/2025/0... 1/x
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
“I think that people across the board are afraid” “Unfortunately, we are broken” “A lot of young men are extremely angry about this” “you have leaders who demonize the other side and declare them enemies of the people” www.nytimes.com/2025/09/12/u...
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social) reply parent
2/ … “a grave leadership test for Mr. Patel. His swift pronouncements about the inquiry have revived concerns about his lack of experience, obsession with social media and purge of some of the bureau’s most experienced investigators, according to current and former officials”
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
Scrutiny Mounts of F.B.I. Under Patel as Kirk’s Killer Remains at Large Already, a series of missteps by Kash Patel, the F.B.I. director, in recent months have invited worries that he has eroded public confidence in the agency. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/11/u...
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social) reply parent
2/ He is obviously talking about Kash Patel but not naming him… www.wsj.com/us-news/char...
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
Law-Enforcement Officials Sow Confusion on Manhunt for Kirk Shooter Contradictory public statements risk undermining confidence in investigation, law enforcement veterans say www.wsj.com/us-news/char...
Barack Obama (@barackobama.bsky.social) reposted
We don’t yet know what motivated the person who shot and killed Charlie Kirk, but this kind of despicable violence has no place in our democracy. Michelle and I will be praying for Charlie’s family tonight, especially his wife Erika and their two young children.
Gabby Giffords (@gabbygiffords.bsky.social) reposted
I'm horrified to hear that Charlie Kirk was shot at an event in Utah. Democratic societies will always have political disagreements, but we must never allow America to become a country that confronts those disagreements with violence. Mark and I are praying for Charlie's recovery.
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
So many astounding details in this story. Really ugly for JPMorgan and its top executives. Tremendous investigation by @davidenrich.bsky.social and colleagues.
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
“One of the enduring mysteries about Epstein is why so many rich and powerful men risked their reputations…Did they value his advice? Consider him a friend? Like tapping into his network? Or was it about sex with the young women who always seemed to be around him?” www.nytimes.com/2025/09/08/m...
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social) reply parent
2/ “Tom McDermott, with the metal detector manufacturer CEIA USA, says schools used to be a small fraction of their U.S. business. Now they're the majority. ‘It's not right. We need to solve this problem. It's good for business, but we don't need to be selling to schools,’ McDermott says.”
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
Isn’t it stating the obvious to say that a $4 billion industry for fortifying schools against mass shooters is absurd? www.npr.org/2025/09/08/n...
Barry Yeoman (@barryyeoman.com) reposted
Two things of note here: 1. @ariberman.bsky.social knows more about voting rights than any journalist in America. 2. This article has a whole section called "The North Carolina Model for Overturning Elections." #ncpol
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social) reply parent
"Our elections have faced an elevated level of risk for some time, and now there’s one additional factor that’s going to exacerbate all the other risks, which is a weaponized federal government that might be deployed in ways that can disrupt or interfere in free and fair elections"
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
Weaponizing law enforcement, posting military troops in major cities, pushing extreme gerrymandering, nationalizing voter suppression tactics... Trump is ALREADY moving full-tilt on multiple fronts to hijack the 2026 elections. A must-read from my colleague @ariberman.bsky.social ow.ly/jOJ850WTk0z
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social) reply parent
Justice Sonia Sotomayor: "We should not have to live in a country where the Government can seize anyone who looks Latino, speaks Spanish, and appears to work a low wage job. Rather than stand idly by while our constitutional freedoms are lost, I dissent.” 2/x
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
"The Supreme Court ruled Monday for the Trump administration and agreed U.S. immigration agents may stop and detain anyone they suspect is in the U.S. illegally based on little more than working at a car wash, speaking Spanish or having brown skin." www.latimes.com/politics/sto...
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
He was pardoned by Trump… Jan. 6 rioter who wore 'Camp Auschwitz' hoodie arrested on animal attack charges abcnews.go.com/US/jan-6-rio...
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
“I want to be very clear about what I am saying here. Donald Trump is corrupting the government — he is using it to hound his enemies, to line his pockets and to entrench his own power.” www.nytimes.com/2025/09/07/o...
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
First, Mike Johnson said Trump was an FBI informant. Now he says Trump “was the only one more than a decade ago willing to help prosecutors expose Epstein for being a disgusting child predator” So, how did Trump help prosecutors? What did Trump know from all his time with Epstein? wapo.st/46erJUZ
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
Republicans control Congress. They are relinquishing most of their constitutional powers to Trump, who is demonstrably corrupt and lawless. That leads to what? www.nytimes.com/2025/09/07/u...
Schooley (@schooley.bsky.social) reposted
White House officials when asked about Mike Johnson claiming Trump was an FBI informant.
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social) reply parent
that’s not a dad joke by the way, it really happened and it’s a great play. (But it’s true that dad jokes are also how eye roll)
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
This is for all you soccer fans: when my kids and I went to the park today to practice we encountered fresh holes and dirt piles right in the middle of the prime grass… but we were undeterred, and instead designed a brilliant new offensive play. It’s called the give and gopher
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
Great, inspiring story. www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
The deepening chill from Trump's autocrat revenge tour now also includes cancelling Tom Hanks, staunch advocate for military veterans. Is this what you call winning, America? www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social) reply parent
amazing: "the seemingly ad hoc rollout of the name change has caused confusion...one Pentagon official, who independently decided to squat on the Department of War LinkedIn page to prevent a foreign adversary or Trump critic from taking it over, openly asked to whom he should hand the page"
Eliot Higgins (@eliothiggins.bsky.social) reposted
Just Trump declaring war on a US city, a normal Saturday
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social) reply parent
“This is purely for domestic political audiences. Not only will this cost millions of dollars, it will have absolutely zero impact on Chinese or Russian calculations. Worse, it will be used by our enemies to portray the United States as warmongering and a threat to international stability.”
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
Majorly expensive, monumentally stupid. While he's at it, maybe he should rebrand himself the president of shooting America in its own foot www.politico.com/news/2025/09...
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social) reposted
It’s official as of yesterday: Gov. Greg Abbott and GOP leaders have now made it even harder in Texas to prevent school shootings, suicides and murders by domestic abusers www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
“This is an encroachment on everything we signed up for, and it feels like a violation. They just see us as little toy soldiers to put on the street to show some muscle. There’s no clear mission or understanding of that mission.” www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Kai Ryssdal (@kairyssdal.bsky.social) reposted
About this Florida vaccine story: When they were little - 1 yr and 3 1/2 - my two older boys, who’d had all their shots, got whooping cough. We asked their pediatrician what would’ve happened if they hadn’t been vaccinated. “Oh, they’d have died.”
Ryan Goodman (@rgoodlaw.bsky.social) reposted
1/ I worked at DoD. I literally cannot imagine lawyers coming up with a legal basis for lethal strike of suspected Venezuelan drug boat. Hard to see how this would not be "murder" or war crime under international law that DoD considers applicable. Read expert analysis by @bcfinucane.bsky.social⤵️
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
Raise children in Florida at your own peril www.nytimes.com/2025/09/03/u...
Mother Jones (@motherjones.com) reposted
As of Monday, Gov. Greg Abbott and GOP lawmakers have officially made it even harder in Texas to prevent school shootings, suicides, and murders by domestic abusers.
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
Gutting story. This isn’t just cruel, senseless immigration policy, it’s utterly self-defeating. You could call it Make America Ashamed Again www.msnbc.com/msnbc/amp/rc...
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
“If something happens that’s really bad maybe I’ll just have to blame AI. But there’s truth to it because I see so many phony things. I saw something as I was growing up, from the time I was a baby till now. I said, ‘Who did that?’ It was AI-generated, so, it’s a little bit scary” —President Trump
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
It’s official as of yesterday: Gov. Greg Abbott and GOP leaders have now made it even harder in Texas to prevent school shootings, suicides and murders by domestic abusers www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
An entirely predictable, absolute nightmare for our nation www.nytimes.com/2025/09/01/o...
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social) reposted
MISSED WARNING SIGNS and AMBIVALENT CRIES FOR HELP. Those details now emerging from the Minnesota shooter's journals fit an identifiable pattern. I dug deep into it—and how to avert these disasters—in my 2-year investigation, "Lessons From a Mass Shooter's Mother" www.motherjones.com/criminal-jus...
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
Ridiculous and embarrassing, yes, but also realize that the escalating absurdity is telltale, a sign of weakness
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
Favorite sycophant of the Trump White House is a longtime plagiarist and peddler of lies, according to the New York Times www.nytimes.com/2025/08/30/b...
Senator Ron Wyden (@wyden.senate.gov) reposted
NEW: my office has received disturbing whistleblower reports that the Trump administration plans to separate 700 children from their families, lawyers, and support systems. Disappearing vulnerable children beyond the reach of American law and oversight is beyond depravity.
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
Insanity. Literally a policy of 'burn it all down to the ground' www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
hey no pressure tho
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
MISSED WARNING SIGNS and AMBIVALENT CRIES FOR HELP. Those details now emerging from the Minnesota shooter's journals fit an identifiable pattern. I dug deep into it—and how to avert these disasters—in my 2-year investigation, "Lessons From a Mass Shooter's Mother" www.motherjones.com/criminal-jus...
Phil Lewis (@phillewis.bsky.social) reposted
“A respected network of hospitals and cancer centers is halting enrollment in clinical trials for children with brain cancer after the federal government said it would no longer provide funding to the group”
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
“While ChatGPT use has been linked to suicides and mental-health hospitalizations among heavy users, this appears to be the first documented murder involving a troubled person who had been engaging extensively with an AI chatbot.” www.wsj.com/tech/ai/chat...
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
What an insult to all those who serve honorably in the military… and who don’t help lead a violent attack on the United States Congress www.foxnews.com/politics/air...
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social) reply parent
Devastating. And important to watch. www.nbcnews.com/video/father...
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
Sometimes photos absolutely do tell the story most powerfully. Try to comprehend children fleeing a mass shooting. Try to imagine you're the parent sprinting barefoot to find yours. May 2022 - Pete Luna, for the Uvalde Leader-News Aug. 2025 - Richard Tsong-Taatarii, for the Minnesota Star Tribune
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social) reply parent
Press conference replay here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNIf...
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
NEW: The perpetrator fired 116 rounds from a rifle into the Annunciation Catholic church in Minneapolis, police chief says. Mass shooters using AR-15s to cause carnage is a rising trend that accelerated in 2022 and 2023, as I've previously reported 👉 www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
Thread. Also worth noting here: these CDC directors might be worried for their own safety, as there’s a clear line from anti-vaccine demagoguery pushed by RFK Jr. and MAGA to the recent gun rampage in Atlanta targeting the CDC
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social)
“Everything they’re claiming in justification of the deployment of National Guard troops to DC is a lie,” as @radleybalko.bsky.social shows here 👉🏻 www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social) reply parent
yes, well aware, and stochastic terrorism is a subject I’ve also reported on for many years www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Mark Follman (@markfollman.bsky.social) reposted reply parent
2/ If you want to know… -how quickly public perception of mass shootings gets warped by political demagoguery/social media -how suicidality + rage + isolation + guns is the core reality of many cases …read my investigation “Lessons From a Mass Shooter’s Mother" www.motherjones.com/criminal-jus...
Barack Obama (@barackobama.bsky.social) reposted reply parent
The erosion of basic principles like due process and the expanding use of our military on domestic soil puts the liberties of all Americans at risk, and should concern democrats and republicans alike.
Barack Obama (@barackobama.bsky.social) reposted
This interview, which is also available to listen to as a podcast, provides a useful overview of some of the dangerous trends we’ve been seeing in recent months regarding federalization and militarization of state and local police functions.