Author: Harris L

Vaccine poll – August 2025

Most Americans think the benefits of vaccines outweigh the risks.(Economist / @today.yougov.com)More, via Opinion Today:opiniontoday.substack.com/p/250806-top…

— Opinion Today (@opiniontoday.bsky.social) 2025-08-06T22:01:00.735Z

In his latest column, KFF’s @drewaltman.bsky.social analyzes years of KFF polling on vaccines in light of the current controversies about them. The real problem, he says, is polarization and misinformation have eroded confidence in what’s true or not. on.kff.org/3HlGRaF

— KFF (@kff.org) 2025-08-19T15:28:02.868Z

NEW Economist/YouGov Sep 26-29: Vaccines% who say they are very or somewhat satisfied | dissatisfied with how the Trump administration has been handling vaccinationsU.S. adult citizens 30% | 45%Democrats 7% | 80%Independents 20% | 47%Republicans 61% | 10%today.yougov.com/politics/art…

— YouGov America (@today.yougov.com) 2025-09-30T21:33:18.209Z

It's incredibly weird that folks have convinced themselves that the Covid vaccines – which had an ~82^% take up rate – were unpopular.

— Matt Darling (@besttrousers.bsky.social) 2025-09-07T15:03:51.660Z

SSA field offices have lost 20% of their staff

This is terrible. I know. I worked there many years ago.

BREAKING: The Trump administration has pushed out 20% of the staff at Social Security offices.Often the most experienced, highly skilled staffers.Seniors, people with disabilities, and families are paying the price.

— Social Security Works (@socialsecurityworks.org) 2025-08-07T14:25:43.156Z

Then you have field office staff answering national 800 number calls which makes this even worse.

Trump doesn’t care about bipartisanship

Almost six and a half months into his new term, President Donald Trump has yet to host Democratic leaders or convene a meeting with the bipartisan congressional leadership.Compared to past presidents, that’s incredibly unusual.

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost.com) 2025-08-06T17:31:44.775Z

It’s worse than that. He hates Democrats. http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo…

— Harris Levy (@harrislevy.bsky.social) 2025-08-06T17:41:13.253Z

Polls shows Trump is unpopular

New Umass poll on Trump’s approval.That’s a 13-point negative swing in just 3 months.Dude is cratering.www.umass.edu/news/article…

— TrumpsTaxes (@trumpstaxes.com) 2025-08-05T21:52:28.147Z

Good but still unbelievable he has 40% : http://www.reuters.com/world/us/tru…

— Jen Rubin (@jenrubin.bsky.social) 2025-07-29T23:13:16.794Z

It’s sad that Trump and his ideas are unpopular but so many politicians, universities, lawyers and businesses are still afraid to stand up to him.

— Harris Levy (@harrislevy.bsky.social) 2025-07-29T23:15:12.429Z

Trump and Stephen Miller's military occupations are UNPOPULAR.Pew: 56% don't trust Trump to manage law enforcementReuters: Only 42% approve his handling of crimeWaPo: 79% of DCers oppose invasionOn the pod, @monicapotts.bsky.social and I urge Dems to engage:newrepublic.com/article/1993…

— Greg Sargent (@gregsargent.bsky.social) 2025-08-21T11:55:08.010Z

The redistricting crisis is 100% the fault of Republicans

Do people get this? I am not sure.

This is not a redistricting war. It’s 100% the fault of Republicans. They want to gerrymander Texas to increase their chance of keeping their slim house majority. They know their policies are unpopular so they can’t count on winning fairly. 1/2

— Harris Levy (@harrislevy.bsky.social) 2025-08-05T22:39:48.399Z

Democrats have no choice except fighting back by gerrymandering blue states. 2/2

— Harris Levy (@harrislevy.bsky.social) 2025-08-05T22:40:58.510Z

Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is ready to campaign against a partisan gerrymandering plan that current officeholder Gavin Newsom is hoping to place on the November ballot, according to a spokesperson.

— barbisblue (@barbisblue.bsky.social) 2025-08-05T02:06:29.355Z

He should fight governor Abbott of Texas. Newsom’s gerrymamdering plan is a response to the Texas plan demanded by Trump.

— Harris Levy (@harrislevy.bsky.social) 2025-08-05T02:41:29.462Z

Republicans can’t be trusted on the budget

Schumer caved in to the Republicans last year. He’s got to do better this year. Republicans have shown they can’t be trusted. The rescission shows they will make a deal and then go back on it. Trump has been unwilling to spend all of the money allocated by Congress.

Is a shutdown the answer? I am not sure. I know Trump’s policies are unpopular and Democrats need to use that to block him to the extent possible. He has already done enormous, probably irreparable damage to the government.

8/30/25 – Trump is now going for a second rescission. Even some Republicans object to his tactics. Trump cannot be trusted on any deal.

5/Last year, Democrats made a painful bipartisan budget deal.Republicans agreed.Then they just gutted it with a rescission bill erasing Democratic priorities. Republicans defunded PBS and NPR for reporting the truth.They kept what they wanted. Dems got burned. http://www.cbpp.org/blog/resciss…

— Digital Warrior – Combat Disinfo (@digitalwarrior.bsky.social) 2025-07-31T15:02:44.883Z

Axios today on why House Democrats didn't fight the PBS&NPR rescission.We at NIH are dealing w/ a nuclear disaster for American science. We are happy to help Democrats who want to fight: the end of cancer research is a place to fight. But we desperately want a fight.@andrewsolender.bsky.social:

— Alt NIH Bluesky 🧪 (@altnih4science.bsky.social) 2025-07-18T14:03:02.931Z

Dems could decide they want to stand up to the ongoing impoundment by the Trump admin and refuse to vote for legislation unless the White House guarantees that funds will be distributed as appropriated.talkingpointsmemo.com/news/a-big-u…

— TPM (@talkingpointsmemo.com) 2025-08-05T14:23:13.204Z

Trump seeks to cut $4.9 billion in foreign aid funding allocated to the State Department and USAID, using a “pocket rescission.” This move is expected to face backlash and potential legal challenges.#ProudBlue #DemVoirce1

— Ethan (@grand-pa-etan.bsky.social) 2025-08-30T17:38:26.819Z

More on Trump’s war on data

Climate change reports, deleted. DEI initiatives, banned. Local TV and radio stations, defunded.The list goes on and on. President Trump and his government appointees keep asserting more control over ideas and information. My latest analysis for CNN:

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter.bsky.social) 2025-08-04T19:03:07.833Z

"Statistical agencies have made it possible for business leaders and policymakers alike to analyze credible data and plan for the future," N. Gregory Mankiw and Cecilia Rouse write. wapo.st/3HncZKR

— Washington Post Opinions (@postopinions.bsky.social) 2025-08-05T17:24:44.088Z

Trump fired the Commissioner of Labor Statistics by tweet just now, in case you're wondering about how reliable job numbers might be getting over the next 3.5 years

— Quantian (@quantian.bsky.social) 2025-08-01T18:12:16.111Z

At least 56,945 immigrants are held in ICE detention this week, with untold numbers hidden from public view in off-the-books sites in Florida and in field offices across the country. open.substack.com/pub/austinko…

— Catherine Rampell (@crampell.bsky.social) 2025-07-31T20:39:48.318Z

Social Security issued a press release yesterday claiming it's improved customer service. I'm skeptical, for 4 reasons:1. SSA's career comms staff are mostly gone 2. SSA comms are now very partisan3. Performance metrics are mostly gone4. SSA is now cherrypicking misleading stats Receipts in 🧵

— Kathleen Romig (@kathleenromig.bsky.social) 2025-07-24T11:48:56.315Z

Trump surrogate attacking government statistics by failing to add correctly is almost too perfect (16% + 30% ≠ “2 out of 3”)

— Catherine Rampell (@crampell.bsky.social) 2025-08-19T22:42:44.923Z

Corrupting economic statistics will change our economic reality. Here's how:Tariffs raise prices. Social Security is indexed to inflation. If Trump tells a partisan BLS head to downplay inflation, seniors' social security checks won't keep up.Rigged stats = stolen benefits.

— Justin Wolfers (@justinwolfers.bsky.social) 2025-08-21T11:52:44.253Z

Disgusting example of Trump’s racism

Trump is clearly a racist. The media is too cowardly to say so. This is a particularly obvious example.

It's staggering how comfortable Trump is being this racist on national TV. Because he knows at this point there's just no cost for doing so. His supporters knew who he was and this is what they voted for.

— Melissa Ryan (@melissaryan.bsky.social) 2025-08-05T15:46:45.698Z

More:

And you don’t believe me when I call Trump a racist? foreignpolicy.com/2025/05/23/t…

— Morgan J Freeman (@mjfree.bsky.social) 2025-05-25T16:23:04.938Z

shoutout to certain of my peers who called this overblown back in 2016 slate.com/news-and-pol…

— jamelle (@jamellebouie.net) 2025-05-22T00:27:21.662Z