Teri Kanefield Profile picture
Feb 2, 2022 27 tweets 8 min read Read on X
Person: There should be indictments by now!

Me: 768 indictments so far, including Steve Bannon and a recent indictment for seditious conspiracy. . .
in an investigation that is ongoing. . .
in less than a year, during a pandemic.

Person: NONE OF THOSE COUNT.
⤵️The Trump Org, Paul Manafort, Michael Flynn, Allen Weisselberg, George Papadopoulos, Rick Gates, George Nader, Michael Cohen, Lev Parnas. . .

Two impeachments.

The Mueller team indicted or got guilty pleas from 34 people and 3 companies.

But none of those count, right?
Wrong about what?

I've said what has happened already.
I make no future predictions.

Person #1: There have been no indictments.

Me: Yes there have been (and I list them)

Person #2: Will you admit you're wrong?

So you don't really mean "there have been no indictments," you mean, "I want them all in prison now and never allowed out."

That's fine, but say what you mean.

Indictment doesn't mean prison.
First, there's a trial, and the outcome is unpredictable.
You're wrong.
I read Garland recent speech and I said I have no reason to think he isn't telling the truth.

He made no future predictions, and either do I.

I don't hold to conspiracy theories, by which I mean . . .
. . . theories based on speculation and not grounded in facts.

The theories I've seen that Garland is incompetent or corrupt or bribed (or worse) are all speculative.

I don't know what is happening in the DOJ and either does anyone else.

I'll wait for hard evidence.
I also think that the statement, "I want them all in prison now and never allowed out" is scary and authoritarian.

Much of the indictment hysteria (I believe) is based on the misguided idea that indictments will save democracy.

If you think that, no wonder you're panicked. . .
If you think that indictments will save democracy, you might want to start with the video in my pinned tweet.

I think the way to save democracy is with more democracy.

For what I mean, see: terikanefield.com/things-to-do/
The only way to prevent this scenario is to make sure they don't win elections.

What good are indictments or prison sentences if a Republican gets into the WH and pardons them all?

So, join @MichelleObama's group and become a voting squad captain: whenweallvote.org/votingsquad/
Crazy idea: It's the doomsayers and the people shouting that there has been "no accountability" who are demoralizing people.

"I won't vote for Democrats because the DOJ didn't indict enough of those criminal Republicans" is sort of twisted, right?

Now, look, I'd love for Trump to get indicted, but I don't think will end the threat of fascism. It won't solve our most serious problems which are (1) rampant disinformation and (2) the fact that so many Republicans still support Trump and Trump-like candidates.
Precisely.

And you can see how we get a destructive-rage cycle.

🔹People believe that indictments will end fascism and sweep Republicans out of office in 2022 (It won't: getting out the vote, however, might do that.)

🔹Indictments are happening. . .

. . . but not making any difference politically.

🔹So they think the problem is there haven't been enough indictments and they are not happening fast enough.

🔹They panic and spread doom FASCISM WILL FLOURISH because not enough indictments.

🔹People get mad at Democrats. . .
. . . and they rail against Democrats for not doing that THING that will finally cause support for fascism to CRATER

🔹People think Democrats are the real problem, which makes it harder to turn out votes for Democrats

🔹People get so worn out and discouraged they shut down.
. . . and don't get involved in registering voters and getting out the vote.

🔹I personally know people who have tuned out because the constant doomsaying is so mentally exhausting.

Indictments are nothing more than a formal accusation of a crime . . .
. . . trials can become media circuses and don't always come out how we want.

There is a problem with this sentence: "We need to restore Rule of Law by putting them all in prison now and keeping them there because we know they are horrible destructive people."

See the problem?
I hope so too.

After all, hope is a thing with feathers.


Meanwhile, I found another volunteer opportunity for myself to provide legal assistance to people who are experiencing difficulties registering to vote.
Fact: Nobody named Trump has been indicted for the events surrounding Jan. 6.

Speculation: Why nobody named Trump has been indicted and whether it will happen.

Fact: Merrick Garland was sworn in almost 11 months ago.

Speculation . .
. . . what the DOJ is investigating, the timetable of those investigations, and what the results will be.

I tend to ignore questions that I don't think are asked in good faith. By good faith I mean "wants to know" instead of pushing an agenda.
This question, for example, doesn't appear to be in good faith.

For example, it assumes as facts things that are not facts.

For example, the question assumes that "the DOJ is doing nothing" is a fact. This is an untrue statement . . .
. . . because we don't actually know whether the DOJ is investigating Trump.

You're assuming that the DOJ is not investigating Trump.

In the previous tweet, I wrote "for example" too many times 😆
Also, you're accusing me of telling people it is "unacceptable to express concerns," which is rather offensive, right?

Good point. Also, I realize I was speaking generally.

With legal matters, it's harder.

Generally, if a lawyer makes a statement like "This is a slam dunk and should be prosecuted" but hasn't seen all the evidence, the lawyer doesn't really know.
We have a thing called prosecutorial discretion and prosecutorial independence.

Defense attorneys are accustomed to feeling frustrated by this.

Basically it means that the prosecutor decides whether to prosecute. (Defense lawyers often think they got it wrong).
In an autocracy, the autocrat decides who to prosecute.

In an era of mob rule (lynchings) the mob decides. Mobs bypass tiresome rules and procedures because they think the horribleness of the person justifies it.

As our rule-of-law system is designed, the prosecutor decides.
Someone said to me "The DOJ should throw us a bone."

If 760+ indictments and an ongoing investigation isn't enough of a bone, read this:
justice.gov/opa/speech/att…

This is Garland's way of throwing a bone and teaching people how rule of law works.
People ask: "Isn't this enough evidence to prosecute this crime?"

Well, I don't know. Is there complicating exculpatory evidence that we don't know about? Is there a reason not to bring that particular indictment yet? Perhaps the investigators aren't ready to tip their hands.

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More from @Teri_Kanefield

Oct 4, 2025
I finished that thing I've been writing.

It looks like I've taken on some big questions.

I've drawn on the work scholars from different fields, including @dannagal, @karen_stenner, and
@LeorZmigrod

1/

terikanefield.com/whyextremismha…
It's sort of long for a blog post. Maybe it’s really a short book.

I asked it, “What do you want to be?” It hasn’t answered, so for now, it’s a blog post.



2/terikanefield.com/whyextremismha…
The conclusions are what I've been trying to say for a long time, but now (I hope) explained better and with more context.

I hope someone finds it interesting and helpful.

3/terikanefield.com/whyextremismha…
Read 4 tweets
Aug 30, 2025
Okay, whew. I've been writing. Some light summer beach reading . . . NOT

I begin with The authoritarian personality, some politics, a story I’ve told before.

I need this because the new stuff requires context, so please stick with me . . .

1/
terikanefield.com/heres-why/
I add new research, new conclusions, and venture into new territory including existence pain and the role of the artist.

Special thanks to @karen_stenner and @LeorZmigrod who helped me pull it together.

Link:

2/ terikanefield.com/heres-why/Image
@karen_stenner @LeorZmigrod also quoted, cited, or critiqued:

Adorno, Theodor
Arendt, Hannah
Chinoy, Sahil
Coleridge, Samuel
Doestoevsky, Fydor
Frenkel-Brunswik, Else
Haidt, Jonathan @JonHaidt
Hand, Learned
Kanai, Ryota
Merritt, Eli
Ledroit, Stephanie . . .

3/
Read 4 tweets
Apr 29, 2024
Everyone will have a different opinion of the strength of the Manhattan criminal case against Trump.

I am offering no opinions on the strength or who will prevail.

I am saying that people are working too hard to explain the case and figure out the legal theory.

1/
The prosecution has everyone confused because they are framing the case as "election fraud" and "election interference" so everyone is trying to connect the crimes we know about to "election fraud."

2/

terikanefield.com/wheres-the-bee…
The legal theory of the case should be clear.

This would be clear: "It is election fraud. Here is how the evidence will support a charge of election fraud." Then show how the behavior supports election fraud.

Does this mean the prosecution will lose? No.

3/
Read 10 tweets
Mar 11, 2024
Finished. (Whew)

As promised, all about Legal pundits and the Outrage Industry, with a few cherished conspiracy theories carefully debunked.

Click here to start:

For years, I was perplexed by what I saw on Twitter. . .

1/ terikanefield.com/can-democracy-…
Image
It seemed to me that the dynamics of social media were making people more authoritarian.

Then I started reading experts in political communication and it all started making sense.


2/ terikanefield.com/can-democracy-…
Image
I wrote parts 1 - 5 in November. I thought I was finished, but I wasn't.

There were still things I didn't understand.

Writers often write to understand, so I kept reading, thinking, and writing.



3/ terikanefield.com/can-democracy-…
Image
Read 5 tweets
Mar 9, 2024
Whew! I finished.



Everything I promised: How to listen (or not listen) to legal pundits.

It's also about what is dangerous about the entire industry of punditry, speculation, and cable talk shows.

1/terikanefield.com/invented-narra…

For years I was perplexed by what I was seeing on left-leaning Twitter, political blogs, and partisan reporting.

I had the feeling that, in its way, what I was seeing was comparable to Fox: Lots of bad information and even unhinged conspiracy theories.
2terikanefield.com/invented-narra…
Of course, if I suggested that, I was blasted for "both-sidesing."

Then I discovered an area of scholarship: Communications and the overlap between communications and political science.

I read these books and light bulbs went on.

3/ Image
Read 11 tweets
Mar 2, 2024
If Trump can win with everything we know about him, what make people think a finding of guilt would change that?

It makes no sense.
Also what if the jury acquits? It can happen.

I do recall the same people thought impeachment and indictment would cause Trump to crumble.
Another contradiction: when people demanded indictments RIGHT NOW (in 2021 and early 2022) the reason was, "Everyone knows he's guilty! Look at all the evidence!"

We saw the J6 committee findings.

Trump isn't saying "I didn't do it." He's saying, "I had the right to do it."

2
We all know what he did. The question is, "Do people want a president who acts like Trump?"

A lot of people do.

People show me polls that a guilty finding would change minds.

I say rubbish. Use common sense. He lost in 2020 and he lost the popular vote in 2016. . .

3/
Read 6 tweets

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