Latest Twitter Threads by @ProfMJCleveland on Thread Reader App

Feb 1 • 4 tweets • 1 min read

I'm working on a piece tomorrow to counter all the spin on the courts refusing to issue arrest warrant against Don Lemon in first instance as somehow vindicating him. BUT I think it merits stressing WHY DOJ sought arrest warrant that way first. 1/ 2/2 DOJ feared there would be widespread copycat assaults in places of worship the following weekend unless it moved quickly to show public such behavior was illegal and would be prosecuted.

Jan 28 • 21 tweets • 6 min read

THREAD: Yesterday @EdWhelanEPPC defended Judge Schlitz for not recusing in ICE cases even though he is publicly listed as a donor to Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota. @HarmeetKDhillon called him out. 1/

2/ Ed quoted from a section of the Compendium § 4.2-3(g)), a federal appellate judge shared with him that stated: “A judge may contribute financially to legal service associations that provide counsel for the poor. A judge need not recuse merely because lawyers who accept appointments by such associations are also counsel of record in cases before that judge.”

Jan 26 • 6 tweets • 3 min read

🚨🚨🚨BREAKING: Trump wins in case where judge tried to tie hands of ICE & Border Patrol.

2/ Eight Circuit Court of Appeals held district court improperly entered an invalid nationwide injunction.

Jan 24 • 4 tweets • 3 min read

x.com/i/article/2015… 2/ Rest of complaint that wouldn't load because I reached maximum:

Jan 22 • 47 tweets • 9 min read

🧵on Smith's testimony before @Jim_Jordan. 1/ 2/ Jordan lays out at high level all efforts to "get Trump" that has been going on for 10 years. Beginning with Clinton and Steele dossier, and Comey, and impeachment one, impeachment two, Bragg, and Fani Willis.

Jan 8 • 4 tweets • 1 min read

My take from the video is that the officer did not believe the driver would go from reverse to drive and then to step on the gas to hit him. If he thought that was the plan, he would have pulled gun out while she was still reverse OR maybe would have done what Smith suggests. 1/

https://twitter.com/VigilantFox/status/2009089958645289029

2/ That's the thing with fluid, split-second, life-and-death decisions law enforcement officers must make. It's easy to say in retrospect, why not move out of the ways so she won't hit you & shoot tires knowing how things ended, but she was driving in reverse when agent

Dec 27, 2025 • 6 tweets • 2 min read

THREADETTE: Here's the important backstory to this miracle drug so folks don't learn the wrong lesson: The reason this miracle drug came into being is because pharma companies saw a huge payout, with the list price being $300,000. 1/

2/And just so you know, I have skin in the game…flesh of my flesh that skin is.

Dec 24, 2025 • 5 tweets • 2 min read

⬇️links below of some background reading on GDI. 1/

https://twitter.com/MZHemingway/status/2003643577474384369

2/ Here's a comparison of the cites they ranked as bad versus good: thefederalist.com/2023/02/14/con…

Dec 16, 2025 • 7 tweets • 3 min read

Weird, FBI didn't have time planned for spreading out the documents with fake classified cover sheets to photograph and leak to the media.

https://twitter.com/ChuckGrassley/status/2000986167899250862

2/ Oh, well, they "opined," so I guess we should raid a former president's house then.

Dec 9, 2025 • 4 tweets • 2 min read

THREADETTE: There were several telling exchanges during yesterday's SCOTUS argument in Trump v. Slaughter, but the one that struck me most was the final exchange between Justice Jackson & Slaughter's attorney. Read the full exchange below. 1/

2/ The problem is fundamental! Article I of the Constitution vests in CONGRESS the power to legislate--not unelected bureaucrats! And this ties into a second point: Jackson, Kagan, & Sotomayor all stressed Congress's "reliance interests" in creating "independent" agencies

Dec 5, 2025 • 6 tweets • 3 min read

😡😡😡ABSOLUTELY. DISGUSTING! So-called "Republican" Dan Schaetzle is smearing my brother Jamie O'Brien, who is huge MAGA (might that be why?). While a local story, Schaetzle's behavior should be make him anathema in not just politics but polite society! 1/

https://twitter.com/16NewsNow/status/1996716144372469840

/2 Also shame on @16NewsNow for pushing Schaetzle's preferred narrative that it is about my brother when more accurately Schaetzle is claiming the County never should have sought pension for ANY County Council attorneys most (all?) of whom were Dems before my brother.

Nov 11, 2025 • 4 tweets • 2 min read

Holy CRAP! A district court judge entered an injunction that allowed the states that had processed 100% of SNAP without authorization to keep the money! Trump is still seeking stay of lower court's order to fund SNAP with school lunch money. 1/

2/ Trump Administration calls out 1st Cir.'s ridiculous reasoning. This in essence is the problem:

Nov 8, 2025 • 5 tweets • 2 min read

Wow. Surprised the Trump Administration request for stay was docketed already. 1/ 2/ \25a539.htmlsupremecourt.gov/Search.aspx?Fi…

Nov 7, 2025 • 24 tweets • 8 min read

🚨BREAKING: New Jersey terrorism criminal complaint connected to foiled Dearborn Halloween plot has been unsealed. 1/

2/ Full docket: courtlistener.com/docket/7188774…

Nov 6, 2025 • 4 tweets • 2 min read

OMgosh. This judge is BONKERS! 1/

2/ Here's argument: Trump Administration can't "fix" state's incompetence or its system of distributing money. And it is ridiculous to say it is arbitrary and capricious to keep money for kids food for kids food.

Nov 5, 2025 • 14 tweets • 7 min read

THREAD on challenge to tariff: Opening this is tax. Common sense: Implausible Congress meant to let President to overhaul tariff. It is a one-way ratchet. It is a "sanction" statute, not a tariff statute.
1/

https://twitter.com/ProfMJCleveland/status/1986087718447952001

2/ Attorney: Verbs deal with embargoes but nothing about raising revenue. Many statute tariffs: Have many limits, this statute doesn't. Statutes say "tariffs" or equivalent.
Thomas: Going back to non-delegation point if, wouldn't that apply to embargoes.
Attorney: No. We aren't saying you can't delegate tariff you need to give "intelligent principles".
Justice Roberts: Foreign facing tax, but isn't that core power of Article II...and quite effective in achieving certain objectives.
Attorney: Think of this as Article I and Article II. Tariffs have foreign policy implications but founders gave that in Article I section 8 to Congress.
Justice Kavanaugh: If tariff were in the statute would that be acceptable and constitutionally permissible.
Attorney: Congress grant that authority to Presidents.
ME: WOW. He doesn't believe in non-delegation.
Justice Kavanaugh: What does Nixon stand for? Did Congress aware of that? Nixon announced in nationwide prime time speech, it wasn't a little piece of paper. Why didn't Congress change language?
Attorney: Nixon didn't rely on that statute and Nixon disagreed statute applied. The Circuit Court of Appeals decision doesn't change plain meaning. And even if Congress knew about it that doesn't help because case didn't say "unlimited authority," and use another statute. This president has torn up entire tariff architecture that Congress created.

Nov 5, 2025 • 15 tweets • 5 min read

THREAD: SCOTUS Tariff argument live summary. 1/ 2/ John Sauer opens with summary of why Trump has power, framing as foreign affairs.
Thomas: Ask why major question doctrine doesn't apply.
Sauer: In foreign affair context, you expect Congress to give major powers, since he has Article 2 power.
Justice Kagan (I think): What kind of Article 2 powers are you relying on.
Sauer: President has broad authority in foreign affairs.

Nov 4, 2025 • 4 tweets • 1 min read