Trump is continuing to arrest political opponents for thought crimes and Reddit, Valve, Discord, and Twitch were summoned to testify over “radicalization”.
Yesterday, we reported on Trump silencing Jimmy Kimmel for thought crimes after his sycophants pressured the networks to cancel his show. This as Trump filed another frivolous lawsuit against the New York Times and contemplating labelling the pride flag as a symbol for domestic terror.
While all of that was quite the wave of oppression, it seems that the fascist dictator isn’t done yet in oppressing the American people. 15 officials in New York were arrested as part of the latest purge of opposition to the Trump regime. Some were arrested for inspecting a facility where people have been detained as part of the regimes racist campaign to crack down on anyone not looking white while others were arrested for holding signs in a public space. From Wired:
Police arrested more than a dozen New York state and city elected officials Thursday at 26 Federal Plaza, the Manhattan immigration court and an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office, many as they pressed to gain access to the building’s 10th-floor lockup, where recent court rulings—including a temporary restraining order—directed ICE not to cram immigrants into overcrowded, unsanitary conditions.
The lawmakers and other officials, arrested around 3:45 pm local time, say they were “attempting to conduct oversight” following claims that people appearing for court hearings were being confined for hours or days without proper food, medical care, or contact with attorneys.
A spokesperson for New York City comptroller Brad Lander’s office told WIRED by phone that Lander and 10 other elected officials were denied access and then arrested while “engaged in an action on the 10th floor of 26 Federal Plaza, where ICE inhumanely detains thousands of immigrant New Yorkers.” Lander was previously arrested at the same facility in June while accompanying a migrant man whom ICE targeted with arrest.
A joint press release issued by New York officials in the aftermath lists the electeds among those arrested:
- NYC comptroller Brad Lander
- State senator Julia Salazar
- State senator Jabari Brisport
- State senator Gustavo Rivera
- Assembly member Robert Carroll
- Assembly member Emily Gallagher
- Assembly member Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas
- Assembly member Marcela Mitaynes
- Assembly member Claire Valdez
- Assembly member Tony Simone
- Assembly member Steven Raga
- Public advocate Jumaane Williams
- Assembly member Phara Souffrant-Forrest
- Council member Sandy Nurse
- Council member Tiffany Caban
At least some officials, according to Lander’s office, had been released at the time of writing. The final four on the list were arrested outside the facility, reportedly by the New York City Police Department. Dozens of New Yorkers who had gathered, holding signs and chanting “ICE out of NY,” were also arrested, officials said. A follow-up demonstration was planned for 6 pm ET at Foley Square, a longtime rallying point for immigrant rights protests in the heart of Manhattan’s Civic Center neighborhood.
So, thought crimes did play a role in some of the arrests at least.
While political opponents are continuing to get arrested for refusing to bow down to glorious leader Trump, it seems that the crackdown didn’t even end there. In the aftermath of the killing of Charlie Kirk by a presumed fellow MAGA faithful, far right extremists are continuing to try and re-write the facts and claim that the assassin was someone from a left leaning persuasion. This in the far rights quest to ignite civil war and gun down all who they consider impure. Part of the narrative is that not only is the gunman a member of “the left”, but that he was radicalized by video games and chat rooms as well. Obviously, there is no evidence to support that, but evidence and facts matter little to the far right movement.
So, in the quest to further the purge of all thought crimes in America, right wing lawmakers have summoned Reddit, Valve, Discord, and Twitch to answer questions about so-called “radicalization”. From Engadget:
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) has asked the CEOs of Discord, Twitch, Valve and Reddit to testify at a hearing on online radicalization. The hearing will be held on October 8, 2025, and is in direct response to the assassination of political activist Charlie Kirk, an event some have tried to connect to the online communities the alleged shooter, Tyler Robinson, participated in.
“Congress has a duty to oversee the online platforms that radicals have used to advance political violence,” Comer shared in the press release announcing the hearing. “To prevent future radicalization and violence, the CEOs of Discord, Steam, Twitch, and Reddit must appear before the Oversight Committee and explain what actions they will take to ensure their platforms are not exploited for nefarious purposes.”
While the article notes that this sort of hearing technically isn’t new, the context for all of this happening is definitely concerning. Hopefully, nothing nefarious comes from this, but given how motivated right wing politicians are these days to find more ways to crack down on thought crimes in America, it would be a bit surprising if nothing comes from such a hearing. After all, there’s an active scapegoat hunt going on right now and we are well past the point of basing legislation on reality at this point.
Drew Wilson on Mastodon, Twitter and Facebook.
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confused sideways look
Gamers who went over to the right wing over the years bc of leftist/identity politics (real or ragebait or otherwise), now realizing the other side also hates us.
honestly isnt the first time these CEOs, except for valve, have been requested for something like this. and while talks do happen it usually is a whole lot of nothing. hope its the same this time.