Olivia of Troye

11h

Great joining @jimacosta.bsky.social today! Now we’re heading to the James Talarico rally this evening, where we’ll be streaming live. Hope you’ll tune in!

Tossed ballots. Hegseth’s staff damaging a historic Pentagon globe. Bird flu warnings ignored. And a Trump loyalist under DOJ investigation. Just another week in America. Meanwhile, Election Day is 10 days away, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. ☕️

livingitwitholiviatroye.comSaturday Covfefe: Accidents HappenTossed ballots. A broken globe. A bird flu outbreak no one’s testing. And one birthday pup.

From threats to our elections to troubling decisions inside DHS, the Pentagon, and public health agencies, there’s a lot we can’t afford to ignore. But there are also Americans stepping up to protect our democracy. And that’s worth remembering. Read more:

livingitwitholiviatroye.comThe Pentagon Just Approved Lending Its “Heat Ray” to DHS. Here’s Why That Should Worry You.The military never used it in combat. Now U.S. Customs and Border Protection may use it at home.

Two weeks ago, @jimacosta.bsky.social broke the story about DHS potentially using a military-grade “heat ray.” I joined him to discuss the risks. Today, CNN reports the Pentagon authorized DHS to test it. Having worked at DHS and the Pentagon, I find this horrific and deeply concerning.

cnn.comPentagon grants DHS permission to test heat ray weapon for potential use at border | CNN PoliticsThe Pentagon has given the Department of Homeland Security permission to test a military-grade heat ray and develop tactics to potentially use it in operations at the southern US border, according to ...

Glad to see CNN reporting on this. @jimacosta.bsky.social and I raised concerns about DHS potentially using a military-grade “heat ray.” After 20+ years in national security, I find this deeply troubling. A weapon designed to inflict intense pain. Against civilians? Why does DHS need this?

Someone came through my neighborhood in the middle of the night, leaving flyers with a DHS seal and the real ICE tip line on cars. My mom, a naturalized U.S. citizen, read one and felt afraid. Early voting is underway. The midterms are just two weeks away. Who is trying to scare people, and why?

livingitwitholiviatroye.comThe Voting Has Started. So Has the Intimidation. Here's What to Watch For.How anonymous flyers, federal voter-data demands, and election misinformation are spreading fear ahead of November.

DHS denies involvement. Police are investigating. But what happened on my street isn’t the only warning sign. From voter intimidation to federal demands for voter data, there’s a lot at stake this November. Don’t let fear keep you from the ballot box. Keep voting. Read my latest piece: 👇

youtube.com'It's horrifying!': Fmr. GOP advisor slams Trump 'siding' with PutinYouTube video by MS NOW

15 days until the midterms, and a lot to unpack. I joined @peteralexandertvs.bsky.social on State of Play on MS NOW this morning with @juliacurlee.bsky.social to discuss national security, election security ahead of the midterms, and the latest out of the White House.

Olivia of Troye reposted

Julia Curlee

@juliacurlee.bsky.social

Rubio confirms talk of a Trump–Putin–Xi summit on Ukraine’s future. Zelenskyy isn’t invited. The U.S. using intel support as leverage. Great powers carving up a democracy over its head isn’t peace. It’s Yalta. I joined @peteralexandertvs.bsky.social and @oliviaoftroye.com on MSNOW’s State of Play:

No Kings at the Lincoln Memorial! Thank you to everyone who showed up and made your voices heard! We march together. We stand together. And we dance!🎶 Made a new friend!🫏💃 Go VOTE! Vote early!

livingitwitholiviatroye.comSaturday Covfefe: Cut the Services. Threaten the Critics.Trump's government cuts are hitting home, his rhetoric is escalating, and the consequences go well beyond Washington.

Trump says leakers should be shot. A Duke study finds Fox News attacks other news outlets roughly every 15 minutes. The protests may be over. The reasons behind them aren’t. Five stories. No foam. No filter.

Amazing day at the No Kings, No Trump Arch rally in Arlington! Great turnout, incredible energy, and an unforgettable moment as we took over the Memorial Bridge, marching together into DC to the Lincoln Memorial. More from today’s march coming soon!

wtop.com‘Anti-immigration’ flyers placed on cars in Alexandria neighborhood; Community worries it may discourage voting – WTOP NewsA neighborhood in Alexandria, Virginia, woke up to "anti-immigration" flyers on their car windshields.

This happened in my own neighborhood. Anti-immigrant flyers with misleading voting claims and a DHS logo were left on our cars. DHS denies involvement. Who’s behind this? And where else across America is this happening just weeks before the election? We deserve answers.

What is Trump offering Putin as he announces a Russian diesel deal? Sanctions relief. Pressure on Ukraine to stop striking Russian refineries. All weeks before the midterms. I’ve seen how deals like this take shape. The real question is what America is giving up behind closed doors.

livingitwitholiviatroye.comTrump’s Russia Deals. Ukraine’s Bill.Russian diesel. Sanctions relief. Another election. What’s the deal, and what will Americans pay?

How’s Trump’s “energy ceasefire” going? Russia hit Ukrainian energy infrastructure after his announcement. What did Putin agree to, and what are Americans getting in return? My latest Deep Dive follows the deal & the connections:

Olivia of Troye reposted

open.substack.comThe Pentagon Just Approved Lending Its “Heat Ray” to DHS. Here’s Why That Should Worry You.The military never used it in combat. Now U.S. Customs and Border Protection may use it at home.

Replying to @oliviaoftroye.com

I spent years working at the Pentagon and on homeland security. The prospect of a military-developed weapon designed to inflict intense pain being operated by DHS on American soil raises serious red flags. What safeguards prevent its misuse by CBP or potentially ICE? Here’s why I’m concerned.👇

Olivia of Troye reposted

Dennis "dejay" Koch

@dennisjkoch.bsky.social

The Pentagon Just Approved Lending Its “Heat Ray” to DHS. Here’s Why That Should Worry You. The military never used it in combat. Now U.S. Customs and Border Protection may use it at home. @oliviaoftroye.com #USA #Trump #uspoli open.substack.com/pub/welivedi...

open.substack.comEXCLUSIVE: Leaked DOD Memo Reveals Controversial “Heat Ray” Weapon Approved for Use in Trump Border CrackdownA DOD memo dated in September states an “Active Denial System” - a non-lethal but painful directed energy weapon - had been authorized for Customs and Border Protection operations.

A weapon developed for war and designed to inflict intense pain has been approved for loan to federal law enforcement on American soil. The Pentagon authorized the heat ray for DHS. Could ICE get access? Could it be used against migrants or Americans exercising First Amendment rights? Who decides?

Joining @lauracoates.com on CNN tonight during the 11 PM ET hour! Lots to discuss. Hope you’ll tune in!

Olivia of Troye reposted

Jim Acosta

@jimacosta.bsky.social

EXCLUSIVE: Leaked DOD Memo Reveals Controversial “Heat Ray” Weapon Approved for Use in Trump Border Crackdown open.substack.com/pub/jimacost...

My fellow panelists and I getting ready for last night’s taping of Al Jazeera’s Head to Head! Always great to be with @mehdirhasan.bsky.social, and even better to be part of a panel that isn’t afraid to call out the nonsense. Can’t wait for you all to see it!

Bedrooms. Marble showers. A bar. DHS spent hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars on planes under Kristi Noem, bypassing competition because the need was supposedly “urgent.” Most of the planes then largely sat idle. What happened to rooting out waste and fraud?

livingitwitholiviatroye.comWhen “Urgency” Becomes a DHS Contracting ShortcutKristi Noem wants a retraction. Taxpayers should want the receipts.✈️

Why these planes? Why these prices? Why this contractor? And who approved it? Kristi Noem wants a retraction. Taxpayers should want the receipts. I dug into it in my latest Deep Dive:

An FBI agent contemplating Election Day: “I’m either gonna be sick that day or they are going to have to fire me.” We’re weeks from the midterms. Kash Patel is running the FBI. Having worked alongside Patel, this has my attention…

livingitwitholiviatroye.comSaturday Covfefe: What Is Kash Patel Preparing for on Election Day?Inside the FBI, agents are worried. Plus: a revolt brewing in farm country.

And that’s just #1. A Farm Bureau revolt. The Postal Service nearly becoming an election gatekeeper. And a Kennedy Center financial mess. Five things worth knowing before the next headline takes over.👇

Yesterday, Pete Hegseth spent part of his “State of the Force” speech focused on culture wars. Then he announced a 20% cut to America’s top military leaders. That’s not a small change, and I have a lot of questions about how this could impact our national security.

livingitwitholiviatroye.comIran Is Talking to American Voters. Trump Is Talking to Xi.The speeches are over. The national security questions they left behind are not.

Iran is talking to American voters. Trump was talking to Xi. So what did America actually get from a week of meetings, negotiations and diplomacy? There were real outcomes. But some of the biggest national security questions are still unanswered. My latest Deep Dive 👇

Parts of one of America’s most advanced fighter jets ended up in Hong Kong. China reportedly has them. Xi Jinping just left Washington after a state visit with Trump. So…did anyone ask him about the F-35 parts?

livingitwitholiviatroye.comSaturday Covfefe: How Did F-35 Parts End Up in China’s Hands?Martial law talk. Midterms. Missing ICE detainees. What exactly is going on here?

ICE detainees are disappearing from a public locator. A new election-security plan arrived 40 days before the midterms. And déjà vu: Trump is once again hearing from outsiders with some very dangerous ideas. This time? Martial law. 5 things worth knowing before the next insane headline takes over.👇

There’s a storm brewing, but that harvest moon on its way is majestic. There is still hope. There is still light.

Olivia of Troye reposted

David Corn

@davidcorn.bsky.social

Free Spirit | Broken Heart

Today is pub day for my book, "HOW RUSSIA WON: Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and the Fight for America." Please watch this video and pass it on. It's time to reclaim the Trump-Russia narrative and recognize Putin is continuing his years-long war on America and Trump is complicit. HowRussiaWon.com

Olivia of Troye reposted

@sunny72.bsky.social

“Before you decide none of this has much to do with your life, it does. What happens this week can eventually show up in the price you pay for gas, how prepared we are when the next pandemic hits, and the rules being written around AI…”👇

Olivia of Troye@oliviaoftroye.com

There’s a lot more happening at the UN General Assembly than what you see from the podium. I’ve worked UNGA from the inside, so I know to watch what happens around the speeches. With Trump, Mamdani, Iran, Ukraine and China all in the mix, there’s a lot happening behind the scenes. 👇

A little UNGA history, some behind-the-scenes chaos, and what’s unfolding now. Read the Deep Dive:

livingitwitholiviatroye.comForget the Speeches. Here’s What Really Happens at the UN General AssemblyI ran UNGA week for the Vice President for two years. What you see from the podium is only part of the story.

19 Sept

The Pentagon is recruiting from immigrant communities while ICE detains military families. At least 52 parents & spouses of active-duty troops have been detained, even as the military recruits more green-card holders. Yes, both are happening at the same time. Quite the recruitment strategy.

livingitwitholiviatroye.comSaturday Covfefe: Greenland Gets a Deal. MS NOW Gets Locked Out.Press bans, Arctic power, war crimes, and Canada’s European option.

19 Sept

Meanwhile, CNN & MS NOW journalists were denied entry to the White House. And then there’s Greenland. Five stories you should know before the next “Wait, he did what?” hits your feed.

18 Sept

Trump bans CNN, MS NOW & Politico from the White House. Says more could follow. The First Amendment doesn’t have an “unless the president gets pissed off” exception. This is America. Not Putin’s Russia.

FBI Director Kash Patel was asked today if agents could be sent to polling places this November. He wouldn't rule it out.

livingitwitholiviatroye.comWhistleblower Sounds Alarm on DHS Voter HuntWhat federal employees were reportedly told to do.

Meanwhile, a DHS whistleblower is raising alarms about a separate voter fraud effort: bad data, citizens wrongly flagged, methods employees called out as unlawful. Latest Deep Dive:

Reba McEntire honoring Dolly Parton by singing “Appalachian Memories” at the Emmy Awards…and just like that, my heart hurts.

livingitwitholiviatroye.comSaturday Covfefe: Who Do You Trust?Trust is tanking. Your glasses are watching. And AI is getting smarter.

12 Sept

Police departments are quietly warning each other about a new security threat. It's not a weapon. It's a pair of glasses…

youtu.beOn 9/11, I Was Just Trying to Get HomeYouTube video by Olivia of Troye

11 Sept

I spent this morning with Jim Acosta marking 25 years since 9/11. I was evacuated from the Capitol that day and later walked past the burning Pentagon trying to get home. 25 years later, I’m reflecting on how that day shaped the path I took. My full reflection:

Olivia of Troye reposted

Stephanie Miller

@stephaniemiller.bsky.social

10 Sept

Thursday! Karl Frisch, Dr. Redlener, Jill Wine-Banks & Olivia Troye! Join us 9a-12n ET! Radio: SiriusXM Progress 127 TV: Free Speech TV on Roku / AppleTV / SlingTV / AmazonFireTV Streaming: WCPT 820 - Chicago's Progressive Talk on TuneIn Video: PoliticalVoicesNetwork.com

10 Sept

On 9/11, I was evacuated from the Capitol. Hours later, I walked past the burning Pentagon, trying to get home. I didn’t know it then, but that walk would shape the next 25 years of my life. Do you remember where you were that day? Never forget.

livingitwitholiviatroye.comI Was Just Trying to Get HomeOn September 11, 2001, I walked past the burning Pentagon. Twenty-five years later, I am still reckoning with where that walk took me, and where America goes from here.

10 Sept

This is the most personal piece I’ve ever written. On 9/11, I Was Just Trying to Get Home👇

7 Sept

Great time in Harrisonburg at the VA Dems Labor Day Banquet! 💙 Great to see Sen. Mark Warner and especially fun sharing the event with my friend @jimacosta.bsky.social, back in his JMU stomping grounds. Virginia is ready. 🇺🇸

livingitwitholiviatroye.comSaturday Covfefe: Wait, They Can Do That?Secret government gigs, CDC déjà vu, and the feds want your REI shopping history.

5 Sept

The CDC updated its national measles tracker Friday. Pennsylvania’s two reported deaths are still missing. I watched Trump & his team pressure the CDC from inside the White House in 2020. I know what it looks like when politics starts colliding with public health. Déjà vu, anyone?👇