Eric Masten

Policy wonk & comms pro, Views are my own, posts and retweets are not necessarily endorsements.

Now on Mastodon as @[email protected].

[Eric Masten @EricMasten]

You can find me over under bluer skies with the same handle as here.

[Eric Masten @EricMasten]

Happy Pride Month!

[Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1]

BREAKING:

WASHINGTON (AP) - Divided appeals court panel rules Trump administration policy illegally banned transgender troops from military service.

[Eric Masten @EricMasten]

Meanwhile, I'm waiting to hear what Jodie Foster has to say.

[Eric Masten @EricMasten]

For gods sakes, the hotel literally built a mantrap port cochere after Hinckley tried to assassinate Reagan.

[Eric Masten @EricMasten]

I have been in the ballroom at the Hinkley Hilton that the WHCD dinner is at many times. These appear to be the stairs into the ballroom.

There is no conceivable way that someone with a weapon could have gotten anywhere near that close to the ballroom this evening.

[Nathaniel Reed @ReedReports]

NEW: EXCLUSIVE images via a @scrippsnews @EWScrippsCo staffer showing the suspected gunman at the 2026 White House Correspondents' Dinner tackled to the ground by Secret Service at the Washington Hilton.

[Eric Masten @EricMasten]

@mtamaryland @MDOTMTAHolly @AmtrakNECAlerts Yep... There's the data on the @AmtrakNECAlerts getting priority over @mtamaryland trains for minimal delays, while we're stuck with a significant one behind them.

I really hope the next Penn line operations contract from @MarylandDOT stops putting up with that BS.

[Eric Masten @EricMasten]

@mtamaryland @MDOTMTAHolly A lot longer than that; I'm sitting on what's supposed to be the 5:35 Penn line (train 440) awaiting clearance to leave the station.

Let me guess: @AmtrakNECAlerts trains are getting priority over any MARC departures.

[Eric Masten @EricMasten]

@AmtrakNECAlerts I was trying to get @mtamaryland MARC train 438 (which was cancelled), and ended up on MARC train 440.

My main point is: you only shared one delayed update here (well after MTA did), didn't follow up, and didn't give consistent information for our conductor to share with us.

[Jeff Storobinsky @JeffStorobinsky]

.@mkraju with the BREAKING NEWS that @RepTonyGonzales is resigning from Congress

That's two today, Swalwell and now Gonzalez

4.13.26

[Eric Masten @EricMasten]

🤣

[Metro Forward @wmata]

NOW AVAILABLE at https://t.co/zBqTSjN4Wb!

The Metro bed collection:

Bedtime Bus – SKU: MB-BUS003
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Each model is designed for a smooth journey to dreamland 🙂‍↕️💤🛏️ All orders ship Neveruary 1.

[Eric Masten @EricMasten]

Shout-out to Yasir and Naomi on the 2115 @Amtrak train from WAS who helped me and another passenger get north after the @mtamaryland @marctrain 2110 conductors pulled out even after seeing us on the platform in time to make the train. Great service by those Amtrak conductors!

[Eric Masten @EricMasten]

Absolutely gorgeous day to be on the Hill with the @butleru CSD students talking about professional degree loan limits.

[ASHA @ASHAWeb]

Thank you to the CSD students from @butleru College of Communication for spending the day with ASHA Advocacy on Capitol Hill urging members of Congress to better support students pursuing audiology and speech-language pathology degrees. Join their call: https://t.co/zOquQP71SZ

[ASHA Advocacy @ASHAAdvocacy]

Thanks @acialliance for partnering with us on #WorldHearingDay to build support for increasing access to hearing care for every child. Join our efforts by taking action now and encouraging Congress to pass critical legislation to help achieve that goal: https://t.co/G5fcg158HY

[Eric Masten @EricMasten]

If it street brawls like a Nazi, dresses like a Nazi, and talks like a Nazi...

[Dan Pfeiffer @danpfeiffer]

Only the finest people

[Eric Masten @EricMasten]

@pwoodreporter But do we still have phone booths (like the US Capitol campus does)?

[Eric Masten @EricMasten]

Comparing Noem to Umbridge is ridiculous. We all know Betsy DeVos has that locked in.

[Senator Thom Tillis @SenThomTillis]

A sycophant is more than just a "yes-man."

It refers to someone who acts excessively servile toward someone important in order to gain an advantage. They aren't just being nice, they are using excessive flattery, often insincerely, to get what they want, whether that's a promotion, social status or favor.

Some characteristics: The motive is self-interest. They aren't praising you because they like you; they're doing it because you have something they want. The behavior is over the top fawning, or constant agreement (including when you're wrong).

Common Synonyms: toady, flunky, bootlicker.

Some parallels for movie buffs:

Grima Wormtongue (the Stephen Miller of Lord of the Rings) is an advisor to King Theoden. He uses whispers and false flattery to control the King’s decisions, all while secretly serving Saruman. He is a classic example of a sycophant who uses his position to poison a leader's standing for his own benefit.

Dolores Umbridge (the Kristi Noem of Harry Potter) is an example of a bureaucratic sycophant. She is terrifyingly sweet while she is around those she considers her superiors and she sucks up to authority to gain the power she needs to bully those "beneath" her.

[Eric Masten @EricMasten]

We're now at the point of fascism where the regime is arresting journalists for covering protests.

[MeidasTouch @MeidasTouch]

Independent journalist Georgia Fort was also arrested by federal agents earlier for reporting on the church protest in Minneapolis. She was live streaming when agents arrived to take her into custody.

[Dreamweasel @Dreamweasel]

The 2026 Year in Review is going to be an absolute lulu

[Eric Masten @EricMasten]

JFC

[The Associated Press @AP]

At least seven explosions and low-flying aircraft were heard around 2 a.m. local time Saturday in Venezuela's capital, Caracas. https://t.co/xiQhhRvIVv