Elie Mystal

Justice Correspondent & Columnist

@ElieNYC

Elie Mystal is The Nation’s justice correspondent and the host of its legal podcast, Contempt of Court. He is also an Alfred Knobler Fellow at the Type Media Center. His first book is the New York Times bestseller Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution, published by The New Press. Elie can be followed @ElieNYC.

President Joe Biden walks out of Nantucket Bookworks with son Hunter Biden, grandson Beau and daughter-in-law Melissa Cohen Biden in Nantucket, Massachusetts, on November 29, 2024.

OF COURSE Joe Biden Was Right to Pardon His Son OF COURSE Joe Biden Was Right to Pardon His Son

People need to stop asking Democrats to play by different rules than Republicans, and they need to stop asking Biden to be a worse father than any of us would be in his place.

Dec 6, 2024 / Elie Mystal

A transgender rights supporter takes part in a rally outside of the US Supreme Court Building as the high court hears arguments in a case on gender-affirming care on December 4, 2024.

The Supreme Court’s Hearing on Trans Rights Was Bigotry Masquerading as Law The Supreme Court’s Hearing on Trans Rights Was Bigotry Masquerading as Law

The conservative majority spent much of the oral arguments for US v. Skrmetti trying to erase the trans community.

Dec 5, 2024 / Elie Mystal

Former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi speaks before Republican presidential nominee former president Donald Trump at a campaign rally at First Horizon Coliseum, November 2, 2024, in Greensboro, North Carolina.

The Silver Lining of the Pam Bondi Nomination The Silver Lining of the Pam Bondi Nomination

While Bondi is a Trump loyalist who will do real damage, she won’t be as dangerous as one of the Federalist Society ideologues who might have gotten the post.

Nov 26, 2024 / Elie Mystal

US Representative Matt Gaetz, Republican of Florida, speaks during the third day of the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 17, 2024.

Matt Gaetz Is the Best Possible Outcome for Attorney General Matt Gaetz Is the Best Possible Outcome for Attorney General

The man is a preposterous pick who will almost certainly do terrible things—just not as terrible as what a savvier prosecutor would do.

Nov 14, 2024 / Elie Mystal

US Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor during the celebration of Women's Day at the Constitutional Court on March 4, 2024, in Madrid, Spain.

Should Sonia Sotomayor Retire Before January 20? Should Sonia Sotomayor Retire Before January 20?

The difference between what the answer should be—and what it will be—tells you almost everything you need to know about today’s Democratic Party.

Nov 13, 2024 / Elie Mystal

Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Van Andel Arena on November 5, 2024, in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

There’s No Denying It Anymore: Trump Is Not a Fluke—He’s America There’s No Denying It Anymore: Trump Is Not a Fluke—He’s America

The United States chose Donald Trump in all his ugliness and cruelty, and the country will get what it deserves.

Nov 7, 2024 / Elie Mystal

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden on October 27, 2024, in New York City.

That “Little Secret” Between Trump and Johnson? Here’s What It Could Mean. That “Little Secret” Between Trump and Johnson? Here’s What It Could Mean.

The “secret” almost certainly involves a plan to install Trump in the White House if he loses the election—but this plan could be even worse than you think.

Oct 30, 2024 / Elie Mystal

This Anti-Immigrant Ruling by a Trump Judge Tells You All You Need to Know

This Anti-Immigrant Ruling by a Trump Judge Tells You All You Need to Know This Anti-Immigrant Ruling by a Trump Judge Tells You All You Need to Know

For judges like Trevor McFadden, the cruelty toward immigrants is not only the point, it’s the source of the pleasure.

Oct 29, 2024 / Column / Elie Mystal

Elon Musk awarded Kristine Fishell with a $1 million check during the town hall at the Roxain Theater on October 20, 2024, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Elon Musk Is Committing a Crime—but It Doesn’t Matter Because He’s Rich Elon Musk Is Committing a Crime—but It Doesn’t Matter Because He’s Rich

Musk and his PAC are effectively paying people in swing states to register to vote, and that is a clear violation of federal law.

Oct 25, 2024 / Elie Mystal

A sign welcoming patients from East Texas is displayed in the waiting area of the Women's Reproductive Clinic, which provides legal medication abortion services, in Santa Teresa, New Mexico.

A Plot to Legalize Abortion Travel Bans Takes Root in Texas A Plot to Legalize Abortion Travel Bans Takes Root in Texas

This November, Amarillo will vote on an ordinance that could turn the city into a “sanctuary for the unborn” —and tee up a legal case with the Trumpiest of Trump judges.

Oct 17, 2024 / Elie Mystal

x