Elie Mystal

Justice Correspondent & Columnist

@ElieNYC

Elie Mystal is The Nation’s justice correspondent and a columnist. He is also an Alfred Knobler Fellow at the Type Media Center. He is the author of two books: the New York Times bestseller Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution and Bad Law: Ten Popular Laws That Are Ruining America, both published by The New Press. You can subscribe to his Nation newsletter “Elie v. U.S.” here.

Democratic presidential candidate Senator Kamala Harris, speaks during a debate on October 7, 2020, in Salt Lake City, and Republican presidential candidate former president Donald Trump speaks during a debate on June 27, 2024, in Atlanta.

How to Debate Donald Trump How to Debate Donald Trump

There’s almost no way to “win” a debate against a serially unserious liar like Trump, but if Harris can knock him off his vibe, she might stand a chance.

Sep 6, 2024 / Elie Mystal

Meet the MAGA Zealots Who Are Gunning to Become Their State’s Top Prosecutors

Meet the MAGA Zealots Who Are Gunning to Become Their State’s Top Prosecutors Meet the MAGA Zealots Who Are Gunning to Become Their State’s Top Prosecutors

The Republican Attorney Generals Association is working overtime to install authoritarian AGs across the country.

Sep 4, 2024 / Feature / Elie Mystal

Vice President Kamala Harris takes the stage alongside Andrea Campbell, who is being discussed as a possible attorney general pick.

It’s Not Too Early to Ask: Who Should Replace Merrick Garland? It’s Not Too Early to Ask: Who Should Replace Merrick Garland?

Should Kamala Harris win in November, her attorney general pick will be among her most critical cabinet appointments. Progressives should start organizing now.

Aug 30, 2024 / Elie Mystal

Judge using gavel in court (focus on foreground, blurred motion) - stock photo

The Federal Judiciary Has a Gerontocracy Problem The Federal Judiciary Has a Gerontocracy Problem

From district courts all the way up to the Supreme Court, judges are refusing to retire, holding on to power well past their prime.

Aug 28, 2024 / Elie Mystal

Protesters gather outside the Supreme Court Building on July 1, 2024, the day the court issued its decision in Donald Trump's immunity case.

This Bill Aims to Strip Trump’s Immunity—and the Supreme Court’s Power This Bill Aims to Strip Trump’s Immunity—and the Supreme Court’s Power

In a sign that Democrats are finally getting serious about reining in the Supreme Court, Senator Check Schumer has proposed the No Kings Act.

Aug 6, 2024 / Elie Mystal

Ketanji Brown Jackson

Ketanji Brown Jackson Is Redefining What It Means to Be a Liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson Is Redefining What It Means to Be a Liberal Justice

During her short time on the Supreme Court, Jackson has articulated a skepticism toward judicial power that feels particularly urgent in a post-Roe world.

Aug 5, 2024 / Feature / Elie Mystal

Donald Trump speaks with Rachel Scott, senior congressional correspondent for ABC News, during a question-and-answer session at the National Association of Black Journalists convention on July 31, 2024, in Chicago, Illinois.

The National Association of Black Journalists Made the Whitest Decision Possible The National Association of Black Journalists Made the Whitest Decision Possible

In providing a platform to Donald Trump, the NABJ opted for a totally predictable outcome—35 minutes of insults and racism.

Aug 1, 2024 / Elie Mystal

Whom Should Kamala Harris Choose as Her Running Mate?

Whom Should Kamala Harris Choose as Her Running Mate? Whom Should Kamala Harris Choose as Her Running Mate?

Nation writers make their cases for who the next Democratic vice presidential candidate should be.

Jul 31, 2024 / Jeet Heer, Alexis Grenell, Sasha Abramsky, Erica Etelson, Anthony Flaccavento, Elie Mystal, Joan Walsh, John Nichols, and Katha Pollitt

President Joe Biden speaks to attendees while commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library on July 29, 2024, in Austin, Texas.

How Biden’s Court Reform Proposals Could Work—if the Court Would Let Them How Biden’s Court Reform Proposals Could Work—if the Court Would Let Them

The president’s trio of reforms marks a worthy first step, but it doesn’t go nearly far enough to reverse the right-wing takeover of the Supreme Court.

Jul 30, 2024 / Elie Mystal

Vice President Kamala Harris stands in the Rose Garden of the White House on May 20, 2024.

Beware the People Who Claim “America Isn’t Ready for a Black Woman President” Beware the People Who Claim “America Isn’t Ready for a Black Woman President”

Even as Kamala Harris consolidates the entire Democratic Party behind her campaign, there will be people telling her she can’t win because she’s a woman of color. 

Jul 23, 2024 / Elie Mystal

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