The Felon Targets Free Speech...Again
This edition dives into threats against free speech on campuses and looming economic tariff crises.
How did I start my morning on Tuesday? By learning that the convicted felon was targeting free speech—again—on college campuses. I’ll spare you the screenshot but he’s threatening all federal funding for colleges, schools, or universities that allow illegal protests. He wrote that agitators will be imprisoned or deported.
If you think it can’t get worse, he goes as far as threatening expulsion and arrests of AMERICAN STUDENTS. Since when was he put in charge of American colleges and universities? This is not how any of this works! One more thing: no masks. I guess the KKK will be similarly impacted, nu?
Is he talking about anti-Israel protests or is he referring to the many protests that are happening right now because he has been dismantling the U.S. Constitution since stepping back into office? If it’s the former, I personally disagree with those protests but if they are showing support for terrorists (Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis, etc.) and intimidating Jewish students as they did for much of 2024, universities need to hold them accountable for their actions.
The First Amendment protects the right to assemble. However, it doesn’t protect all speech and expressive conduct and that’s what is important to remember here.
According to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, here’s a rundown of what the First Amendment doesn’t protect:
Violence
True threats and intimidation
Incitement
Discriminatory harassment
Heckler’s veto
Anyone—in theory—would be fine as long as they don’t do any of the above. But then again, we’ve seen how the felon went so far as to attack the First Amendment right to freedom of assembly during the George Floyd protests and clear out Lafayette Square in early June 2020. Remember his photo op in front of the St. John’s Episcopal Church? Who is stopping him from doing something similar in a city where he has no legal right to do so? We’ve seen how NYPD say that they couldn’t even step foot on a private university campus unless explicitly asked by the administration!
Tariff Fallouts
After another day of the market sliding, perhaps the administration got the message. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told Fox Business that compromises with Canada and Mexico could be announced tomorrow. This isn’t some kind of game. We’re talking about the American economy here and both lives and jobs are at stake! What happened to the agreements that were announced a month ago, leading to the tariffs being put on pause. Is that not enough?
Meanwhile, in another sign that the 1930s are back in the worst way possible, the International Chamber of Commerce has warned the tariff wars could spark another Great Depression. The 1930s were bad enough.
“Our deep concern is that this could be the start of a downward spiral that puts us in 1930s trade-war territory,” said Andrew Wilson, deputy secretary-general of the ICC, which promotes global business and trade. High tariffs on foreign goods imported into the U.S. in that decade contributed to a damaging global recession. The downturn plunged nearly a third of the global workforce into unemployment and slashed production at heavyweight industrial economies Germany and the U.S. by half, according to research from the International Monetary Fund.
What Is Fox News Telling Him?
Honda is not moving products from Mexico to Indiana in order to avoid the tariffs. They are already producing Civics in Indiana!
Sixteen American banks already operate in Canada.
Republicans Want to End Town Halls
What is it that they say? If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. According to Politico, NRCC chair Rep. Richard Hudson told House Republicans to stop holding down halls because of the backlash in response to cuts, firings, freezes, etc.
Backyard Chickens
Is anyone in the felon’s admin thinking seriously about anything? Or is this a case of thinking outside the box? In any event, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins offered advice while appearing on Fox and Friends Weekend: “People are sort of looking around thinking, ‘Wow, well maybe I can get a chicken in my backyard,’ and it’s awesome.” Senator Chuck Schumer dismissed it as a solution. Nothing would stop backyard chickens from getting bird flu either. Plus, some of us can’t even raise chickens in our yards because we live in apartment buildings that don’t have yards!
IRS Downsizing
I feel sorry for accountants and their clients. This is going to make it impossible to get any work done, let alone get in touch with an actual human being at the IRS. I’ve heard horror stories and that’s just BEFORE the downsizing even begins. It’s bad enough that 7,000 probationary employees were let go in February!
You Say You’ll Change the Constitution
Sen. Lindsey Graham forgot he made an oath to defend the Constitution because he’s now on record as supporting the felon’s run for president in 2028. People think the man is joking about wanting a third term but I don’t think he is.
Another Loss For The Admin in the Courts
The felon’s admin received another loss in the court system. This time, it’s the Supreme Court issuing an unsigned order regarding the current lawsuit from USAID contractors seeking payment. The Court ruled in a 5-4 decision.
Given that the deadline in the challenged order has now passed, and in light of the ongoing preliminary injunction proceedings, the District Court should clarify what obligations the Government must fulfill to ensure compliance with the temporary restraining order, with due regard for the feasibility of any compliance timelines. The order heretofore entered by THE CHIEF JUSTICE is vacated.
Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh dissented.