cover of episode Trump's Crackdown on Dissent

Trump's Crackdown on Dissent

2025/3/11
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The hosts discuss Trump's recent actions against dissent, including ICE arresting a protest leader, cutting grants to Columbia University, and implementing executive orders that target specific groups. They explore the implications of these moves on free speech and the potential political motivations behind them.
  • Trump's administration detained Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia protest leader, without charges.
  • The government cut $400 million in grants to Columbia University citing anti-Semitism.
  • Executive orders aim to exclude certain groups from student loan relief and federal contracts.
  • Trump's actions are seen as an assault on free speech.
  • The administration's moves are seen as part of a broader pattern to chill dissent.
  • There is concern about the potential for similar actions against other legal residents.
  • Debate exists within conservative circles about the legality and morality of these actions.
  • Trump's actions are compared to historical crackdowns on dissent in other countries.

Shownotes Transcript

The price of eggs is still high, the stock market is sinking, but Donald Trump is fulfilling at least one campaign promise: using the power of the government to punish those who disagree with him. ICE arrests one of the leaders of the campus protests at Columbia—a legal permanent resident—and sends him to a detention facility, while the administration strips $400 million in grants and contracts for the university itself. And, with a pair of executive orders, Trump seeks to withhold student loan relief from people who help undocumented immigrants, provide gender-affirming care for minors, or run DEI programs—and he bans a prominent Democratic-affiliated law firm from even entering federal buildings. Meanwhile, Trump refuses to say whether we should expect a recession, more juicy reporting emerges of the Cabinet and Elon Musk meeting last week, and Democrats squabble over how to respond to it all. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy discuss Trump's crackdown on dissent, whether he can be swayed by political pressure, and how Democrats should aim for authenticity rather than the latest meme when making their case. Then, Lovett catches up with Bernie Sanders on the Michigan leg of his "Fight Oligarchy" tour.