Domestic Terrorism Targeting Tesla, Trump Cracking Down on Title IX Violations: AM Update 3/20
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Good morning, everyone. I'm Megyn Kelly. It's Thursday, March 20th, 2025, and this is your AM Update. Please don't vandalize, don't ever vandalize Tesla vehicles. And so, uh...

High-profile Democrats egg on anti-Tesla behavior as acts of vandalism against the electric car company sweep the nation. The battle to deport Columbia University student agitator Mahmoud Khalil finds a venue for its court fight. Multiple teachers all came into the girls' locker room, making them change into uniforms.

A mom files a civil rights complaint on behalf of her 13-year-old daughter, allegedly forced to change in front of a biological male at school. And Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is in hot water. All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM Update. Aren't you tired of the corporate media prioritizing certain narratives over the facts? I was too, and that's why we started this show, to have real conversations full of tough questions to get to the truth.

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The DOJ investigating increased attacks on Tesla dealerships, charging stations and vehicles as acts of domestic terrorism. Attorney General Pam Bondi releasing a statement on Tuesday reading in part, quote, the DOJ has already charged several perpetrators with that meaning terror in mind, including in cases that involve charges with five year mandatory minimum sentences.

Since Doge, unofficially headed by Elon Musk, began slashing waste, fraud and abuse, the car company also owned by Musk, now the target of waves of vandalism. Musk responding to the attacks on Tuesday night. Tesla is a peaceful company. We've never done anything harmful. I've never done anything awful. I've only done productive things.

There's some kind of mental illness thing going on here because this doesn't make any sense. I think there are larger forces at work as well. I mean, I don't know who's funding it and who's coordinating it. The reason we're seeing this extreme amount of hatred and violence is because we're actually succeeding in getting rid of corruption and waste. If we weren't succeeding in getting rid of corruption and waste, they wouldn't care.

On Tuesday in Las Vegas, at least five vehicles destroyed by fire with at least three rounds fired at a Tesla store. The assailant spray-painting the word resist in red across the storefront.

Last month, a transgender activist, Lucy Grace Nelson, a biological male, arrested on charges of malicious destruction of property. Nelson accused of throwing Molotov cocktails at vehicles at a Colorado Tesla dealership and spray painting Nazi cars on the building. Similar attacks reported across at least 10 states and in other countries like England and Germany.

The acts of vandalism sarcastically condemned by ABC late night host Jimmy Kimmel. Tesla stock is way down, almost disastrously so. People have been vandalizing Tesla vehicles, new Tesla vehicles. Please don't vandalize, don't ever vandalize Tesla vehicles. And so...

A group called DogeQuest publishing a website earlier this week showing not just the locations of dealerships and charging stations, but also exposing personal information of Tesla owners. The site stating, at DogeQuest, we believe in empowering creative expressions of protest that you can execute from the comfort of your own home.

Users are encouraged to visit a self-described anarchist website providing guidance on evading detection online. Tesla owners whose personal information is posted to DogeQuest can request removal, but only with proof their vehicle has been sold. Progressive activists without a stomach for online harassment or vandalism are encouraged to rally outside of Tesla facilities.

Many of the events coordinated on the progressive platform ActionNetwork.org, the Tesla takedown page of the site encouraging users to, quote, sell your Teslas, dump your stock, join the picket line. Another reading, quote, we're tanking Tesla's stock price to stop Musk.

Tesla stock prices hovering in the low to mid 200s this week, about a 50% drop from the high in December. Former Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz supporting the anti-Tesla campaign at a recent town hall event. Saying on my phone, I know some of you know this on the iPhone, they've got that little stock app. I added Tesla to it to give me a little boost during the day. $2.25 and dropping. So...

Tesla employs more than 120,000 Americans and is one of the most valuable companies in the world, even with the recent drop in stock price.

The Manhattan federal judge overseeing the deportation case of Mahmoud Khalil, the former Columbia University agitator, ordering the case moved to New Jersey. Mr. Khalil arrested nearly two weeks ago outside his New York home by Homeland Security agents. Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoking Mr. Khalil's green card, retaliating against his participation in a student group which reportedly sympathizes with Hamas, a U.S.-designated terror organization.

Columbia University Apartheid Divest, a pro-Palestinian group, staged a takeover of Columbia's Hamilton Hall last year, effectively holding two maintenance workers hostage for a time, breaking windows, damaging school property, and disrupting campus life, particularly for Jewish students. The group presented a long list of demands, chiefly Columbia's divestment from all Israeli-linked companies or else.

Ultimately, NYPD officers called in, arresting around 300 people. While there's no evidence Mr. Khalil participated in that takeover, he was involved in the creation of a Gaza Solidarity encampment on Colombia's campus and acted as the lead negotiator for these groups, attempting to secure their demands with Colombia faculty. Mr. Khalil has been seen on video referring to the October 7th Hamas terror attack in Israel as, quote, "...armed resistance."

Secretary of State Rubio determining Mr. Khalil's activity, quote, would have serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States, which under U.S. law is all that's needed to deport a green card holder.

Donna Lieberman, attorney for Mr. Khalil on CNN, framing the arrest as a violation of her client's First Amendment freedom and right to due process. This is all about the First Amendment and it's all about due process. You know, they have they kidnapped this man, this young student father to be in any minute now based on.

an accusation that he has the wrong political ideas. And it's an attempt to bully the rest of us into being quiet and going with the administration's program. Last I heard, we were a democracy. This attempt to quell free speech is absolutely terrifying. If they can disappear somebody for

for doing nothing but having ideas that the government disapproves of, it should be terrifying to everybody. On Wednesday, Mr. Khalil pending a letter from his detention center reading in part, quote, my arrest was a direct consequence of exercising my right to free speech as I advocated for a free Palestine. The Trump administration is targeting me as part of a broader strategy to suppress dissent. He also said he's being deported due to, quote, racism.

U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman writing in his order, quote, a person challenging his detention is required to file that petition in the federal district where he is detained at the time of filing. Mr. Khalil's lawyers wanted this case to be heard in the very liberal Southern District of New York, where it was as of yesterday. Prosecutors asked for a federal venue in Louisiana, much more conservative. The court finding a middle ground for venue, New Jersey.

Khalil was held at a New Jersey detention center at the time his lawyer filed the petition. His next court date is March 27th. Coming up, the Trump administration taking more action over allowing males to participate in female sports divisions. Growing calls from House Democrats demanding Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer step down. All that and more coming up in just a moment.

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The Trump administration announcing a suspension of about $175 million in federal funds for the Ivy League's University of Pennsylvania. UPenn was the home to Leah Thomas, who in 2022 became the first biological male to win a D1 title in a women's division, swimming the 500-yard freestyle. He had been a lackluster swimmer in the men's league.

President Trump's executive order protecting women's sports bars biological males from competing in female athletic leagues or from using women's facilities. The order directs federal agencies to withhold funding from any school violating the policy, reinforcing Title IX protections for women.

A UPenn spokesperson responding to the freeze saying, we have been in the past and remain today in full compliance with the regulations that apply to not only Penn, but all of our NCAA and Ivy League peer institutions. Really?

An unnamed senior White House official telling CBS Philadelphia the funding cut will come from money the Department of Defense and Health and Human Services had been funneling to UPenn, which received some $1 billion in total federal funding last year, according to the Daily Pennsylvanian, a student newspaper.

So this is not a penalty resulting from the Department of Education's probe under Title IX. That investigation appears to be ongoing. The White House's rapid response account, posting the story along with the caption, promises made, promises kept.

And speaking of the Department of Health and Human Services, its civil rights office earlier this week finding the main Department of Education, the main Principals Association, and Greeley High School in violation of Title IX. A biological male representing Greeley High School placed first in a state pole vaulting championship on February 17th, a week and a half after President Trump signed the Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports Executive Order.

The biologically male student in question beat the second place girl by more than six inches. President Trump putting a national spotlight on the story at a governor's luncheon just days later, directly calling out Maine Governor Janet Mills. Is the Maine here, the governor of Maine? Are you not going to comply with it? Well, we are the federal law.

Well, you better do it. You better do it because you're not going to get any federal funding at all if you don't. HHS's civil rights office allowing the Maine Department of Education, the Maine Principals Association and Greeley High School 10 days to comply with President Trump's executive order or risk referral to the DOJ.

A mother in Deerfield, Illinois, speaking out against her child's school for alleged Title IX violations as well. Nicole Georges alleges her 13-year-old daughter witnessed a biological male using the female locker room at her middle school. Ms. Georges says her daughter complained to school administrators and was told the student was allowed to use the female facilities because he now identifies as female. Ms. Georges describing what allegedly happened next at a recent school board meeting.

A few days later, the male student was present in the girls' locker room. Feeling violated, the girls made the choice to not change into their PE clothes with a biological male student present. The next day, assistant principal Kathy Vantrese pulled the girls into their office questioning them. The same day, assistant superintendent Joanna Ford, Kathy Vantrese, and multiple teachers all came into the girls' locker room, making them change into uniform.

If that is true, the school may have committed a

a crime. Ms. Georges stating that the principal offered to switch her daughter into a new PE class, which was rejected. Ms. Georges' remarks at the school board met with boos from local activists. The next speaker in favor of allowing trans students in female spaces, making a veiled threat against the school board. My name is Charlie Friedman. My pronouns are they, he. I'm a trans person. I am the parent of a trans middle schooler.

I am also the Director of Operations for Trans Upfront.

It's a nonprofit organization fighting for trans rights. We partner with over 30 major organizations, including the ACLU, Lambda Legal, HRC, etc. If needed, we'd be happy to dig in, to contact our coalition, to make sure that the board is supported in doing the right thing for the right reasons and following Illinois state law. Another woman in favor of forcing girls to change in front of biological boys, Jess Holzman, said...

research shows that middle school girls, quote, do better when boys are allowed to watch them undress in school locker rooms, reports the Lake County Gazette. Ms. Holzman describes herself as a queer, non-binary, consensually non-monogamous, intersectional, feminist, anti-racist, activist, educator, and scholar. Okay. Ms. Georges filed a civil rights complaint with the DOJ on behalf of her minor daughter.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer facing growing calls to step down from his fellow Democrats in the House. So far, not the Senate. Congressional Democrats outraged with Senator Schumer's handling of the continuing resolution last week. Mr. Schumer voting to advance the GOP bill to the floor, arguing a bad bill is worse than what he thinks Elon Musk and Doge could do during a government shutdown. How

House Democrats believe Mr. Schumer should have allowed the government to shut down in order to force some concessions from Republicans. House Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday criticizing Mr. Schumer's decision. I myself don't give away anything for nothing.

And I think that's what happened the other day. We could have, in my view, perhaps gotten them to agree to a third way, which was a bipartisan CR for four weeks in which we could have had bipartisan legislation to go forward.

Axios reporting Wednesday, more calls to resign could follow. One Democrat rep saying, quote, I think there are some already there, but just haven't been asked directly or avoided the question. Senator Schumer, who earlier this week canceled his book tour, citing alleged security concerns, instead making the media rounds defending his leadership position. I

I believe so strongly I did the right thing. When I was majority leader and under Biden's presidency, we passed more legislation in 2022 than before. When you're a leader, sometimes you have to do things that you know are right despite the consequences. I've always said to people in politics, the higher up you climb, the more fierce the winds blow. One of the things I am known to be very good at is how to win Senate seats.

Look, winning in 2026 in the House and Senate, which could stop Trump once and for all, is vitally important. A senior House Democrat telling Axios, quote, his popularity is hovering somewhere between Elon Musk and the Ebola virus. Some House members reportedly urging New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to launch a primary bid against Senator Schumer in 2028.

Not all House Dems fully soured on Schumer, however. Wisconsin Congressman Mark Pocan saying anger toward the minority leader is, quote, a bit of an inside-the-beltway conversation. Mr. Pocan saying his constituents understand Mr. Schumer's position. And that'll do it for your AM Update. I'm Megyn Kelly. Join me back here for The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM Triumph Channel 111 at New East, on YouTube.com slash Megyn Kelly, and on all podcast platforms. ♪

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