The Morning Sixpack - March 20, 2025
Trump escalates political crackdowns, targeting activists, media, and education while undermining civil liberties. Or... Just another day in paradise.
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Trump’s Crackdown on Pro-Palestinian Protesters Escalates with Georgetown Student’s Arrest
The Trump administration has intensified its efforts to deport foreign nationals involved in pro-Palestinian activism, with the latest target being Badar Khan Suri, a Georgetown University student detained in Louisiana.
U.S. Homeland Security officials accuse Suri of having ties to Hamas, though they have provided no evidence to support the claim.
His lawyer strongly disputes the allegations, stating, “If an accomplished scholar who focuses on conflict resolution is whom the government decides is bad for foreign policy, then perhaps the problem is with the government, not the scholar.”
Suri, a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown’s Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, was arrested outside his home in Virginia and now faces deportation proceedings.
This move follows the recent arrest of Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil, who is also fighting deportation after being accused—again without evidence—of supporting Hamas.
The Trump administration has made no secret of its intent to target pro-Palestinian demonstrators, linking their activism to terrorism and antisemitism. Civil rights groups argue that these actions are politically motivated, aimed at silencing dissent rather than addressing legitimate security concerns. Georgetown University, where Suri teaches, stated it was unaware of any illegal activity on his part, and his wife, a U.S. citizen of Palestinian descent, has not been detained.
The crackdown has sparked outcry from immigration and civil liberties advocates, who see it as part of a broader pattern of weaponizing the immigration system to punish political opponents.
Trump’s rhetoric, combined with his administration’s aggressive stance on deportations, has alarmed legal experts who warn of increasing executive overreach. With no evidence yet presented against Suri, his case raises serious questions about due process, free speech, and the right to political expression in the U.S.
Source: Reuters
You know what doesn’t raise questions? Trump’s intent to deport everybody who he deems “doesn’t belong here.” Today—it’s US residents. Tomorrow, it’s US citizens born here. Just wait.
Trump's 'Very Good' Call with Zelenskyy: A Masterclass in Diplomatic Delusion
In a recent display of diplomatic theater, President Trump boasted about a "very good" hour-long phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, suggesting that U.S. control over Ukraine's power plants could be on the table.
Because nothing says sovereignty like handing over your energy infrastructure to a foreign power.
While Trump was busy patting himself on the back, Russian President Vladimir Putin decided it was the perfect time to plunge a Ukrainian city into darkness, mere hours after promising to halt energy attacks. It's almost as if Putin missed the memo on playing nice. Or, he and Trump were in on it and played Ukraine like a shell game.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy remains optimistic, stating that lasting peace is achievable this year. One has to admire his resilience, even as the geopolitical circus continues around him.
Source: BBC
Have you noticed that Trump’s rhetoric towards Canada is just like Putin’s rhetoric towards Ukraine? It’s like they read the same script.
From Ballots to Bullets: Failed Candidate Convicted in Drive-By Attacks
Solomon Peña, a former Republican candidate who lost his bid for the New Mexico Legislature by nearly 50 percentage points, has been convicted on federal charges for orchestrating a series of drive-by shootings targeting the homes of Democratic officials.
Prosecutors argued that Peña, convinced his election was “rigged,” resorted to violence as a twisted form of political retribution. The attacks, which occurred in late 2022 and early 2023, included gunfire that narrowly missed a state senator’s 10-year-old daughter as she slept.
Peña now faces a potential life sentence after being found guilty of conspiracy, weapons-related charges, and interference with federally protected activities.
The case is yet another grim chapter in the wave of political violence fueled by baseless election fraud claims that surged after Trump’s 2020 defeat.
Peña’s defense team claimed he was being framed, arguing that the real perpetrators—Demetrio Trujillo and his son, Jose Trujillo—had cut plea deals in exchange for leniency.
However, the jury didn’t buy it, convicting Peña after a trial that exposed his role in orchestrating the attacks as an act of political vengeance. Prosecutors presented evidence that Peña directly participated in the shootings, including allegations that he fired a machine gun in relation to a crime of violence.
Peña’s conviction underscores how election denialism has morphed from Twitter rants to real-world violence.
'His case serves as a stark warning: When political grievances turn into conspiracy-fueled extremism, innocent people get caught in the crossfire—sometimes literally.
Source: MDGN
Trump’s Unchecked Pursuit of Revenge Puts Democracy at Risk
Donald Trump’s long-standing desire for vengeance has transformed from a personal grudge into a defining characteristic of his second term in office.
Sixty days into his return to the White House, his administration is systematically targeting perceived enemies—from government officials and judges to media outlets and private citizens.
His actions include firing the U.S. archivist out of anger at the National Archives, illegally removing two Democratic members of the Federal Trade Commission, and stripping security details from former high-ranking officials who have fallen out of his favor.
The environment at the National Institutes of Health, where Anthony Fauci worked for decades, has become “suffocatingly toxic,” as reported by The Atlantic.
Trump has also turned his attention to the legal profession, threatening the ability of lawyers to represent clients and fueling a campaign of intimidation against federal judges.
Trump’s retribution extends to the media, with lawsuits against major networks and an FCC crackdown on critical coverage.
His handpicked FBI director, Kash Patel, declared in 2023, “We’re going to come after the people in the media who lied about American citizens.”
This culture of hostility and payback has permeated beyond politics, shaping an emboldened MAGA movement that thrives on attacking institutions and opponents alike.
A clinical psychologist described the shift: “Many people truly believe their country is under siege, and they must abandon compromise to save it.”
The Supreme Court’s ruling granting immunity for “official acts” has further emboldened Trump, creating what his followers see as a blank check for authoritarian overreach. Worst SCOTUS ruling in decades… worse than the overturning of Roe v. Wade, IMHO.
But history warns of the dangers of normalizing corruption and political vendettas. Alexis de Tocqueville feared that when unethical behavior leads to power, it not only validates but encourages it.
Vaclav Havel, a dissident-turned-president, once wrote that while evil will always exist, “it makes sense to wage this war persistently… because it is the right thing to do.”
Trump’s insatiable appetite for revenge isn’t just a threat to his adversaries—it’s a fundamental challenge to American democracy itself. The question now is whether enough Americans will recognize the danger before it’s too late.
Source: The Atlantic
It may already be too late. I don’t see how we get out of this without a civil war.
UC Dumps Diversity Statements as Trump Turns Up the Heat on DEI
The University of California has decided to scrap its requirement for diversity statements in faculty hiring, bowing to pressure from the Trump administration’s threats to cut federal funding for schools that maintain diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. In a letter to campus administrators, UC Provost Katherine Newman justified the decision by claiming that requiring applicants to submit diversity statements “may lead applicants to focus on an aspect of their candidacy that is outside their expertise or prior experience.” Translation: We like diversity, just not enough to fight for it when the budget’s on the line.
Trump’s administration has made dismantling DEI in education a priority, accusing institutions of “toxically indoctrinating students” with the idea that systemic racism exists (because acknowledging reality is apparently a federal offense). The Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights has launched assessments to determine whether schools are discriminating “on the basis of race, including white and Asian students,” and has made it clear that non-compliant institutions risk losing federal funding. Meanwhile, the Justice Department has opened a civil rights investigation into UC over allegations of antisemitism linked to pro-Palestinian protests, further complicating the university’s already strained relationship with Washington.
Adding to the chaos, the Education Department recently revoked $400 million in federal grants to Columbia University over its handling of antisemitism complaints, signaling that other universities could face the same fate if they don’t fall in line. Whether UC’s move is a tactical retreat or a full-scale surrender remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Trump’s war on DEI is in full swing, and higher education institutions are scrambling to stay out of the crosshairs.
Source: Forbes
Trump to Sign Executive Order to Shut Down the Department of Education
Donald Trump is making good on a long-standing conservative dream—gutting the U.S. Department of Education.
On Thursday, he’s set to sign an executive order directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps” to shut down the agency and hand control back to the states.
The move, which Trump says will rid schools of “radicals, zealots, and Marxists,” comes with one small hitch: He doesn’t actually have the authority to do it without Congress. But details like legality have never stopped him before. And let’s face it: Republicans own the House & Senate. They could—you know—vote to close the department down. I really don’t know why they wouldn’t try.
The administration has already hacked away at the department, slashing its workforce in half and gutting the Office for Civil Rights.
Critics say this is less about improving education and more about using federal muscle to push Trump’s political agenda.
Case in point: He’s leveraged the department to crack down on transgender athletes, pro-Palestinian activism, and diversity programs.
“This isn’t fixing education. It’s making sure millions of children never get a fair shot,” the National Parents Union stated, vowing to fight the move.
Even some Republicans are skeptical.
A 2023 House vote to shut down the department failed when 60 Republicans sided with Democrats to keep it open.
During Trump’s first term, Betsy DeVos tried (and failed) to overhaul federal education funding.
Whether this latest attempt is a serious policy move or just another campaign stunt remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Trump is determined to make education a new front in his culture war.
Source: MDGN