Trump's Deportation Standoff Keeps Getting Worse

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Trump's Deportation Standoff Keeps Getting Worse"

Podcast Information:

• Title: What A Day
• Host: Jane Coaston, Crooked Media
• Episode Title: Trump's Deportation Standoff Keeps Getting Worse
• Release Date: April 15, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of What A Day, host Jane Coaston delves into the escalating crisis surrounding President Donald Trump's deportation policies. The discussion centers on the wrongful deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador, the administration's strained relations with major universities, and the broader implications for immigration law and executive power.

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1. The Kilmar Abrego Garcia Case

Overview: Jane Coaston opens the episode by discussing the controversial deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national deported to a super prison in El Salvador despite prior court protections.

Key Points:

• Legal Protection Ignored: Abrego Garcia had been granted protection from deportation by a judge who recognized the threat he faced from gangs in El Salvador.
• Donald Trump's Administration Actions: The White House deported Garcia regardless of the court's ruling, paying El Salvador $6 million to hold deportees, some not even from El Salvador.
• Supreme Court Ruling: A supposed 90-page ruling from the Supreme Court mandates the facilitation of Garcia's return, but the administration misrepresents it as a victory.

Notable Quotes:

• Stephen Miller, Homeland Security Advisor: “[02:10] The ruling solely stated that if this individual, at El Salvador's sole discretion, was sent back to our country, that we could deport him a second time.”
• Leah Littman, Trick Surveillance Podcast: “[02:30] This is a fucking absurd interpretation of the court's order. The executive's bad faith and the court's refusal to acknowledge it are what underlies the crisis.”

Analysis: Coaston criticizes the Trump administration for defying judicial authority and undermining the rule of law by portraying a court-mandated deportation as a triumph. She emphasizes the administration's disregard for legal protections and the use of foreign custody to sidestep U.S. court orders.

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2. Trump Administration's Deportation Policies

Overview: The discussion extends to the broader deportation efforts under Trump, highlighting the administration's focus on interior enforcement over border control and legal immigration.

Key Points:

• Three Buckets of Immigration Policy: Border control, interior enforcement, and legal immigration, with current emphasis on interior enforcement.
• Automated Visa Revocations: Increasing number of international students having visas revoked without notification, potentially due to automated checks against law enforcement databases.
• Targeting Based on Minor Infractions: Students facing deportation for minor issues like speeding tickets, raising concerns about due process and fairness.

Notable Quotes:

• Aaron Reichland Melnick, American Immigration Council: “[05:25] There is a lot that we are still learning about this as the number of students that are reportedly having their student visas stripped is going up every single day.”
• “[06:25] ...the administration is running every student here in the United States on a student visa against law enforcement databases and is automatically Terminating student status for anyone who has had any interaction with law enforcement.”

Analysis: Coaston and Melnick express deep concern over the Trump administration's aggressive and potentially unlawful deportation tactics. The lack of transparency and the use of automated systems to revoke visas without proper notice pose significant threats to due process and the rights of immigrants.

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3. Misrepresentation of Criminality in Deportations

Overview: The administration claims it is deporting only dangerous criminals, but evidence suggests otherwise.

Key Points:

• Low Number of Serious Criminals: Out of 238 individuals sent to El Salvador, only 12 had serious criminal records.
• Flimsy Grounds for Allegations: Allegations of gang membership based on superficial evidence like tattoos and social media associations.
• Comparison to Osama bin Laden: Homeland Security official Tricia McLachlan likens Abrego Garcia to Osama bin Laden, a comparison widely criticized as exaggerated and misleading.

Notable Quotes:

• Tricia McLachlan, DHS Official: “[03:51] The media would love for you to believe that this is a media darling, that he's just some Maryland father.”
• Aaron Reichland Melnick: “[08:31] ...they're as solid as a soap bubble.”

Analysis: The podcast highlights the administration's tendency to label deportees as terrorists without substantial evidence, undermining credible claims and fostering fear through hyperbolic comparisons. This misrepresentation erodes trust in immigration enforcement and delegitimizes legitimate legal proceedings.

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4. Judicial Resistance and Executive Overreach

Overview: Despite court orders, the Trump administration resists complying, relying on foreign custody solutions to evade judicial mandates.

Key Points:

• Supreme Court's Stance: Courts have ordered the facilitation of Garcia's return, but the administration ignores these rulings.
• El Salvador's President Bukele's Refusal: President Bukele of El Salvador refuses to release Garcia, leaving the administration in a stalemate.
• Threats to Send U.S. Citizens Abroad: Concerns rise as President Trump hints at deporting "homegrown" Americans, reminiscent of historical grievances leading to the U.S. founding.

Notable Quotes:

• Aaron Reichland Melnick: “[10:20] Every single judge to have looked at, for example, the case of Mr. Abrego Garcia...”
• Jane Coaston: “[12:15] ...he is flirting with the idea, one of the exact things that caused us to break away from the United Kingdom and form our own nation built on the rule of law.”

Analysis: Coaston emphasizes the dangerous precedent set by the administration's blatant disregard for judicial authority. The flirtation with deporting U.S. citizens mirrors oppressive actions from history, posing a severe threat to constitutional protections and democratic norms.

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5. Conflict with Major Universities

Overview: The Trump administration's pressure extends to top-tier universities, demanding policy changes or risking federal funding.

Key Points:

• Harvard University's Defiance: Harvard rejects the administration's demands to implement merit-based admissions, screen for anti-American views, and audit for viewpoint diversity.
• Federal Funding Freeze: In response to Harvard's refusal, the Education Department freezes over $2 billion in grants.
• Columbia University's Compliance: Unlike Harvard, Columbia overhauled its campus protest policies under similar pressure.

Notable Quotes:

• Harvard President Alan Garber: “[17:33] No government, regardless of which party is in power, should dictate what private universities can teach...”
• Jane Coaston: “[13:31] Harvard is just one of several universities the Trump administration has threatened to pull funding from…”

Analysis: The administration's aggressive tactics to influence academic policies reflect an attempt to control intellectual discourse and suppress dissenting viewpoints. Harvard's stand highlights the tension between academic independence and political coercion, raising concerns about the integrity of higher education institutions.

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6. Political Violence and National Security Concerns

Overview: The episode also touches on recent incidents of political violence, underscoring the volatile national atmosphere.

Key Points:

• Arson Attack on Governor Shapiro's Mansion: Cody Ballmer faces multiple charges after setting fire to the Pennsylvania governor's home.
• Historical Context: Such acts of violence mirror past assassination attempts, including two on President Trump during the 2024 campaign.
• Trump's Response: Trump downplays the motive, suggesting the attacker wasn't a specific target.

Notable Quotes:

• Cody Ballmer Transcript: “[21:56] He's probably just a whack job and certainly a thing like that cannot be allowed to happen.”
• Jane Coaston: "[14:45] These are simple and yet very important facts that I am privileged to share with you."

Analysis: The discussion underscores the rise in politically motivated violence, reflecting deep divisions and heightened tensions within the country. The government's handling and portrayal of such incidents have significant implications for national security and public trust.

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7. Trump vs. CBS’s 60 Minutes

Overview: President Trump intensifies his conflict with CBS News over unfavorable coverage.

Key Points:

• Trump's Demands: He calls for CBS to pay a hefty sum for its 60 Minutes segments critical of his administration.
• Contentious Segments: Includes interviews with Ukrainian President Zelensky and discussions on Trump's interest in acquiring Greenland.
• Legal Battles: Trump is already suing CBS for $20 billion over a previous interview with Vice President Kamala Harris.

Notable Quotes:

• Jane Coaston: “[22:01] Trump wants CBS News 60 Minutes to pay a, quote, big price for its recent coverage of him.”
• Jane Coaston: “[22:51] Trump's push to acquire the territory, and they aren't thrilled about it.”

Analysis: The administration's legal threats against media outlets signify an aggressive stance towards press freedom and accountability. This confrontation raises critical questions about the role of media in challenging governmental power and ensuring transparency.

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8. Conclusion

Jane Coaston wraps up the episode by reflecting on the disconcerting direction of U.S. immigration policies, executive overreach, and the erosion of checks and balances. She underscores the importance of vigilance in safeguarding constitutional rights and maintaining judicial independence amidst increasing political pressures.

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Closing Remarks

The episode provides a comprehensive analysis of the deteriorating situation surrounding Trump's deportation policies, highlighting key legal battles, the administration's tactics against educational institutions, and the broader implications for American democracy. Through expert interviews and in-depth reporting, What A Day offers listeners a nuanced understanding of the challenges facing immigration law and executive authority in contemporary America.

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Notable Timestamps and Quotes:

• [02:10] Stephen Miller: "The ruling solely stated that if this individual, at El Salvador's sole discretion, was sent back to our country, that we could deport him a second time."
• [02:30] Jane Coaston: “This is a fucking absurd interpretation of the court's order.”
• [05:25] Aaron Reichland Melnick: “There is a lot that we are still learning about this as the number of students that are reportedly having their student visas stripped is going up every single day.”
• [08:31] Aaron Reichland Melnick: “They're as solid as a soap bubble.”
• [12:15] Jane Coaston: “...one of the exact things that caused us to break away from the United Kingdom and form our own nation built on the rule of law.”
• [22:01] Jane Coaston: “Trump wants CBS News 60 Minutes to pay a, quote, big price for its recent coverage of him.”

Speaker Attribution:

• Jane Coaston: Host of What A Day
• Stephen Miller: Homeland Security Advisor
• Leah Littman: Host of Trick Surveillance Podcast
• Tricia McLachlan: Department of Homeland Security Official
• Aaron Reichland Melnick: Senior Fellow at the American Immigration Council
• Alan Garber: President of Harvard University

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This detailed summary captures the essence of the episode, highlighting critical discussions on Trump's deportation policies, judicial resistance, conflicts with educational institutions, and the broader implications for American society and governance.

Transcript

[Jane Coston]

It's Tuesday, April 15th. Happy Tax Day. I'm Jane Coston, and this is what a day. The show that is somewhat frightened of the AI programmed crossing signs in Palo Alto, which over the weekend sounded like this.

[Elon Musk]

Wait. Hi, this is Elon Musk.

[Jane Coston]

Welcome to Palo Alto, the home of Tesla Engineering.

[Elon Musk]

You know, they say money can't buy happiness, and, yeah, okay, I guess that's true. God knows I've tried.

[Jane Coston]

But it can buy a cybertruck, and.

[Elon Musk]

That'S pretty sick, right? Right. Fuck, I'm so alone.

[Jane Coston]

I get that it's a protest, but also, I don't want to hear Elon's voice. Even, ironically, on today's show, Harvard University tells the White House it can take its list of demands in exchange for billions in federal funding and very respectfully, shove it. And President Donald Trump is once again lashing out at CBS's 60 Minutes. But let's start with the fun times we all had watching Trump's Oval Office meeting with El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele Monday. And by fun, I mean terrifying and very bad. Their conversation centered on immigration, specifically the wrongful deportation of a man named Kilmar Abrego Garcia to a super prison in El Salvador. We've been talking about this case on the show for a few weeks. Obrega Garcia is Salvadoran, but a few years ago, a judge had granted him protections from being deported back to his home country, concluding he'd likely be targeted by gangs. The White House deported him anyway. Monday's meeting between Bukele and Trump was a journey through obfuscation and, well, absolute fucking bullshit. See, the Trump administration is paying El Salvador $6 million to hold deportees in that prison, some of whom aren't even from El Salvador. And yet, despite an apparent 90 ruling from the Supreme Court saying that the White House must, quote, facilitate Abrego Garcia's return, the Trump administration is portraying the decision as a win for them, in part because the court stopped short of unambiguously ordering Abrega Garcia's return. Here's Stephen Miller, Homeland Security Advisor and noted loud talker, arguing this point.

[Elon Musk]

The ruling solely stated that if this individual, at El Salvador's sole discretion, was.

[Jane Coston]

Sent back to our country, that we.

[Elon Musk]

Could deport him a second time.

[Jane Coston]

Well, I.

[Elon Musk]

No version of this legally ends up with him ever living here because he is a citizen of El Salvador, that is the president of El Salvador. Your questions about it, per the court, can only be directed to him.

[Jane Coston]

Yeah, no, basically, he's saying it's up to El Salvador. Now, our good friend Leah Littman from Crooked's Trick Scrutiny podcast had something to say about that. This is a fucking absurd interpretation of the court's order. The executive's bad faith and the court's refusal to acknowledge it are what underlies the crisis. The Republican justices are refusing to admit what we can all see. This is an executive branch that does not believe it is bound by law. And conveniently for the White House, President Bukele said Monday he can't send a Garcia back to the United States because he doesn't have the power to do so and because Abrego Garcia is a terrorist. Because the Trump administration insists he's a member of the Salvadoran gang ms.13, even though there's little to no proof. But proof clearly isn't going to get in the way of anyone in this room. The question is preposterous. How can I smuggle a terrorist into the United States? I don't have the power to return him to the United States. You release him inside El Salvador. Yeah, but I'm not releasing. I mean, we're not very fond of releasing terrorists into our country. And in case you're wondering, yes, the entire Trump administration appears to be all in on this guy we wrongfully sent to El Salvador is definitely a terrorist, because believe us, period. Here's Department of Homeland security official Tricia McLachlan telling Fox News host Will Kane that Abrega Garcia is the equivalent of Osama bin Laden.

[Elon Musk]

The media would love for you to believe that this is a media darling, that he's just some Maryland father.

[Jane Coston]

Well, Osama bin Laden was also a.

[Elon Musk]

Father, and yet he wasn't a good guy.

[Jane Coston]

And they actually are both terrorists. What the fuck? Let's be super clear here. The Trump administration is defying the courts. They are doing so with the help of a foreign government. The Trump administration is paying to hold detainees, some of whom aren't even from El Salvador, in a super prison. Many of those being detained in that super prison have no criminal records. And it's still not enough for Trump, who was caught on mic saying, quote, homegrowns could be next. I said homegrowns are next. The homegrowns built. You gotta build about five more places. Yeah, that's me.

[Elon Musk]

All right.

[Jane Coston]

It's not big enough. In case you didn't catch that, he says. I said homegrowns are next. The homegrowns. You've got to build about five more places. It's not big enough. So to talk more about everything, happening right now in immigration and just how worried we should be because I have been worried since January personally. I spoke with Aaron Reichland Melnick, senior fellow at the American Immigration Council. Aaron, welcome to Whataday.

[Elon Musk]

Thank you for having me.

[Jane Coston]

So there has been a swirl of news on the deportations front, from international students being held for standing up for Palestine to supposed international criminal, criminal gang members being sent to dangerous prisons in El Salvador and more suppose it being the very strong point here. It's like a crazy blow by blow in the media every day now. So let's start with having you clear the air. What are the biggest issues at stake right now on this front?

[Elon Musk]

Oh yeah, started with the easy one. So there is a lot going on in the world of immigration and I kind of like to break it down into three big buckets. The border, interior enforcement and legal immigration. And right now most of the attention is being paid to interior enforcement. It's not that things aren't happening on the other two, but all of the attention right now is on interior enforcement, ICE arresting people and deporting them, in some cases to El Salvador to be imprisoned on dubious legal authority and at the same time ramping up arrests in the interior and going after populations that may have thought that they would be safe under a more reasonable administration, but clearly isn't under this administration.

[Jane Coston]

Let's talk about foreign students who have had their visas revoked or have had other actions being taken to deport them. The administration has made a wide range of claims like some are terrorists, others are dangerous anti Semites, some may have made some immigration missteps. What's new that you're seeing in these kinds of claims?

[Elon Musk]

Yeah, so there is a lot that we are still learning about this as the number of students that are reportedly having their student visas stripped is going up every single day. And what it seems right now is that there's really two groups that are having their status taken away. The first is the one that was targeted initially, those who had any kind of pro Palestinian views. And that includes of course, Mahmoud Khalil, Rumeza Ozturk, Yun SEO Chung, Badr Khan Suri. But that is actually the smaller group. Marco Rubio put the number of that at 300. And yet according to Inside Higher Education, there's now 1,000 students that have already had their student visas taken away. So who are the others? Well, evidence is emerging, or at very least a pattern is making itself revealed, that the administration is running every student here in the United States on a student visa against law enforcement databases and is automatically Terminating student status for anyone who has had any interaction with law enforcement. And that includes things as minor as speeding tickets. So this suggests a couple of things. One, that this is automated, and then two, that there's no human being involved, or at very least, very minimal human involvement. And these students are reportedly not getting any notification. And this is pretty terrifying, because if you don't even know that you've had your status taken away until someone from the university reaches out and says you've been deleted from the database, and you didn't even get an email from the government about this, you know, every student is wondering, am I next?

[Jane Coston]

Something that's been striking to me, and I want to check myself with you. When the Trump administration came in, they were claiming that they were going to focus their deportation efforts on, quote, unquote, violent criminals. And almost every day, we see the administration claiming it's sending dozens of dangerous criminals to El Salvador or even Guantanamo Bay. How solid are those claims that these are dangerous criminals, especially when we haven't seen the evidence of the supposed dangerous criminality?

[Elon Musk]

Yeah, they're as solid as a soap bubble. The reality is, is that when you look at the cases, 238 people sent to El Salvador, CBS's 60 Minutes found 12 of them had serious criminal records. Total 12. And of course, even if somebody does have a serious criminal record, that is not grounds for them to be imprisoned for life in a foreign prison. But, you know, making sure that I say that the evidence is clear that most of these people had no criminal records at all. Of course, there are some. There's 13 to 15 million undocumented immigrants in any population of 13 to 15 million people. Just statistically, some of them are going to have some pretty heinous crimes on their record. But the administration that wants to just ramp up deportations as fast as they can is not actually going against people with the most serious records.

[Jane Coston]

What do we know about how the administration is determining alleged gang membership?

[Elon Musk]

We know the administration's gang ties are shoddy because in general, a lot of government allegations of gang ties are very limited. And here, what we're seeing with the people sent to El Salvador is a lot of them were put there allegedly on the basis of tattoos and associations with other individuals and images on social media. Like one guy who was sent there, he had a tattoo of a soccer ball with a crown over it because he's a Real Madrid fan and a photo of him on social media.

[Jane Coston]

And that's really seems the administration's been moving beyond claims that it's sending so called bad people packing overseas. Even on Monday morning, the administration argued the federal courts just need to stay in their lane, as in it doesn't even matter if they did anything that was bad. The president gets to say who's a threat to the country and can take action without court interference. Who is winning this argument right now, the courts or Trump?

[Elon Musk]

So far, the courts are winning this battle in court. Every single judge to have looked at, for example, the case of Mr. Abrego Garcia, the Maryland dad wrongfully deported to El Salvador, has said that the courts can order the Trump administration to facilitate his return and his release from El Salvador. The problem they're running into is that he is currently in the custody of President Bukele of El Salvador, who said on Monday at the White House essentially that he was not going to release Mr. Abrego.

[Jane Coston]

Monday morning you wrote on Blue sky that the Abrego Garcia situation has brought us to, quote, a dangerous, dangerous moment in US History. It seemed dangerous for at least a few weeks now, especially I think for many people after seeing the Turkish PhD student being basically rounded up by plainclothes officers. But what's changed to ratchet things up even more?

[Elon Musk]

Yeah, the situation with Rumeza Ozturk is dangerous because of what it says about the First Amendment. But under immigration law, what they did was legal. There is a ground of deportation that permitted them to arrest her. And because of that, her detention probably violates the First Amendment. But it was, on its face at least, legal. What they're doing with Mr. Abrego Garcia and others they're sending to El Salvador isn't legal. And here the Trump administration is now saying, look, once we send them there, they're in Bukele's custody. And if Bukele doesn't want to have them back, we just can't do anything. The judges can't do anything. And that is an argument that could be used for deporting a citizen there, as the Trump administration is pretty clearly flirting with the idea.

[Jane Coston]

Right. Trump was overheard on Monday telling President Bukele that, quote, homegrowns are next and that El Salvador needs to build at least 5 more high security prisons. I think you and I can both interpret what he means by homegrowns. But what do you make of those comments?

[Elon Musk]

The Trump administration has been flirting with this idea of sending US Citizens to El Salvador for a while now. When Secretary Rubio first visited El Salvador over a month ago, the idea came up and President Bukele said he'd be happy to do it. And various reporters have asked the President about this over the week since then, and he's continued to flirt with the idea as he did today. I don't think that says that the administration is going to do this. I think that hopefully some adults within the room remain and that they know that if they did that it would be an even greater outcry and that the Supreme Court would probably be forced to take even broader steps against them. But the fact that they're even flirting with the idea is particularly concerning, especially because Bukele has been at this point pretty clear that he'd be happy to do that and be happy to play along and say there was nothing he could do. These people are in Salvador in custody. He's not going to send them back.

[Jane Coston]

There are a lot of Americans for whom this feels like an issue. For other people. It's an issue for international students who must be fucking terrified right now. This is an issue for migrants, some who might have legit asylum claims, who are terrified for legal immigrants with green cards. So for Americans who are watching this happen but don't feel like they fit into those camps, why should they be paying more attention?

[Elon Musk]

Yeah, I mean, I want to be clear. I don't think that there is a serious risk that he's going to start rounding up random Americans and shipping them to El Salvador. But the fact that he is flirting with this idea, and not just once, not just twice, but over and over coming back to this idea is extremely concerning. One of the reasons we founded this country, it's in the Declaration of Independence. Against. About one of the things that King George III did was to take Americans abroad and try them overseas for pretend crimes. That's in the allegations that we leveled against King George iii. So here we have the President of the United States threatening to do the exact thing, one of the exact things that caused us to break away from the United Kingdom and form our own nation built on the rule of law. And that is a dangerous point for us to be at when you have a president openly talking about sending his political opponents or people that his administration deems undesirable to foreign prisons to be imprisoned potentially for life, not on the basis of any crime they committed in the United States, but just because the President says so, because he wants them out.

[Jane Coston]

Aaron, thank you so much for being here.

[Elon Musk]

Thank you very much for having me.

[Jane Coston]

That was my conversation with Aaron Raichlen Melnick, senior fellow at the American Immigration Council. We'll get to more of the news in a moment. But if you like the show. Make sure to subscribe. Leave a five star review on Apple Podcasts. Watch us on YouTube or else you won't see JD Vance. Drop something important later and share with your friends. More to come after some ads Whataday is brought to you by DeleteMe. DeleteMe makes it easy, quick and safe to remove your personal data online. At a time when surveillance and data breaches are common enough to make everyone vulnerable. Data brokers make a profit off of your data. Your data is a commodity. Anyone on the web can buy your personal details. This can lead to identity theft, phishing attempts and harassment. But now you can protect your privacy with Delete Me. I have a very active online presence and my privacy is really important to me, especially when we're in the midst of a political environment. That can be really scary. That's why I'm so glad I found Deleteme. Take control of your data and keep your private life private by signing up for Deleteme now at a special discount for our listeners. Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to JoinDeleteMe.com wad and use promo code WAD at checkout. The only way to get 20% off is to go to JoinDeleteMe.com WAD and enter code WAD at checkout. That's JoinDeleteMe.com WAD code WADE welcome back.

[Elon Musk]

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[Jane Coston]

Okay?

[Elon Musk]

To help know if we're at risk, we should be getting our ldlc, our bad cholesterol checked, and talking to our doctor.

[Jane Coston]

I'm listening.

[Elon Musk]

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[Jane Coston]

Hmm. Guess it's time to ask about Repatha.

[Elon Musk]

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[Jane Coston]

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[Elon Musk]

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[Jane Coston]

Here'S what else we're following today. Head of Lines Protesters gathered outside a courthouse in Vermont Monday in support of Rumesa Ozturk. That's the Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University facing deportation after the White House accused her of, quote, engaging in activities in support of Hamas. Ostrich was arrested near her home outside Boston by six immigration agents in plainclothes last month. Her lawyers say she was targeted over an op ed she co wrote for Tufts student newspaper last year, criticizing the university's response to pro Palestinian student protests. In a recent court filing, Ostrich said the arresting officers terrified her that day and that she was, quote, sure they were going to kill me. She also called the conditions of her detainment inhumane and unsafe. She alleges that her hijab was forcibly removed and that she has not received proper treatment for her asthma. A federal judge heard arguments in Ostrich's case Monday. Her lawyers argued her arrest was unconstitutional. Also on Monday, the Washington Post raised serious questions of whether the White House had sufficient grounds to revoke Ostrich's visa. The paper found a State Department memo that said that there was no evidence that Ostruck engaged in antisemitic activity or expressed support for for a terrorist organization. The paper says the memo was drafted days before Ozturk's arrest. Ozturk's story mirrors that of Mahmoud Khalil. That's the Palestinian graduate student at Columbia University who also faces deportation. He stands accused of engaging in pro Hamas activities. Harvard is refusing to bend the knee to the White House. The university on Monday said it would not accept the Trump administration's proposal to make sweeping policy changes or risk losing billions in federal funding. The rejection sets up a face off between an administration that hates being told no and one of the country's most influential Ivy League schools. And within hours, the Education Department announced it was freezing more than $2 billion in grants to the university, saying Harvard's refusal to cooperate, quote, reinforces the troubling entitlement mindset that is endemic in our nation's most prestigious universities and colleges. But let's back up and explain how we got here. On Friday, the Trump administration sent a letter to Harvard with a swath of demands. It asked the university to implement merit based admissions and hiring reforms, screen prospective international students for views hostile to the American values and institutions inscribed in the US Constitution, and hire an outside group to audit students, staff and leadership for viewpoint diversity. But in a letter made public Monday, Harvard President Alan Garber said no way. He wrote, no government, regardless of which party is in power, should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue. And in a letter to the Trump administration the same day, lawyers for Harvard said, quote, the university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights. Harvard is just one of several universities the Trump administration has threatened to pull funding from in a bid to eradicate diversity efforts and root out what it says is rampant antisemitism on campuses. Just last month, Columbia University gave in to an ultimatum by the administration and decided to overhaul its policies on campus protests. A man accused of breaking into and setting fire to the Pennsylvania governor's mansion early Sunday is facing a slew of charges, including aggravated arson, attempted homicide and terrorism. Court documents released Monday say that suspect Cody Ballmer turned himself in and admitted to setting the mansion on fire with Molotov cocktails. Police asked Ballmer what he would have done if he had been spotted by its residents, namely Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro. Ballmer allegedly said he would have beaten Shapiro with a hammer. The governor and his family were evacuated without interacting with the alleged arsonist. Ballmer did not enter a plea during an arraignment hearing Monday and was denied bail. The attack on Governor Shapiro's home is the latest example of political violence in the US it follows two assassination attempts on President Trump during the 2024 campaign. Trump told reporters Monday a motive for the attack on Shapiro's home hasn't been determined yet, but the attacker was not a fan of Trump. I understand just from what I read and from what I've been told, the attacker basically wasn't a fan of anybody.

[Elon Musk]

He's probably just a whack job and certainly a thing like that cannot be allowed to happen.

[Jane Coston]

At least we can agree on something, Mr. President. Trump wants CBS News 60 Minutes to pay a, quote, big price for its recent coverage of him. And he went as far as to say the Federal Communications Commission should find the network. Trump said all this so very eloquently in a true social post after Sunday's broadcast, referencing two segments that featured criticisms of his administration. One was an interview with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who criticized Trump's claim that Ukraine, not Russia, started the war. Here is host Scott Peli interpreting how is it possible to witness our losses and our suffering, to understand what the.

[Elon Musk]

Russians are doing and to still believe that they are not the aggressors, that they did not start this war?

[Jane Coston]

The other segment was about how people in Greenland feel about Trump's push to acquire the territory, and they aren't thrilled about it. When he mentioned Greenland like it was a toy or something, you noticed that. We all noticed that in Greenland, all of us, and it was ugly. Trump is already suing CBS for $20 billion over its 60 Minutes interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris last year. He alleges that the network heavily edited the segment while the two of them were running for president. CBS denies this, but there are reports of settlement talks between the two sides, and that's the news. One more thing. I think we can agree that Monday was not our best day as a country. And there really isn't anything I can say to make the President of the United States keeps toying with the idea of sending US Citizens he deems to be evil criminals to foreign super prisons. Sound any better than it is? But something else happened Monday. Something that filled me with not joy exactly, but enjoyment. See On Monday, the Ohio State University football team visited the White House despite losing to the University of Michigan 13 to 10. Back in November, Ohio State did win the College Football Playoff national championship or whatever. And then during their White House Visit, Vice President J.D. vance, who attended the Ohio State University, dropped the trophy. If you're listening to this episode, I highly recommend hopping over to our YouTube channel to really get the whole experience of Vance dropping the College Football Playoff national championship trophy. The look of horror in his eyes, the concern in the eyes of the players. Just terrible. Because that's what happened. The Vice President of the United States dropped the national championship trophy in front of the entire Ohio State football team, the coaching staff, many of that team's weirdo fans, and all of America to a strange Muzak version of Queen's we are the Champions. That trophy came apart like Ohio State's offense against a Michigan defense that didn't even have some of its best players. Sad. Now, does the fact that Vance fumbled that trophy onto the ground like he was the world's worst running back change anything else that happened Monday? Has the rule of law returned? No, unfortunately not. But nothing can change the fact that Vice President J.D. vance is a trophy dropper and Michigan beat Ohio State and Columbus 1310 on November 30th, 2024. These are simple and yet very important facts that I am privileged to share with you. Before we go this week, the Supreme Court reminded us that when it comes to executive power, the rules don't apply unless you're not president anymore. On the newest episode of Strict Scrutiny, hosts Kate, Melissa and Leah dig into two rulings that give the Trump administration a pass for deporting people under a dusty law from 1798. Turns out SCOTUS is all about checks and balances until it's someone they like in power. Then NYU law professor and ACLU President Deborah Archer joins to talk about her new book, Dividing Lines and how America's transportation infrastructure is built to divide, not connect. Listen to Strict Scrutiny on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your legal accountability because you will not find it at the Supreme Court. That's all for today. If you like the show, make sure you subscribe, leave a review, celebrate the fact that singer Katy Perry sort of went to space and safely returned. And tell your friends to listen. And if you're into reading and not just about how during her 10 minute space flight aboard the Blue Origin capsule with TV host Gayle King and Lauren Sanchez, Jeff Bezos's fiance, Perry reportedly sang what a Wonderful World. Like Me, what a Day is also a nightly newsletter. Check it out and [e-mail] subscribe I'm Jane Coasten and I'm just saying if you sing what a Wonderful World at me in a confined space even 62 miles above the earth, I'm going to open the door. No what a Day is a production of Crooked Media. It's recorded and mixed by Desmond Taylor. Our associate producers are Raven Yamamoto and Emily Foer. Our producer is Michelle Aloy. We had production help today from Shauna Lee, Johanna Case, Joseph Dutra, and Greg Walters. Our senior producer is Erica Morrison and our executive producer is Adrienne Hill. Our theme music is by Colin Gilliard and Kashaka. Our production staff is proudly unionized with the Writers Guild of America East. What's poppin listeners? I'm Lacey Mosley, host of the podcast Scam Goddess. The show that's an ode to fraud and all those who practice it. Each week I talk with very special guests about the scammiest scammers of all time. Wanna know about the fake errors? We got em what about a career con man? We've got them too. Guys that will wine and dine you and then steal all your coins o know they are represented because representation matters. I'm joined by guests like Nicole byer, Ira Madison III, Conan O'Brien, and more join the congregation and listen to Scam Goddess. Wherever you get your podcasts, I'm sure.

[Elon Musk]

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