Columbia University laid off nearly 180 staff members on Tuesday due to the Trump administration&#8217;s decision to cut $400 million in federal funding over what officials described as the school&#8217;s “continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.”
&#8220;We understand this news will be hard,&#8221; Claire Shipman, Columbia University&#8217;s acting president, <a href="https://president.columbia.edu/news/preserving-columbias-critical-research-capabilities">wrote</a> in a statement with other top officials, citing &#8220;intense strain on Columbia&#8217;s finances and research mission&#8221; as a result of Trump&#8217;s cuts to federal funding.
The funding <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-slashes-columbia-funding-citing-inaction-on-anti-semitic-harassment-on-campus">cuts</a> came in early March after Trump’s Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism determined the Ivy League institution had failed to adequately protect Jewish students from harassment.
“Since October 7, Jewish students have faced relentless violence, intimidation, and anti-Semitic harassment on their campuses — only to be ignored by those who are supposed to protect them,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon <a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/doj-hhs-ed-and-gsa-announce-initial-cancelation-of-grants-and-contracts-columbia-university-worth-400-million">said</a> in a statement at the time.
According to The New York Times, more than 300 multi-year research grants have been <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/06/us/politics/columbia-layoffs-trump-research-cuts.html?smid=url-share">slashed</a>, shrinking their approximately $1.3 billion in federal research funds in 2023 to practically nothing.
Among the cut grants was a project examining &#8220;the consequences of structural racism on substance use risk in Puerto Rican adolescents,” as the Times puts it, with a researcher lamenting that it was &#8220;very disheartening to see the wheels of science kind of grinding to a halt in certain ways.&#8221;
Columbia had been temporarily paying the salaries of some affected researchers while departments developed plans to navigate the cuts, although Tuesday&#8217;s layoffs signal an apparent end to this approach.
The layoffs <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/columbia-university-cuts-180-staffers-funded-federal-grants-revoked-tr-rcna205080">affect</a> roughly 20% of research staff &#8220;who have been working, in whole or in part, on impacted federal grants.&#8221;
&#8220;Columbia’s leadership continues discussions with the federal government in support of resuming activity on these research awards and additional other awards that have remained active, but unpaid,&#8221; the Tuesday statement reads. &#8220;We are working on and planning for every eventuality, but the strain in the meantime, financially and on our research mission, is intense.&#8221;
Moving forward, scientists at the university can apply for limited grants to complete their research and support graduate students who would otherwise be terminated, although the university added that it would be &#8220;running lighter footprints of research infrastructure.&#8221;
Columbia has <a href="https://president.columbia.edu/content/fulfilling-our-commitments">attempted</a> to comply with the administration&#8217;s first round of demands, but negotiations to restore the funding remain ongoing.
&#8220;In the coming weeks and months, we will need to continue to take actions that preserve our financial flexibility and allow us to invest in areas that drive us forward,&#8221; officials said.
The cuts are part of a broader effort by the Trump administration targeting universities over allegations of anti-Semitism, with dozens of other institutions facing similar scrutiny.

Pro-Palestinian Protests Continue At Columbia University In New York City

Columbia Axes 180 Staff After Trump Cuts $400 Million In Federal Funding

Anti-Semitism

Columbia University

Education

Pro-Hamas

Protest

Trump Administration

U.S.

Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz’s daughter, Hope Walz, took to TikTok to claim she had been accepted to an unidentified institution for graduate school but turned down the opportunity. 
She outlined her reasons, which included how the unnamed institution purportedly dealt with student protests.
&#8220;I got into grad school. I will not be attending,” she <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@hopewalz/video/7487343154367155498">began</a>. “I applied for one school. I kind of had my heart set on it. I am not going to name the institution, but given recent events, I am not going to give my money, go into debt for, or support institutions that do not support students and the right to protest and speak out for their communities,&#8221; Hope said in the TikTok clip.
&#8220;Students deserve to be protected. I am not worried about if I were to be protected or not at said institution. I am, you know, [a] privileged white woman. But I am not going to put myself in the position where I am giving money or supporting institutions that don&#8217;t support their students,&#8221; she continued.
Hope, 24, said she plans to “do a little bit more research” to make sure she’s applying to schools that “align with my values.” 
Many viewers reacted to her announcement and reasoning on social media. 
“One less unhinged white liberal woman on campus supporting Hamas terrorists and threatening innocent students who disagree with her insanity. Another win!” one reaction on X <a href="https://x.com/BasedSavannah/status/1906440853188735316">said</a>. 
“The poster child for an insufferable liberal,” another <a href="https://x.com/tcb_yup/status/1906343547571245082">agreed</a>. 
Her declaration coincides with many universities making headlines for their response to student-led protests for various issues, including anti-Israel demonstrations, which sometimes become violent. 
President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration revoked more than $400 million in federal funding from Columbia University due to its failure to protect students from anti-Semitism. This prompted the university to change its policies on discrimination and unauthorized protests, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-draws-a-red-line-on-anti-semitism-will-universities-listen">reported</a>.

Tim Walz Hope Walz

Tim Walz’s Daughter Claims She Won’t Attend Grad School Because Students Have No ‘Right To Protest’

antisemitism

College

Students

Tim Walz

A man was arrested in Idaho over the weekend after he allegedly drove into a pro-Trump counter-protester outside of a Tesla dealership as a group of people gathered to protest Elon Musk and the Trump administration&#8217;s government cuts.
Christopher Talbot, 70, was arrested after allegedly hitting a 49-year-old man at the anti-Musk rally on Saturday, ABC News <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/man-strikes-tesla-counter-protester-vehicle-idaho-police/story?id=120308032" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. According to police, &#8220;Reports indicate the victim had been driving a truck with pro-Trump flags and had just parked and exited his vehicle when Talbot struck him with his car.&#8221; The victim drove himself to the hospital after sustaining non-life-threatening injuries, according to officials.
Around 30 anti-Musk demonstrators showed up to the Idaho dealership on Saturday and were met by 200 counter-protesters, according to the Meridian Police Department. Authorities alleged that Talbot &#8220;made an obscene gesture&#8221; toward the pro-Trump counter-protester before hitting him with his car. Talbot was arrested at his home after police traced his license plate number. He was booked into the Ada County Jail and charged with one count of aggravated battery, which is a felony.
In a statement, the police department urged people &#8220;to respect everyone&#8217;s right to protest and express their 1st Amendment Rights without resorting to violence.&#8221;
While most of the protests have remained peaceful, some anti-Musk demonstrators have resorted to violence to protest Musk&#8217;s influence on government spending cuts. Last week, an incendiary device was <a href="https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/incendiary-devices-found-at-austin-tesla-showroom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found</a> inside a Tesla showroom in Austin, Texas, and had to be promptly removed by a police bomb squad. In Las Vegas earlier this month, a suspect allegedly <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/nevada-resident-arrested-and-charged-connection-violent-tesla-arson-las-vegas">lit two Tesla vehicles on fire</a> and shot at them at a Tesla facility in what law enforcement officials described as a “<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/man-arrested-after-setting-teslas-fire-las-vegas/story?id=120220369" target="_blank" rel="noopener">targeted attack</a>.” Numerous videos posted online have also shown perpetrators keying and damaging parked Tesla vehicles.
In one instance, anti-Musk protesters were <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/man-charged-assault-tesla-dealership-driving-car-protesters-rcna197746" target="_blank" rel="noopener">targeted</a> while demonstrating when a man in Florida was arrested and charged with assault for allegedly driving a car toward a crowd of protesters. No one was injured in the incident, but according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff&#8217;s Office, &#8220;The protestors had to move out of the way in order to avoid being struck by the vehicle.&#8221;
Numerous anti-Musk protests have popped up across the country as groups often gather near Tesla dealerships to protest the electric car company owner and senior Trump adviser. On Saturday, over 200 organized &#8220;Tesla Takedown&#8221; protests took place in the United States, Canada, and Europe, CNN reported. A Business Insider reporter who attended two Tesla protests in Michigan <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/takeaways-tesla-takedown-protests-michigan-2025-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> that the protesters &#8220;were primarily people over the age of 65, white, and retired from jobs that depended on public funding as teachers, professors at local universities, and social workers.&#8221;

Tesla Protest

Man Hits Pro-Trump Counter-Protester With Car At Demonstration Outside Of Tesla Dealership: Police

Crime

Elon Musk

Idaho

Tesla

Secretary of State Marco Rubio strongly pushed back on claims that the United States did something wrong after he stripped a foreign national of their student visa because of the individual&#8217;s support for Hamas, a designated terrorist organization, and his participation in anti-Semitic activities at Columbia University.
Rubio told reporters on Wednesday that the individual came into the U.S. on a visa, which means they are a visitor in the country.
&#8220;We can deny you that visa,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We can deny you that if you tell us when you apply, &#8216;Hi, I&#8217;m trying to get into the United States on a student visa. I am a big supporter of Hamas, a murderous, barbaric group that kidnaps children, that rapes teenage girls, that takes hostages, that allows them to die in captivity, that returns more bodies than live hostages.'&#8221;
&#8220;If you tell us that you are in favor of a group like this, and if you tell us when you apply for your visa, &#8216;and by the way, I intend to come to your country as a student and rile up all kinds of anti-Jewish student, anti-Semitic activities, I intend to shut down your universities,'&#8221; he continued. &#8220;If you told us all these things when you applied for a visa, we would deny your visa.&#8221;
Rubio explained that anyone in the U.S. on a visa who engages in that type of activity will be removed from the country.
&#8220;This is not about free speech,&#8221; he said. &#8220;This is about people that don&#8217;t have a right to be in the United States to begin with. No one has a right to a student visa. No one has a right to a green card, by the way. So when you apply for a student visa or any visa to enter the United States, we have a right to deny you for virtually any reason.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecRubio</a> on arrest of Mahmoud Khalil: &quot;This is not about free speech. This is about people that don&#39;t have a right to be in the United States to begin with. No one has a right to a student visa. No one has a right to a green card.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/eej8vyBLKm">pic.twitter.com/eej8vyBLKm</a>
&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1899839445857100023?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

US-UKRAINE-RUSSIA-MIDDLE EAST-CONFLICT

Rubio: Pro-Terrorist, Anti-Semitic Visa Holders Will Be Removed From U.S.

Immigration

Marco Rubio

Politics

The Trump administration has canceled roughly $400 million in federal grants to Columbia University following the school&#8217;s &#8220;continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.&#8221;
The decision followed an investigation by the administration&#8217;s Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, focusing on whether the institution took “prompt and effective steps” to address harassment.
&#8220;Since October 7, Jewish students have faced relentless violence, intimidation, and anti-Semitic harassment on their campuses — only to be ignored by those who are supposed to protect them,&#8221; Education Secretary Linda McMahon <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/trump-administration-cancels-400-million-grants-columbia-university-rcna195373">said</a> in a statement, according to NBC News.
Columbia immediately scrambled to work with federal officials to restore the funding. &#8220;We take Columbia&#8217;s legal obligations seriously and understand how serious this announcement is and are committed to combatting antisemitism and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our students, faculty, and staff,&#8221; a university spokesperson said.
McMahon later posted on X that she had a &#8220;productive meeting&#8221; with Columbia&#8217;s interim president Katrina Armstrong.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Had a productive meeting with Columbia’s interim president Katrina Armstrong today. Look forward to working together to protect all students on their campus.
The Trump Administration will not allow the continued harassment and threats of violence against students. <a href="https://t.co/FL3YqiQWcD">https://t.co/FL3YqiQWcD</a>
&mdash; Secretary Linda McMahon (@EDSecMcMahon) <a href="https://twitter.com/EDSecMcMahon/status/1898085962330038755?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Leo Terrell, senior counsel to the assistant attorney general for civil rights and head of the Justice Department Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, called the funding cancellation &#8220;only the beginning&#8221; of the administration&#8217;s response to campus anti-Semitism.
Brian Cohen, executive director of the Kraft Center for Jewish Student Life at Columbia and Barnard, welcomed the move as a potential catalyst for change.
&#8220;Columbia has an antisemitism crisis, and for months, I have worked with faculty, staff, students, parents, and alumni to urge the administration to act quickly to address this crisis,&#8221; Cohen said. &#8220;I hope this federal action is a wake-up call to Columbia&#8217;s administration and trustees.&#8221;
Columbia has been at the center of campus controversies since anti-Israel protests began after the October 7 attack. Last spring, the university made headlines when administrators called police to clear an encampment of protesters, resulting in numerous arrests. The handling of these protests contributed to leadership changes at the university, with former president Minouche Shafik stepping down amid bipartisan criticism.
The Columbia decision represents one of the most significant financial penalties imposed on a university over the handling of campus protests, potentially setting a precedent for how the federal government addresses similar situations at other institutions.
$5 billion in grants similar to Columbia’s are under <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/03/07/us-news/trump-admin-yanks-400m-from-columbia-university-over-antisemitism/">review</a> by Terrell’s committee, per the New York Post.

Pro-Palestinian-Student-Protests-at-Columbia-University

Trump Admin Slashes Columbia Funding, Citing Inaction On Anti-Semitic Harassment On Campus

Scott Hayes, 48, says he will likely have to go to trial for shooting an anti-Israel man who tackled him after a district attorney backed away from finalizing a disposition to resolve the case outside the courtroom.
Hayes was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and released on a $5,000 bail on September 13 after he shot Caleb Gannon, who charged through traffic and tackled Hayes in Newton, Massachusetts. Hayes pleaded not guilty and said shooting Gannon in the stomach was an act of self-defense.
“I am demanding a trial because the district attorney’s office continues to miss deadlines, go back on agreements, and play with my life,” Hayes said. “If they think they have a strong case — which they don’t — I’ll see you in court.”
Hayes, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/disabled-veteran-loses-job-after-shooting-anti-israel-attacker">who lost his job</a> over the incident, spent the last few months working out terms with the office of Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan. According to Hayes, Ryan’s office and Hayes’ legal team worked out terms for a “pretrial probation” (PTB) with no admission of liability, which would suspend Hayes’ license to carry during the period and require him to complete a de-escalation course and stay away from Gannon.
The point of contention is whether Hayes should stay out of Newton, the town where Gannon resides. Hayes believes that the condition is unnecessary, and that he should not have to stay out of the major Boston suburb, where he has many friends. The two sides were supposed to argue to a judge on Tuesday, until Hayes’ lawyer was informed that the DA’s office cancelled the hearing.
Ryan’s office ignored requests about the reason for the cancellation of the meeting on Tuesday and instead said the case hearing is scheduled for March 20.
Immediately after his release on bail, Hayes was required to wear a GPS ankle monitor, which flagged him several times for violating the stay-out-of-Newton order each time he traveled on the Mass Pike (I-90) for doctor appointments, as the highway runs through Newton. In October, a judge removed the ankle monitor requirement and his restrictions from being in Newton.
“It’s absurd that they want to now restrict me from Newton while I have been free to travel there for five months without any incidents,” Hayes told The Daily Wire.
In a video obtained by The Daily Wire, Gannon is seen yelling at the pro-Israel protesters Hayes was with at a busy intersection and accusing them of “supporting genocide.” He then began to charge across the street until Hayes stepped onto the street with the hand on his waistband, where his lawfully possessed firearm was secured in a holster under his shirt, according to a motion filed by Hayes’ attorney. 
“Hayes did not brandish or even remove his gun from this holster, yet Gannon knew that Hayes had a gun, shouting ‘Are you carrying a f***ing gun?” the motion reads. “Hayes acknowledged that he did have a gun.”
Gannon backed away while making obscene gestures, while Hayes started to dial 911 on his phone. This is when Gannon rushed through traffic and tackled Hayes, as caught on a video <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-man-with-pro-palestinian-pin-shot-after-tackling-pro-israel-veteran">provided to The Daily Wire</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BREAKING: Anti-Israel man shot in stomach after charging through traffic to tackle a man at a pro-Israel demonstration outside Boston in Newton, Massachusetts.
Footage obtained exclusively by <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KassyAkiva</a>: <a href="https://t.co/nsGN3MQVAO">pic.twitter.com/nsGN3MQVAO</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1834398206056100156?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
According to court documents, Hayes was face down on the sidewalk while Gannon was on top of him and choking him with his right arm, while trying to reach for Hayes’ gun with his left. Hayes then unholstered his gun and fired one shot at Gannon’s midsection. The documents go on to claim that Gannon still tried to grab Hayes’ gun after being shot and at one point “was able to turn the gun barrel toward Hayes’ face.”
In another video after the incident, Hayes used his military training to give first aid to Gannon while telling bystanders to call 911.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
In another video, the man who fired the gun is seen providing medical care to the man who tackled him before first responders arrived. <a href="https://t.co/wMtoowakr9">pic.twitter.com/wMtoowakr9</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1834399006341918961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
The Middlesex District Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Gannon, 31, was charged in Newton District Court in December <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/anti-israel-attacker-to-be-charged-months-after-he-tackled-disabled-veteran-and-was-shot">and pleaded</a> not guilty to the charge of assault and battery. He was allowed to go free on personal recognizance. <a href="https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/man-shot-at-newton-pro-israel-rally-appears-in-court-on-assault-and-battery-charge/3588738/">According to his lawyer</a>, he spent 38 days in the hospital and nearly died from his injuries. 
He has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/man-charged-with-assault-of-pro-israel-veteran-called-for-destruction-of-the-united-states">a history</a> of inflammatory social media posts where he advocated for the destruction of the United States, refused to denounce Hamas, and labeled murdered American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin as a terrorist who “got what he deserved.”
“I don’t condemn Hamas. I condemn my family,” Gannon wrote in one post about the terrorist group that killed, raped, or took hostage over 1,000 citizens from Israel on October 7.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Caleb Gannon, the man who tackled Scott Hayes and was shot, has a X history of calling for the destruction of America and says he does not condemn Hamas. <a href="https://t.co/t11GcY5eFv">pic.twitter.com/t11GcY5eFv</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1834709152964268315?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
Gannon’s father told the police that his son is mentally unstable and possibly autistic after the incident, The <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/09/14/metro/newton-shooting-scott-hayes-caleb-gannon-israel-hamas-war/">Boston Globe</a> reported.
Though not Jewish, Hayes says he believes it’s important to use his voice to call for the release of the 101 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and to stand up to anti-Semitism in the United States.
“If my life has to be ruined for trying to help the Jewish people to survive, then that’s the price,” he told The Daily Wire. “It’s a much bigger issue than me. What happened to me brought a lot of local Jewish people together and got them out and active because of the reality of what’s happening.”

Cover images-5

DA Backs Away From Deal To Keep Scott Hayes From Going To Trial For Shooting Anti-Israel Attacker

anti-Israel

Guns

Massachusetts

About 500 Maine residents on Saturday gathered in front of the State House to protest Democrat Governor Janet Mills&#8217; refusal to keep men out of female sports and spaces.
Earlier this month, Mills <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-spars-with-maines-dem-governor-over-men-in-womens-sports-at-white-house?topStoryPosition=undefined" target="_blank" rel="noopener">clashed</a> with President Donald Trump at the White House, telling POTUS she will not enforce his orders on gender and would see him &#8220;in court&#8221; over the issue. The heated exchange between the pair was sparked by the news of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/boy-wins-girls-pole-vault-championship-in-maine-days-after-state-pledged-to-defy-trump-order" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a transgender-identifying high school boy taking first place in girls’ pole vaulting</a> at Maine’s Class B state championship — a win that helped the high school take first place overall.
The protest against Mills garnered about 500 people, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RepresentativeKatrinaSmith/videos/955196423402704" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to State Rep. Katrina Smith, and seems to have sparked organically, with the help of a resident-created &#8220;March Against Mills&#8221; Facebook event and a Change.org petition. The protest comes in stark contrast with an event held last week in support of Mills, which reportedly brought out &#8220;<a href="https://www.wmtw.com/article/dozens-rally-behind-gov-mills-at-state-house-following-exchange-with-president-trump/63893090" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dozens</a>&#8221; of supporters.
&#8220;Huge turnout in Augusta to march for women&#8217;s equality in sports,&#8221; The Maine Wire reported Saturday, captioning footage from the event.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Huge turnout in Augusta to march for women&#8217;s equality in sports: <a href="https://t.co/6s05NrqwaK">pic.twitter.com/6s05NrqwaK</a>
— The Maine Wire (@TheMaineWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheMaineWire/status/1895869592058413432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
&#8220;A large protest organized by grassroots activists has developed at the State House in Maine in opposition to Maine Gov. Janet Mills continuing to force girls to play sports against male athletes,&#8221; investigative reporter Steve Robinson posted to X, sharing photos of the protest.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A large protest organized by grassroots activists has developed at the State House in Maine in opposition to Maine Gov. Janet Mills continuing to force girls to play sports against male athletes. <a href="https://t.co/x6bQvrxB2p">pic.twitter.com/x6bQvrxB2p</a>
— Steve Robinson (@BigSteve207) <a href="https://twitter.com/BigSteve207/status/1895867761957748832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Huge turnout in Augusta to march for women&#8217;s equality in sports: <a href="https://t.co/6s05NrqwaK">pic.twitter.com/6s05NrqwaK</a>
— The Maine Wire (@TheMaineWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheMaineWire/status/1895869592058413432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
A &#8220;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/s/march-against-mills/644580324641604/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">March Against Mills</a>&#8221; Facebook event organizing the protest says that Mills&#8217; transgender policies do not align with her residents&#8217; values and underscores the need to &#8220;hold our elected officials accountable.&#8221;
&#8220;Maine citizens are deeply dissatisfied with the policies introduced by our Governor, Janet Mills,&#8221; the Facebook post reads. &#8220;I believe strongly that her policies are not in alignment with the wishes and values of the majority of Mainers. The feeling of disconnect between the populace and leadership is palpable and widespread.&#8221;
&#8220;Various statistics underline rural-urban divide that has been exacerbated by the Governor&#8217;s decisions,&#8221; it continues. &#8220;Example: keeping boys out of female sports.&#8221;
&#8220;It is imperative that we hold our elected officials accountable. I implore you to come show your support and protest against Mills to get her out of her elected seat! These politicians are supposed to work for us, not for themselves and their agenda!&#8221; the post concludes. &#8220;Together we can work to ensure our government truly represents us all.&#8221;
The event was promoted on a <a href="https://www.change.org/p/initiate-the-recall-of-governor-janet-mills" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Change.org petition</a> calling for Mills&#8217; resignation. The petition, which currently has more than 23,000 signatures, was started by a woman named Melissa Moulton, who is also one of the organizers of the &#8220;March Against Mills&#8221; Facebook event.
Since Maine has made clear that they will continue to allow males in female spaces, Trump has said publicly that he’ll be withholding federal funds from Maine and the United States Departments of Education and Agriculture have launched Title IX investigations into the state.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/i-will-not-be-silenced-democrats-censure-maines-laurel-libby-for-calling-out-trans-sports-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">‘I Will Not Be Silenced’: Democrats Censure Maine’s Laurel Libby For Calling Out Trans Sports Policy</a>

President Trump Meets With Governors At The White House

Hundreds Show Up To Protest Maine Gov. Janet Mills Over Trans Sports Policy

Maine

Social Issues

Transgender Athletes

Protesters have apparently determined that the most effective way to protest President Donald Trump’s changes at The Kennedy Center is by doing an interpretive dance around the building. Yes, really.
In a <a href="https://x.com/NicholasBallas/status/1892275231063933279">video</a> that surfaced on Wednesday on X, some 30-plus people all walked in a single-file line outside the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, moving in sync as they waved their arms up and down in the air like birds to music playing in the background.
At one point in the clip, the group stopped walking and began waving their arms in a circular motion. They then waved like a person would wave to a crowd, played an invisible violin, and then took a stance apparently like they would to defend themselves from being punched. 
Videos of the protest were all very strange and many people on social media caught wind of it and mocked the silliness of the performance protest.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Video of Democrats protesting the Trump administration at the Kennedy Center via interpretive dance. <a href="https://t.co/meT5Aj6bG3">pic.twitter.com/meT5Aj6bG3</a>
— Nick Ballas (@NicholasBallas) <a href="https://twitter.com/NicholasBallas/status/1892275231063933279?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
“BREAKING: Liberals are dancing and singing in protest to ‘save’ the Kennedy Center. Do these people have jobs?” one person wrote.
Another added, “HAHAHAHAHA libs are dancing at the Kennedy Center to protest the Trump takeover.”
While a third wrote, “LMAO. Liberals are protesting to ‘save’ The Kennedy Center.”
A fourth added, “NEW: Anti-Trump interpretative dance. Yes, seriously.”
One person even pointed out the line of buses that could be seen in the video and wrote, “Protestors at Kennedy Center are so CRINGE! BTW…..Who paid for those buses?&#8221;
One of the organizers of the protest, dancer and educator Kelly King, called The Nelken Line performance, “symbolic in that we&#8217;re moving in unison. And there&#8217;s something just compelling to see a straight line of movers dancing this way in a march,” <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/02/18/nx-s1-5300155/trump-dance-performance-protest-kennedy-center-nelken-line">NPR</a> noted.
&#8220;They were unsure of what they were going to encounter with us,&#8221; she added about the security at the center. &#8220;And as I spoke to them individually and they saw what we were doing, they realized that we were certainly not a threat. And I think perhaps by the end they were entertained.&#8221;
King told the outlet that the group decided to protest due to concerns that after Trump’s takeover as chairman of the board, diversity like what was represented in their dance might not continue.
However, a spokesperson for the Kennedy Center said, &#8220;There have not been changes made to the Center&#8217;s dance programming nor are there any changes planned.&#8221; 
The protest comes after Trump’s announcement that he had terminated most members of the Board of Trustees at the Kennedy Center — including Chairman David Rubenstein — and had taken over the role himself, as previously reported.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/actress-issa-rae-backs-out-of-performing-at-kennedy-center-after-trump-becomes-chair" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Actress Issa Rae Backs Out Of Performing At Kennedy Center After Trump Becomes Chair</a>

Donald Trump Hosts Hispanic Roundtable In Nevada

WATCH: Protesters Plan To ‘Save’ Kennedy Center With Interpretive Dance. Yes, Really.

WATCH: Protesters Plan To 'Save' Kennedy Center With Interpretive Dance. Yes, Really.

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UCLA issued an interim suspension to two pro-Palestinian student organizations on Wednesday after masked protesters allegedly vandalized Regent Jay Sures’ Brentwood home last week and reportedly harassed his wife.
Chancellor Julio Frenk announced that the two groups could no longer hold on-campus meetings, apply for funding, or formally associate with UCLA while officials <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-02-12/ucla-suspends-students-for-justice-in-palestine-jay-sures-protest">investigate</a> their alleged misconduct, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Frenk described the alleged harassment in a campus <a href="https://chancellor.ucla.edu/messages/a-stand-against-violence-in-our-community">update</a> on Wednesday:
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<blockquote>On February 5, 2025, individuals affiliated with the student groups harassed Mr. Sures and members of his family outside his home.</blockquote>
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<blockquote>Individuals surrounded the vehicle of a Sures family member and prevented that family member’s free movement.</blockquote>
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<blockquote>Individuals pounded on drums, chanting and holding signs with threatening messages such as “Sures you will pay, until you see your final day.”</blockquote>
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<blockquote>Individuals vandalized the Sures home by applying red-colored handprints to the outer walls of the home and hung banners on the property’s hedges.</blockquote>
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“This is not about me. I’m the target but this is about protecting every member of our community from intimidation and hate,” Sures said.
The Los Angeles Police Department is reportedly examining potential criminal charges stemming from the incident, and the university’s conduct proceedings for both organizations have no set end date.
The interim ban follows a trend of other University of California campuses halting the activities of Students for Justice in Palestine. UC Santa Cruz placed the group under suspension until 2026, with UC Irvine enacting a restriction through 2029. At UC San Diego, the organization faced charges related to campus disruptions last spring and did not renew its official status for the current academic year.
Kira Stein, who leads the Jewish Faculty Resilience Group at UCLA, welcomed the move. “We have a long list of SJP violations of university rules and regulations that we have been sharing with the administration,” Stein said, asserting that the group’s actions amount to “intimidation, harassment, and inflammatory disinformation.”
Meanwhile, the union representing university law enforcement encouraged UCLA officials “to demand prosecution” for any illegal conduct and emphasized that administrative responses should deter incidents that cross legal boundaries.
“Universities cannot allow lawlessness under the guise of activism,” said Wade Stern, who serves as the president of the Federated University Police Officers&#8217; Association.
The two student activist groups swiftly responded to UCLA&#8217;s decision on social media, describing the action as “crazy” and encouraging supporters to closely watch for updates.
In prior statements online, the organizations accused the UC system of “militarizing” campuses to stifle demonstrations, and they repeated calls for the university to cut financial ties with certain funds, weapons manufacturers, and other holdings allegedly linked to Israel.
University leaders, however, have publicly affirmed they do not intend to pursue divestment.

UCLA Pro-Palestine protest

‘A Stand Against Violence’: UCLA Suspends Two Pro-Palestinian Student Orgs

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Rep. Maxine Dexter (D-OR) made vulgar remarks at a protest on Tuesday as Democrats look to gain traction in their attempts to stop President Donald Trump&#8217;s momentum after coming back into power.
She made the remarks outside the U.S. Capitol at the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) &#8220;Rally To Save The Civil Service.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;m a doctor from Oregon and a proud former UFCW member where I got my start,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I am proud to be part of this labor family, and so grateful for the strong position you all are taking, holding the line, protecting working families.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;m going to tell you that we do have to — I don&#8217;t swear in public very well — but we have to f*** Trump!&#8221; she yelled.
&#8220;Please, don&#8217;t tell my children that I just did that,&#8221; she added.
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Democrat Maxine Dexter Rages At Trump During Rally: ‘We Have To F**k Trump’" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UFmURkWET9w?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Other House Democrats made similar remarks during the event, including Rep. Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), who said: &#8220;We are going to beat—I was going to say ‘f***,’ but no.&#8221;
&#8220;I’m not going to say that,&#8221; she said. &#8220;We are going to beat and we’re going to pull him down.&#8221;
Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) joined in, saying &#8220;f*** Donald Trump&#8221; and &#8220;Elon Musk,&#8221; according to the <a href="https://freebeacon.com/democrats/watch-we-have-to-f-k-trump-congresswoman-says-as-democrats-struggle-to-form-focused-message/">Free Beacon</a>.
The remarks from congressional Democrats come as Trump and Elon Musk, who is leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) project, look to gut wasteful spending in government departments and agencies.
Democrats have raged over the cuts to programs and buyout offers of federal employees, many of whom are Democrats.

Democrat Maxine Dexter: ‘We Have To F*** Trump!’

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U.S. Capitol

Anti-<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/israel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Israel</a> protesters chased law enforcement officials out of a park next to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/white-house" target="_blank" rel="noopener">White House</a> on Saturday as thousands of people gathered to call on President Joe Biden to cut military aid to Israel and demand a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip war against Hamas.
Reporter Julio Rosas posted <a href="https://x.com/Julio_Rosas11/status/1799490347543773336" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a> to X showing the encounter as chants of &#8220;You have to leave&#8221; morphed into &#8220;F*** the police&#8221; while some demonstrators followed authorities making their way through the crowd in Lafayette Park in Washington, D.C.
&#8220;Anti-Israel protesters formed a mob and chased US Park Police and Secret Service out of Lafayette Square after officers apparently tried to arrest someone,&#8221; Rosas said. &#8220;Police are no longer inside the park and are on the boundaries of the protest.&#8221;
Ford Fischer, editor-in-chief of News2Share, posted a <a href="https://x.com/FordFischer/status/1799496091148157064" target="_blank" rel="noopener">thread</a> to X showing the moment that police tried to make an arrest.
&#8220;A crowd surrounded them chanting &#8216;let her go!&#8217; and struggled with officers, who deployed mace against protesters and press,&#8221; Fischer said.
&#8220;Protesters surrounding and resisting the police cheered as a relatively rare moment occurred: The arrestee (whose hands had been cuffed behind their back) was able to leave, unarrested,&#8221; he added. &#8220;It&#8217;s not clear to me if they were uncuffed and/or later rearrested.&#8221;
Other clips posted to X by Rosas, who was reporting for The Blaze, showed protesters carrying flags and banners showing support for the Palestinians. They climbed onto statues in the park, which were defaced with graffiti, and set off a red smoke bomb.
Oliya Scootercaster of Freedom News TV posted <a href="https://x.com/ScooterCasterNY/status/1799527340881408033" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a> of protesters chanting &#8220;F*** you fascist&#8221; and throwing various objects at a man she identified as a park ranger standing next to one of the statues. Another showed protesters unfurling a red banner meant to surround the White House and depict their &#8220;<a href="https://x.com/ScooterCasterNY/status/1799510687690965312" target="_blank" rel="noopener">red line</a>&#8221; on the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Among the more gruesome images, as shown in <a href="https://x.com/ScooterCasterNY/status/1799536885661946155" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a> credited to &#8220;NewYorkCityPeople&#8221; on X, was a man holding what appeared to be a Biden face mask that was made to look bloody and someone else burning a small American flag with a lighter.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AK) condemned the anti-Israel protesters and pressed for the sort of federal crackdown seen in response to the U.S. Capitol breach on January 6, 2021.
&#8220;Anti-American, pro-Hamas thugs desecrated the statues of our veterans literally across the street from the White House, a blatant violation of federal law. On video,&#8221; Cotton <a href="https://x.com/SenTomCotton/status/1799769437408497779" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X. &#8220;I expect the Department of Justice to use every technique against them that it used against grandmas in MAGA hats.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Anti-American, pro-Hamas thugs desecrated the statues of our veterans literally across the street from the White House, a blatant violation of federal law. On video. I expect the Department of Justice to use every technique against them that it used against grandmas in MAGA hats… <a href="https://t.co/0eSYzgNjmD">pic.twitter.com/0eSYzgNjmD</a>
&mdash; Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenTomCotton/status/1799769437408497779?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Biden was not at the White House at the time of the protest. He travelled to France to <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2024/06/06/remarks-by-president-biden-commemorating-the-80th-anniversary-of-d-day-collevile-sur-mer-france/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">commemorate</a> the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion during World War II.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators leave Palestinian flags and

Anti-Israel Protesters Chase Away Law Enforcement Near White House

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About two-thirds of students attending top-ranked universities say that anti-Semitism is a problem on campus, according to a new poll.
The data comes after pro-Palestinian and pro-Hamas protests have roiled university campuses in recent weeks. Administrators have shut down campuses and canceled events over the demonstrations, some of which have taken over campus buildings and resulted in hundreds of arrests.
Amid the chaos, 67% of students at the <a href="https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">top 25 universities</a> ranked by U.S. News &amp; World Report said anti-Semitism is a problem on campus. Fourteen percent of students identified anti-Semitism as a “huge problem,” and 53% called it a “small problem,” according to a <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2024-05-13/poll-students-at-top-universities-call-antisemitism-a-problem" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. News &amp; World Report</a> survey.
When asked if students feel more or less safe because of the campus demonstrations, more than a third of students, 38%, reported feeling less safe. Twenty-eight percent said they felt “a little less safe,” and 10% reported feeling “much less safe.”
“The campus has never been immune from anti-Semitism,” Pamela Nadell, director of Jewish studies at American University, told U.S. News &amp; World Report. “The outbursts that we’ve had since Oct. 7 have a long, long history.”
“Every time events erupt in Israel, they trickle out into the U.S.,” Nadell continued. “We’ll see a slow build and then have an explosion. The difference in this moment is the breadth of the explosion.”
“In this case, the explosion is ostensibly against the war, but it so often morphs into tropes that are deeply anti-Semitic. And I think what is not surprising but what is so deeply disturbing is that opposition to the war has morphed into repetition of classic anti-Semitic tropes, and it targets not Israel and not Israeli policies, but it targets Jewish students,” she said.
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Polls suggest that the campus demonstrators’ antics and behavior are sparking a backlash and hurting support for their cause.
Results of a Generation Lab survey <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/poll-finds-most-college-students-against-anti-israel-protest-tactics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> earlier this month found that roughly two-thirds of students believed demonstrators should not occupy campus buildings to protest. Nine out of ten students surveyed said that protesters should not block pro-Israel students from parts of campus. Eighty-one percent of students said that protesters should be held accountable for destroying, vandalizing, or illegally occupying buildings.

Pro-Palestinian protest

Majority Of Students At Top-Ranking Universities Say Anti-Semitism A Problem On Campus

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