The administration giveth and the administration taketh away. Trump Brags He “Brought Back Free Speech” Hours After Calling to Ban “Illegal” Protests

Amid a slew of actions to chill speech and root out political opponents from federal agencies, Trump claimed that his administration had “stopped all government censorship and brought back free speech in America.” Earlier on Tuesday, Trump threatened to cut funding from schools that allow “illegal” protests.

Since taking office, Trump has signed executive orders to threaten to deport students who take part in pro-Palestine and anti-genocide protests and announced a list of schools that will receive visits from the Department of Justice over their handling of campus protests. He has also eliminated civil rights work and diversity and equity initiatives across federal agencies, and made plans to defund schools that teach “discriminatory equity ideology,” which includes teaching basic facts about racism in U.S. history like the idea that “the United States is fundamentally racist, sexist, or otherwise discriminatory.”