president donald trump
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Harvard University publicly rebuked the Trump administration’s demands for the school to eliminate diversity efforts and screen international students.
On Monday (April 14), Harvard University responded to a letter it received from the Trump administration on Friday (April 11) which demanded that the university eliminate its diversity, equity, and inclusion programs as well as to screen international students for potential support of antisemitism, terrorism, and “the American values and institutions inscribed in the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence.” Harvard emphatically rebuked the demands, writing in a post on X, formerly Twitter: The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights. Neither Harvard nor any other private university can allow itself to be taken over by the federal government.”
“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,” Harvard President Alan Garber wrote in a statement detailing his reasoning as to why he wouldn’t comply. “Although some of the demands outlined by the government are aimed at combating antisemitism, the majority represent direct governmental regulation of the ‘intellectual conditions’ at Harvard,” he continued. In response, the Department of Education and the U.S. General Services Administration issued a statement saying that they would freeze $2.2 billion in multi-year grants and $60 million in multi-year contract value to the school.
President Donald Trump wrote a scornful reply on his Truth Social media platform on Tuesday morning (April 15): “Perhaps Harvard should lose its Tax Exempt Status and be Taxed as a Political Entity if it keeps pushing political, ideological, and terrorist inspired/supporting ‘Sickness?’ Remember, Tax Exempt Status is totally contingent on acting in the PUBLIC INTEREST!”
Harvard’s stance has compelled other schools to fight back. “This is of momentous, momentous significance,” said J. Michael Luttig, a former federal court judge and prominent conservative. “This should be the turning point in the president’s rampage against American institutions.” The Massachusetts Institute of Technology issued a statement detailing its intent to sue the government in the wake of nine international students having their visas revoked. Many applauded the school’s response. His view was echoed on social media by many, with a user named Lincs on X, formerly Twitter writing, “It’s great to see some institutions with backbone.”
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A member of the Black Americans for Trump Coalition and a Republican strategist pondered President Donald Trump’s policies on tariffs, describing the messaging around them as “chaotic.” Melik Abdul, the Black Americans for Trump Coalition member in question, spoke with CNN about the implementation of global tariffs and the effect it’s having on the nation and the economy.
Melik Abdul was a guest on CNN’s Table For Five program discussing President Donald Trump and some of the conversations he’s been having surrounding his policies, citing that people threw their support behind the longtime mogul based on the perception of his business acumen. However, Abdul appeared to be disillusioned with President Trump’s handling of the tariffs situation and didn’t meet the expectations he and others had when they voted for him.
“It is what I can only describe as a very chaotic week. Because you’re right, a lot of the things that you pointed out, Donald Trump, they were full-throated in this, and this is the thing: it was the certainty that this is going to work,” Abdul began.
He added, “And as the market got that little bump and they say, ‘See, this is what deal-making is, this is art of the deal.’ and then we see a different story. And it is the messaging where you have Donald Trump saying one thing. You may have Ka
roline Leavitt saying another thing, you may have Lutnick saying another thing, you may have [Treasury Secretary Scott] Bessent saying another thing.”
The CNN segment and Melik Abdul’s commentary can be viewed here.
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President Donald Trump announced a sweeping tariffs policy this week as part of the administration’s “Liberation Day” initiative, which kept with one of his top campaign aims. The tariffs will be set at 10% across the board as several nations, including allies, will face varying percentages of tariffs on imports.
As seen in outlets such as CNBC and CNN, President Donald Trump’s new reciprocal tariff would levy a 10% tariff on all global imports, with China, the EU, Vietnam, and Taiwan paying far larger tariffs. Sparking concerns among economic experts is how the White House has come up with its percentages, as some are saying the math doesn’t add up. Further, according to swirling reports and social media accounts, Trump has called for tariffs against remote unoccupied lands, one of which houses penguins, according to reports.
As seen on CNN, Trump intends to impose a 54% tariff on China, the second largest importer to the United States after Mexico, with the Asian superpower promising to respond with tariffs of their own. The network has also tallied several comments from other nation leaders who are all pushing back against the aggressive measures that have caused global markets to stumble in rapid succession.
As Trump spoke from the Rose Garden on Wednesday, the reciprocal tariffs will be calculated by putting together tariff rates and other economic factors that have impacted trade numbers, then dividing that number in half. Canada and Mexico will face 25 percent tariffs, which Trump says are centered around pushing back against the supposed flood of fentanyl across the northern and southern borders, with some exemptions on products under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
“The tariffs will be not a full reciprocal. I could have done that, I guess. But it would have been tough for a lot of countries,” Trump said.
The AP reports that the United States and global markets are in a tumble and not expected to recover by close today. S&P 500 Futures dipped 3.4%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 2.8%; Nasdaq fell 3.8%.
President Trump’s larger aim is to return manufacturing to America and end the nation’s reliance on global goods. The trade-off is that average American consumers and businesses will feel the pinch of costs being passed to them to make up for losses in what is already an economic storm underfoot.
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On Monday (March 31), President Donald Trump signed an executive order that was created to prohibit “exploitative ticket scalping” and introduce reforms to the way tickets are sold for events. President Donald Trump was joined by musician Kid Rock in the Oval Office, who wore a white straw fedora and a red tracksuit with bedazzled elements such as an eagle’s wings, stars, and the number “250” to mark the country’s 250th anniversary next year. “I didn’t know too much about it, but I checked it out, and this is a big problem,” Trump said to reporters gathered for the signing.
The executive order aims to cut “price-gouging by middlemen,” directing Attorney General Pam Bondi and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to ensure that those selling tickets at resale prices higher than face value comply by fulfilling rules set by the Internal Revenue Service. The order also dictates that the Federal Trade Commission work with the Attorney General’s office to make sure competition laws are enforced and that there is “price transparency at all stages of the ticket-purchase process.”
Live Nation stated support for the order and other reforms, including a strengthening of the Bots Act from 2016, which cracked down on scalpers using bots to buy tickets and resell them at a higher price. “Scalpers and bots prevent fans from getting tickets at the prices artists set, and we thank President Trump for taking them head-on,” the statement read. Under the Biden administration, the parent company of Ticketmaster was sued by the Department of Justice in 2024 for running an illegal monopoly over live events.
“Anyone who’s bought a concert ticket in the last decade, maybe 20 years — no matter what your politics are — knows that it’s a conundrum,” the “Cowboy” singer, also known as Robert James Ritchie, said, adding: “It’s kind of ridiculous. I would rather be, you know, a hero to working-class people and have them be able to come attend my shows and give them a fair ticket price. I can’t control that right now so hopefully this is a step to make that happen.” Trump hurriedly signed the order after taking questions and handed it off to Kid Rock to display, adding, “You better do well with this.”
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President Donald Trump famously quipped on the campaign trail that voters would never have to visit the polls again if he wins, signaling to his critics he intended to run for a third term. President Trump doubled down on his desire to seek a third term even though the U.S. Constitution bars this, prompting many on X to get #Obama2028 trending in support of President Barack Obama on the social media network.
In a Sunday morning (March 30) phone call appearance on NBC News, President Donald Trump was asked if he was joking about seeking a third presidential term despite the 22nd Amendment of the Constitution allowing just two four-year terms as a maximum. Lawmakers loyal to Trump have been examining resolutions and pathways to give Trump a third term, but some viewed the past comments as humorous at root.
However, Trump told host Kristen Welker, “A lot of people want me to do it. But, I mean, I basically tell them we have a long way to go, you know, it’s very early in the administration.”
Trump did say he’s focused on his time in office now, but Welker pressed about the matter, and Trump said that there are “methods” his side could examine. One is that JD Vance could run and win the presidency and hand over the reins to Trump, which the president seemed to suggest as a plan. He did not elaborate on other methods of seeking the unprecedented move for a third term.
President Barack Obama served two terms in the White House and left as one of its most popular and most criticized presidents in history. The charismatic politician has stumped for people in his party since leaving office, but has never said that he wants to return to elected office.
Still, the hope that President Obama could come back and run the nation has pushed the aforementioned hashtag along on X with additional commentary. We’ve got those reactions below.
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A new executive order from President Donald Trump is aimed at ending funding for Smithsonian museums, including the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
On Thursday (March 27), President Donald Trump issued a new executive order that squarely targets the Smithsonian Institution—specifically funding for it that promotes programs that advance “improper ideology” and “divisive narratives”. The executive order, entitled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History”, places Vice President JD Vance in charge of the effort to revamp all areas of the Smithsonian, including the National Zoo. Vance has a position on the Smithsonian Board of Regents. The news left many on social media incensed, with some calling it “whitewashing”.
The order explicitly names the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which was completed in 2016 under the administration of former President Barack Obama, the nation’s first Black president. Trump’s order claims that the NMAAHC “has proclaimed that ‘hard work,’ ‘individualism,’ and ‘the nuclear family’ are aspects of ‘White culture’.” It also re-establishes his 1776 Commission which was shelved by former President Joe Biden in 2021, along with a separate order creating a “Task Force 250” focused on creating a “grand celebration” for the nation’s 250th anniversary. Secretary of The Interior Doug Burgm
The order also signals that Trump aims to reinstall and adjust statues and monuments honoring figures from the Confederate Army of the Civil War that were changed or removed before January 1, 2020, to “perpetuate a false reconstruction of American history, inappropriately minimize the value of certain historical events or figures, or include any other improper partisan ideology.” Those statues were removed in the wake of protests over the murder of George Floyd in 2020.
The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum complex, which is composed of 21 museums – eleven are situated along the National Mall in Washington, D.C. as well as in Virginia and New York. The chief spokesperson for the Smithsonian Institution, Linda St. Thomas, said “We have no comment for now,” in an email to AP News. Former museum executive Laura Raicovich blasted the move in an interview with the New York Times: “The order itself is a clear example of the weaponization of language by the administration to undo the necessary historical correctives undertaken by knowledge institutions in recent years.”
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President Donald Trump hosted an event this week at the White House for Women’s History Month and honored some of the top women officials in his administration. During the event, President Donald Trump referred to himself as the “fertilization president” after highlighting his stances on in vitro fertilization (IVF), causing some on X to recoil in disgust.
On Wednesday (March 26), President Donald Trump held a Women’s History Month event and heaped praise upon Attorney General Pam Bondi and other key women who work alongside him. This happened in the wake of an executive order signed on Tuesday (March 25) to expand the policy on IVF access and reduce costs to patients.
The executive order is largely ceremonial, as it suggests that a domestic policy aide has three months to share recommendations to IVF policies, the Trump administration is using this moment as a time to gloat. In short, the executive order does not lower the costs of IVF or provide any inroads to helping those seeking reproductive care, but what has some turning their heads is Trump’s words regarding the order.
“We’re going to have tremendous, tremendous goodies in the bag for women too, the women between the fertilization and all of the other things that we’re talking about,” Trump said in the White House’s East Room. “It’s going to be, it’s going to be great.”
Trump added, “I’m still very proud of it, I don’t care. I’ll be known as the fertilization president, that’s not bad, that’s not bad. I’ve been called much worse.”
It appears that the president coined the nickname on the spot, and the words garnered laughter from the attendees. However, over on X, formerly Twitter, reactions to President Trump’s IVF stances and new nickname were not as favorable.
We’ve got those reactions below.
[h/t MSNBC]
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Greenland and the United States appear to have strained relations after the general perception that President Donald Trump eyes a takeover of the world’s largest island. With reports that President Trump’s national security adviser Mike Waltz will be visiting Greenland this week along with another visit from Vice President JD Vance‘s wife, Usha Vance, some online are mentioning Vance’s recent comments about the North American Denmark territory.
As reported by The Independent, Greenland’s prime minister Mute B. Egede was quoted by a local news outlet regarding Walz’s upcoming visit with U.S. energy secretary Chris Wright also in tow.
“We are now at a level where it can in no way be characterized as a harmless visit from a politician’s wife,” Egede said to Greenland’s Sermitsiaq newspaper per The Independent. “What is the national security adviser doing in Greenland? The only purpose is to demonstrate power over us.”
Egede continued, “He is Trump’s confidential and closest advisor, and his presence in Greenland alone will certainly make the Americans believe in Trump’s mission, and the pressure will increase after the visit.”
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That sentiment is an increasingly notable one considering the vice president’s comments about annexing Greenland for American needs. In a February Fox News interview, Vance said, “Here’s the thing which I think a lot of folks don’t appreciate about Greenland. It’s really important to our national security.”
For years, the United States and Denmark have held an agreement to allow the U.S. military to have a presence on the island. However, Trump wants to absorb both the island and Canada as part of the States.
On Monday (March 24), Trump continued his stances, telling reporters after a Cabinet meeting, “I think Greenland is going to be something that maybe is in our future.”
On X, the reactions to Usha Vance, Mike Waltz, and Secretary Chris Wright’s Greenland visits are in and we’ve got them listed below.
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The reelection campaign for New York City Mayor Eric Adams is facing challenges after a low fundraising total, leaving doubts about his chances.
The most recent fundraising reports for the Democratic candidates for the New York City mayoral race are in, and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams’ numbers are strikingly low. In a campaign finance document submitted on Monday (March 17), Adams’ campaign brought in $18,697. The amount was in contrast to what the campaign spent over the period between Jan. 12 to March 13, which was $160,000 – more than eight times what it raked in.
Further details for that period showed that only 43 donors contributed to Adams’ reelection campaign, and 16 donors were issued refunds. By comparison, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s campaign netted $1.5 million in donations in just about two weeks. Another primary opponent, Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, has obtained $850,000 in campaign donations from 16,000 reported donors.
Mayor Adams’ bid for reelection has been damaged by the legal drama concerning his federal corruption case. While the Department of Justice under the administration of President Donald Trump has declared intent to drop the charges, a federal judge is still needed to sign off on the decision. In the interim, many have speculated that Adams and his legal team have acquiesced to Trump’s agenda regarding immigration in New York City. He had gotten out to an early lead in fundraising, bringing in $4.4 million last year before the New York City Campaign Finance Board decided to not offer matching funds citing the case.
When asked about the shortfall at his weekly press conference, Adams dismissed concerns. “Everyone is catching up to me,” he said. “I started raising early.” The news also connects to speculation that Adams could run as an independent. When queried about that, he responded: “When I’m ready to roll out my official reannouncement and my plan, I will do so. “When I’m ready to roll out my official reannouncement and my plan, I will do so,” Adams said. “And you, I’m going to make sure all of you are invited to it.”
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Jamie Foxx had some words about the Trump administration’s anti-DEI policies and rhetoric during an interview.
The federal government under President Donald Trump has been virulently against diversity, equity, and inclusion policies (DEI) since he took office. Many are upset and vocal about those attacks, including Academy Award-winning actor Jamie Foxx. Foxx voiced his opinion in an interview with Essence at the purple carpet premiere for a new documentary by Apple+, Number One on The Call Sheet.
https://x.com/Essence/status/1900294939684331625
Foxx expressed shock over the rhetoric, seeing as how everyone loves what the Black community offers the world. “Stop playing with us,” continued Foxx. “All that DEI goofiness you talking about man, stop playing. Give us our props. Stop messing with our history. The more you erase, the more we replace. I don’t get why they so mad at us.” He then spoke about how former President Barack Obama’s presence and actions while in office made him take more pride in being Black.
“Somebody said why does it have to be ‘Black excellence’? Why not? Why not…perception is everything,” Foxx said. “You know what [Obama] did for me? He changed my perception because when I would travel the world, the world had a different perception of me as a Black man.” He then went into a quick impression of former President Obama. “They love what we do. I know y’all out there b—ng right now. Y’all love us, y’all love our music,” Foxx concluded. “If y’all talking about DEI then give some of our stuff back, like our R&B. Stop playing with us. Stop singing like us, stop dancing like us. Give us our s—t back. Nah, I’m just kidding.”
The attacks on DEI have been a constant by the Trump administration through executive orders. One recent example is the White House’s refusal to send storm relief aid to Asheville, North Carolina, due to one line in the funding plan, which read: “prioritize assistance for Minority and Women Owned Businesses (MWBE) within the scoring criteria outlined within the policies and procedures.” The move was confirmed by Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner, who said in a statement: “Once again, let me be clear DEI is dead at HUD. We will not provide funding to any program or grantee that does not comply with President Trump’s executive orders.”