Extortion!

That is what it is... pure and simple extortion. You give me what I want and I will not tie you up in court. That is Trump's MO and it worked.

Legal community shaken by a powerful law firm's decision to give in to Trump's demands

President Donald Trump rescinded his executive order targeting Paul Weiss — after the law firm agreed to certain conditions.

NBC News

By Ryan J. Reilly and Lawrence Hurley

March 21, 2025

On Thursday, the powerful law firm Paul Weiss caved.

It agreed to give Donald Trump’s administration $40 million in free legal work for causes the president supports and, according to a social media post from Trump, get rid of any internal diversity, equity and inclusion policies.

In response, Trump rescinded his executive order that targeted the firm and could have cost it significant business.

STOP Right there! "...rescinded his executive order that targeted..." to me that sounds an awful lot like extortion.

The agreement shocked many in the legal community, and for Rachel Cohen, an associate at another large firm — Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP — it was the final straw.

Yeah, well it shocks me! And it is not just me that's upset... it is the legal profession!

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Now the dean of Columbia University said...

Columbia Journalism Dean Says His Comments on Self Censorship Were Meant to Protect Foreign Students

Jelani Cobb told students, “nobody can protect you. These are dangerous times” in a meeting earlier this week 

The Wrap

By Ross A. Lincoln

March 13, 2025

In a statement Thursday night Jelani Cobb, dean of Columbia Journalism School, said that comments he made this week that critics blasted as effective surrender to Donald Trump’s war on immigrants and the press were taken out of context by the New York Times. They were intended to protect foreign students, he says, and not intended as a directive to journalist.

On Wednesday, the New York Times published an account of an off-the-record meeting held Tuesday at Columbia with journalim students, where Cobb and adjuct professor Stuart Karle addressed concerns about Trump’s attacks on the university, and his administration’s detainment of recent Columbia grad Mahmoud Khalil.

During the meeting, Karle warned students with foreign visas, “if you have a social media page, make sure it is not filled with commentary on the Middle East.” According to NYT, when one Palestinian student objected, Cobb said, “Nobody can protect you. These are dangerous times.”

Killing the First Amendment!