Velshi An ‘Unconstitutional Conspiracy’
Jan 18, 2026
Michael Roth, a university president and advocate for academic freedom, discusses the crucial role of universities in protecting free speech. U.S. Representative Adam Smith critiques Trump's erratic foreign policy maneuvers, particularly regarding Venezuela and Greenland. Economics professor Justin Wolfers warns about the implications of Trump's tariffs and their potential illegality, highlighting the threats to Federal Reserve independence. Together, they unravel the intertwining issues of free speech, foreign policy, and economic integrity in today's climate.
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Court Calls Deportations Free Speech Suppression
- Judge William G. Young ruled the Trump administration's deportations were an unconstitutional suppression of speech.
- He warned a presidency that punishes dissent risks becoming authoritarian and shrinking free expression spaces like universities.
Students Detained For Campus Protests
- Rumeisa Ozturk was seized by masked officers, held over a thousand miles away, and accused of no crime until court-ordered release.
- Mahmoud Khalil, a lawful permanent resident, was detained for months and targeted under a rare foreign-policy deportation authority.
Judge Labels Targeting An Unconstitutional Conspiracy
- Judge Young described senior officials' coordinated targeting as an "unconstitutional conspiracy."
- He carefully used the term "authoritarian" for the president, saying Article II powers were being treated as a command structure.
