Crime Today News
By Kenneth Tiven
Reality intruded in the past ten days on Donald Trump’s grand illusion that he can single-handedly remake America—and the world—by provoking or demanding change. The events of this past fortnight show that his authoritarian instincts are now meeting institutional and public resistance.
If Trump stopped tweeting and talking long enough to listen to honest advisors instead of surrounding himself with sycophants in the Oval Office, he might grasp the growing opposition to his crusade against America’s Constitution, legal values, and communities of colour.
The Judicial Spring
Like tulips piercing frozen soil, signs of democratic resilience are surfacing. The federal judiciary, public opinion polls, and even the stock market indicate that defiance of Trump’s overreach is taking root in nearly two-thirds of the nation.
Harvard University has become a lightning rod in this resistance. Faced with a coercive demand letter from the federal government—threatening to suspend $2 billion in research funding—Harvard refused to bend. Unlike Columbia University, which capitulated under similar pressure, Harvard’s nearly 400-year-old legacy of independence held firm.
Harvard has since filed lawsuits challenging the federal pressure campaign. Over 150 university presidents across the nation have endorsed its defiance. The Trump administration brushed off the demand letter as a “mistake”, but has yet to apologize for the attempt to bully academic institutions with financial blackmail and litigation threats.
Enter Musk: Architect of Chaos
Trump’s effort to reduce government to its 1930s size is being orchestrated by Elon Musk, operating completely outside formal government regulation. Backed by a Republican-controlled Congress, the federal courts remain the only barrier to their joint crusade.
Musk’s own empire is reeling. Tesla’s net income has dropped 71 percent in Q1 2025. The stock now trades at $257.15—47 percent below its all-time high. The luxury EV brand, once a liberal badge of climate concern, is now being offloaded at a loss by its core buyers due to Musk’s association with Trump.
Musk’s political investments have also yielded poor returns. His $20 million bet on a Republican judge in Wisconsin ended in a 10-point loss. His $300 million support for Trump’s 2024 campaign earned him the role of a quasi-official “consultant” on dismantling federal institutions.
Public Sentiment Turns
Recent polls show Trump’s approval rating at just 42 percent—its lowest since inauguration. A majority (57 percent) disapprove of his move to withhold university funding. An overwhelming 83 percent insist that he must obey federal court rulings, regardless of his personal disagreement.
That consensus is being tested in Judge Paula Xinis’s courtroom, where DOJ lawyers have shown repeated “bad faith” defiance. Their actions have left Kilmar Abrego Garcia, wrongfully deported, languishing in a Salvadoran prison. The Fourth Circuit’s Judge J Harvie Wilkinson III, a conservative, sharply criticized the administration’s neglect of due process. While the government hints at diplomatic steps for Garcia’s release, the court remains skeptical—citing a pattern of delay, obfuscation, and contempt.
Courts Push Back Nationwide
Elsewhere, Trump’s attempt to invoke the 18th-century Alien Enemies Act has also run aground.
- In Colorado, US District Judge Charlotte N Sweeney halted all AEA-based deportations and imposed a 21-day notice requirement, demanding due process and access to legal counsel in a language recipients understand.
- In New York, Judge Alvin Hellerstein extended similar protections, stating: “This is not the Inquisition. It’s not medieval times. This is the United States of America.”
The Rule of Law Vs The Trump Doctrine
In constitutional democracies, the law—not the whims of a strongman—defines conduct. Trump, more accustomed to unchecked control in the world of bankruptcies and branding, is discovering that government isn’t a private enterprise.
His threats to fire Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell—whom he appointed—over interest rate policy underscore his desire to override independent institutions. Legally, the president cannot dismiss the Fed Chair, a safeguard meant to insulate monetary policy from political interference.
Trump on Tariffs: A Trampoline Policy
Trump’s erratic tariff policy further reflects his impulse-driven governance. After jacking up tariffs on Chinese imports to 145 percent, he has now hinted at reducing them “substantially, but not to zero”. Treasury Secretary Steve Bessent, speaking at a private JP Morgan summit, called the escalation “unsustainable” and clarified that the administration does not seek to “decouple” from Beijing, but to strike a trade deal.
Illegal Assault on Independent Media
A federal court in Washington, DC, delivered another blow to Trump’s ambitions, ruling that the dismantling of Voice of America (VOA) and the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) was unconstitutional. The judge condemned the administration’s “arbitrary and capricious” actions, citing the absence of any legal rationale. This victory reinstates over 1,300 staffers tasked with countering disinformation abroad.
However, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty remains in limbo due to unresolved grant renewals, despite a court order. This underscores the lasting damage inflicted by Trump’s unilateral media offensive.
Conclusion
The past ten days have shattered the illusion of Trump’s omnipotence. Resistance—from courts, academia, markets, and the public—has begun to surface. While the battle is far from over, the momentum may finally be shifting. The question now is whether America’s democratic immune system can hold fast against a presidency bent on tearing it apart.
—The writer has worked in senior positions at The Washington Post, NBC, ABC and CNN and also consults for several Indian channels
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