Category: Intolerance

Trump Attacks Collins, Media at Correspondents Dinner

President Donald Trump delivered a rambling hour-long speech at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Friday, attacking journalists and media outlets while making crude jokes that largely fell flat with the assembled press corps. Trump complained openly about the “frickin’ stupid speech” written for him after a sex joke about stairs failed to generate laughs, then spent much of his time assaulting members of the media he claimed to respect.

Trump directed his harshest attacks at CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins, repeating his demand that she smile more while covering him, continuing his documented pattern of singling out female journalists with sexist remarks. CNN CEO Mark Thompson responded by defending the network’s journalists and reaffirming their constitutional right to report without government interference. Trump also branded CNN’s Jake Tapper “Fake Tapper” and called Wall Street Journal reporter Josh Dawsey “unhireable,” while mocking the network’s coverage of the Trump-Epstein saga that prompted him to file an unsuccessful $10 billion defamation suit.

Trump devoted a lengthy, humor-free section of his speech to defending his controversial $600 million White House ballroom project, complaining that opponents motivated by “Trump derangement syndrome” were suing to block it. He also joked that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wanted to serve roadkill at the dinner, and mocked President Joe Biden’s mental fitness while claiming NBC and ABC should lose their broadcast licenses for not airing his recent primetime address about alleged foreign election interference.

Trump concluded by donning a 2028 campaign hat and stating he wanted to run for another term, which the Constitution prohibits. His speech demonstrated the Trump administration’s consistent hostility toward press freedom: the White House recently withdrew demands that New York Times journalists testify about sources, the Pentagon has systematically denied media access to defense officials, and Trump has filed repeated defamation suits against news outlets covering him unfavorably.

Critics condemned the speech as demonstrating Trump’s contempt for the independent press. Former CNN anchor Jim Acosta called the dinner “a disgrace,” describing Trump’s address as “rambling, unhinged speech is full of hate and spite” targeting his usual adversaries. CBS News White House correspondent Weijia Jiang and other speakers at the event highlighted Trump’s documented efforts to intimidate and sideline journalists throughout his time in office.



(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-white-house-correspondents-dinner-jokes-b3021335.html?fbclid=IwdGRjcATRmoZwZG9mBWZkaWQWULMQihHnyqTMCaGolZV_P33h_tkIl2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR5dmA1iAOXG4ce9HsFoFF6EFz2dZ8FzuYuWP-gWoN_vildp7260a4lO81jaVA_aem_nS-QMLsOG59UP2V3IzKcdA)ideline journalists throughout his time in office.

Trump Attacks LeBron James as Racist in White House Press Conference

During a Friday White House press conference, Trump responded to Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy’s question about the greatest basketball player of all time by attacking LeBron James. When asked to choose between James and Michael Jordan, Trump declared Jordan the winner while accusing James of being “maybe he’s a racist” and stating he “only like[s] people that like me,” a transparent attempt to justify his hostility toward the athlete for his political opposition.

Trump’s animosity toward James spans years of deliberate targeting. James campaigned for Hillary Clinton in 2016, branded Trump a “bum” in 2017, and previously faced Trump attacks over an interview with CNN’s Don Lemon about opening a free school for at-risk students in his hometown. James also opposed Trump’s criticism of players kneeling during the National Anthem and endorsed Kamala Harris in 2024, further cementing Trump’s vendetta against him.

Trump’s baseless accusation of racism against James, combined with his explicit preference for people who support him, demonstrates his use of character attacks to punish political opponents and reward loyalty. The president weaponized his platform to demean James for exercising free speech and civic engagement, behavior consistent with his pattern of dehumanizing rhetoric toward Black figures who criticize him or refuse his approval.

James’ accomplishments include four NBA titles and four MVP awards across a 23-season career with multiple teams, while Jordan won six titles and five MVPs during his era. Trump’s insistence on framing the comparison through political loyalty rather than athletic merit underscores his willingness to corrupt public discourse with personal grievance.



(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/sports/trump-attacks-lebron-james-in-oval-office-rant-maybe-hes-a-racist/)

Trump EEOC Kills 60-Year Demographic Data Collection Rule

The Trump administration’s EEOC, controlled by a Republican majority, voted Tuesday to eliminate a 60-year-old federal requirement mandating that tens of thousands of private employers submit annual workforce demographic reports. The data collection, known as the EEO-1 form, has been mandatory since 1966 for companies with at least 100 employees and covers more than 50 million workers across 73,000 employers nationwide, tracking representation of women and racial minorities across job categories from executive positions to service roles.

EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas, who has promoted complaints from white men and opposed diversity initiatives, justified the elimination by falsely claiming the reporting requirement costs employers “hundreds of millions of dollars” and encourages racial discrimination. Lucas argued companies use demographic data to justify discriminatory hiring practices, despite lack of evidence supporting this claim. Former Democratic EEOC commissioners directly contradicted Lucas, stating there is “little evidence that companies are routinely using employment data to engage in quotas or race-based hiring” and calling her justification “simply inaccurate and unsupported speculation.”

The data reveals white men hold 52.7% of executive and senior management roles despite comprising one-third of the overall workforce, while Black and Hispanic women remain drastically underrepresented in senior positions. Women hold 34.5% of executive roles, up from 29.2% a decade earlier. The EEOC has used this data for 60 years to identify discrimination patterns, guide enforcement priorities, and inform investigations into the 88,000 workplace discrimination complaints it receives annually. The Trump administration did not publicly release the 2024 data it collected and has blocked collection for 2025.

The move, recommended by Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s authoritarian policy blueprint, dismantles a civil rights tool that survived 10 consecutive administrations. Democratic EEOC Commissioner Kalpana Kotagal, the sole Democrat remaining after Trump’s loyalty purges, voted against elimination, warning the commission was “turning back time to a period before the civil rights movement” and stripping the agency of its ability to protect workers. Kotagal signaled the data collection could be reinstated under future leadership.

Some large companies have already begun withdrawing their own diversity disclosures. Twenty-four companies in the S&P 100 stopped disclosing EEO-1 data in 2025 after releasing it previously, though 60 S&P 100 companies still chose transparency. Companies remain legally required under Title VII to retain demographic records subject to EEOC demand during discrimination investigations, and employment discrimination lawsuits continue regardless of federal reporting requirements.



(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/equal-employment-opportunity-commission-donald-trump-democratic-new-york-republican-b3019049.html)

Trump White House Report Attacks Smithsonian History Museum

Trump administration officials released a 162-page White House report on July 4 titled “Saving America’s Story” accusing the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History of “thinly veiled anti-Americanism” and “extreme political activism.” The report alleged the museum presents America as “a fundamentally oppressive nation” since Columbus and has been captured by ideological activists, demands that contradict the institution’s scholarly mission and documented historical record.

Lonnie Bunch, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, directly rejected the White House characterization in a memo to staff, stating the report “is not a fair characterization of the work and totality of the National Museum of American History.” The Organization of American Historians, the nation’s largest group of U.S. history scholars, similarly condemned the report as executive branch overreach designed to force the Smithsonian to reshape its historical narratives to serve the administration’s political agenda.

This attack continues Trump’s broader assault on American cultural institutions. Trump issued an executive order targeting the Smithsonian with threats of federal funding cuts, demanding the elimination of exhibitions addressing racial themes under the banner of removing “divisive, race-based ideology.” His administration has dismantled slavery exhibits, restored Confederate statues, and removed references to Trump’s two impeachments and the January 6 Capitol insurrection from the National Portrait Gallery’s presidential portrait caption.

The Smithsonian, a 180-year-old institution with independent decision-making authority, receives most of its annual budget from Congress. Trump’s threat of funding cuts represents financial coercion designed to force institutional compliance with his reframing of American history, effectively weaponizing the federal government’s fiscal power to suppress historically accurate scholarship and suppress critical examination of America’s past.

Bunch confirmed the institution is reviewing the report but has not capitulated to its demands, maintaining the museum’s commitment to evidence-based historical presentation. The White House report and Trump’s escalating pressure on the Smithsonian exemplify his systematic effort to rewrite American history by suppressing documentation of slavery, racial injustice, and his own abuses of power.



(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/smithsonian-lonnie-bunch-white-house-antiamericanism-b3011746.html?fbclid=IwdGRjcATB0XJwZG9mA2ZkaWQWUKcWlLlueT6yqdAz9CmO8le_CVm22WV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR6F5p7mqDiBrH0yzymcruco_x2Nr78eafk7-Hx6GLViZ39GmiRC_xFlNOfgsA_aem_E7tLzyd1YREWljnSzqkRTw)

Trump Demands the Supreme Court Give Him a Do-Over

President Donald Trump demanded Wednesday that the U.S. Supreme Court grant him a rehearing in the birthright citizenship case after the court rejected his executive order striking down citizenship for children born to undocumented immigrants and visa holders. The 6-3 decision upheld the 14th Amendment’s clear language granting citizenship to all persons born in the United States, with Chief Justice John Roberts writing for the majority that the constitutional text is unambiguous. Trump’s demand for immediate rehearing follows his loss in Trump v. Barbara, where four justices signaled they do not believe the Constitution necessarily bestows citizenship on people born in the U.S., exposing the court’s extremist drift.

On Truth Social, Trump falsely claimed that billboards at the southern border advertise “birthright citizenship with deliveries starting at $4000,” asserting this constitutes a crime that invalidates the court’s ruling. Trump’s false characterization contradicts his own administration’s policies: in April 2026, he introduced a “gold card” visa for foreign nationals paying at least $1 million, which explicitly fast-tracks citizenship pathways for wealthy immigrants. This hypocrisy demonstrates Trump weaponizes the courts to circumvent constitutional protections when they conflict with his authoritarian agenda.

Trump’s demand for immediate rehearing and his subsequent pressure on Congress to overturn the 14th Amendment reflect his systematic assault on constitutional limits and independent judicial authority. His attacks on the Supreme Court’s decision, combined with his demands to remake institutions through loyalty purges and judicial remaking, advance his model of permanent executive power unchecked by law or democratic processes.



(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump/trump-demands-the-supreme-court-give-him-a-do-over-asks-for-a-rehearing-immediately/)its and independent judicial authority. His attacks on the Supreme Court’s decision, combined with his demands to remake institutions through loyalty purges and judicial remaking, advance his model of permanent executive power unchecked by law or democratic processes.

Trump posts a doctored photo portraying Obamas boarding Air Force One spray-painted with graffiti | PBS News

President Trump posted a doctored image on Truth Social Sunday depicting former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama boarding Air Force One with the aircraft spray-painted with graffiti including the phrase "Yes We Can," "Obama," "BLM," and Arabic text reading "alhamdulillah" (praise be to God). The use of graffiti as a visual device carries a long history as a coded racist message associating Black people with crime and urban decay.

This fabricated image follows Trump's February post during Black History Month depicting the Obamas as primates in a jungle setting, which was deleted after bipartisan condemnation from civil rights leaders and Republican senators. Trump refused to apologize for that post and blamed staff for its creation. The new doctored photograph represents an escalation in Trump's pattern of sustained personal attacks on the former president and first lady using incendiary and racist rhetoric.

The timing of Sunday's post is particularly inflammatory given that Trump last week took his maiden voyage on a new Air Force One, a $400 million retrofitted Boeing 747-800 gifted by Qatar, redesigned with Trump's preferred navy-blue and red and gold color scheme replacing the aircraft's historic light blue hull. Trump posted the doctored image while at his Virginia golf club after spending Saturday celebrating Independence Day and the nation's 250th anniversary at the National Mall.

The post was one of multiple Sunday messages on Truth Social including a doctored image of Obama's presidential library in Chicago depicting it as surrounded by garbage and wasteland, which Trump posted twice last month with the caption "The Obama Library ten years from now will be a 'Mecca' for those who hate America!" Trump has consistently attacked the Obama library in public remarks.

Trump's Sunday posts also included a fabricated image of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni positioned beneath him with text reading "RESTRAINING ORDER NEEDED," falsely suggesting she pursued him for photographs during the recent Group of Seven summit. Meloni responded by calling Trump's account "completely fabricated," stating "Italy and I never beg," while Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani canceled a planned trip to Washington. Trump departs Monday for Turkey to attend a NATO summit with allied leaders.

(Source: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-posts-a-doctored-photo-portraying-obamas-boarding-air-force-one-spray-painted-with-graffiti?fbclid=IwdGRjcAS42OlwZG9mA2ZkaWQWUKC0BmgfJJiw6Gt0lOSLLuSnuhx2tGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR4wM5o_UQRWJutaJAZWWl404hZoJ0kbaFOXKsob9042I3coDv_2sLgZv4aEZw_aem_c6YpIXQxJj_F6kzXPPQbGw)

Trump Promotes Slave Owner Statue Near White House

President Donald Trump promoted the installation of a statue honoring Caesar Rodney, a Founding Father and slave owner, near the White House at Freedom Plaza in Washington, D.C. Trump posted on Truth Social celebrating Rodney’s midnight ride to cast the deciding vote for independence on July 2, 1776, and urged Americans to visit the statue. The bronze equestrian figure, which dates to 1923 and was removed from Wilmington, Delaware in 2020 during protests following George Floyd’s killing, was restored to public display in April at a cost exceeding $527,226 under an expedited no-bid contract administered by the National Park Service.

Rodney enslaved as many as 200 people after inheriting his father’s plantation, according to historical records, though he introduced legislation to prohibit slave importation into Delaware. City officials removed the statue in 2020 to facilitate discussion about the public display of historical figures with records of slavery and racial injustice. Trump responded by denouncing the removal as a “radical purge” and “extreme anti-American historical revisionism,” framing efforts to contextualize or relocate statues of slaveholders as erasure of history.

Trump has directed a systematic campaign to reshape how American history is presented in federal institutions through executive orders targeting what he describes as “corrosive” content. The Interior Department has been ordered to remove historical information about slavery and immigration from sites including Bunker Hill Monument in Massachusetts, while signage addressing Native American history and climate science at national parks has been targeted for elimination. These actions contradict documented historical facts and obscure ongoing impacts of slavery and colonial violence on the nation’s founding and development.

The statue’s reinstatement occurs within a broader installation titled “Spirit of 76” at Freedom Plaza that includes a 23-foot “Spirit of Liberty” sculpture and representations of Revolutionary War soldiers. The project exemplifies Trump’s strategy to control historical narrative by centralizing monuments to figures who enslaved Black Americans while erasing contextual information about slavery’s role in American history. The restoration demonstrates how Trump uses federal resources and authority to advance revisionist historical framing aligned with his political objectives.



(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-caesar-rodney-statue-slave-owner-washington-dc-b3008893.html)

Trump DOJ Investigates MLB Over Pride Night Bible Verse Cap Policy

The Trump administration’s Justice Department has opened an investigation into Major League Baseball following the organization’s reprimand of San Francisco Giants players who wrote Bible verses on their caps during the team’s Pride Night event on June 12. Giants players Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker, and Ryan Walker added religious messages to their uniforms, with Roupp inscribing “Gen 9:12-16,” a Genesis passage frequently invoked by those opposing LGBTQ rights. MLB issued a routine warning that modifying caps violates league uniform policy, clarifying the concern was the physical alteration of equipment rather than the message content.

Harmeet Dhillon, the Justice Department’s assistant attorney general for Civil Rights, escalated the matter by sending a letter to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred warning that the league had been referred to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Dhillon framed the players’ actions as religious expression, claiming MLB’s Pride-themed uniform requirements constituted unlawful religious discrimination under federal law. “The three players expressed their opposition to MLB’s pro-Pride orthodoxy,” Dhillon wrote, arguing that employers must accommodate employees’ religious objections to uniform directives. The Justice Department characterized its involvement as part of the Trump administration’s stated commitment to combatting religious discrimination.

MLB’s response emphasized that the warning was procedurally routine and content-neutral. The league stated it has issued identical cautions for messages including “Dad,” “Happy Mother’s Day, I Love Mom,” and family member names, establishing that the policy applies uniformly regardless of message type. The organization has not publicly responded to the federal investigation. EEOC chair Andrea Lucas confirmed the agency received Dhillon’s letter but stated the commission cannot confirm or deny the existence of any investigation absent court filings or public resolution, while reaffirming its commitment to protecting workers’ religious liberty.

Vice President JD Vance publicly supported the players, posting on X that “Trump won we don’t have to do this anymore,” signaling the administration’s opposition to MLB’s Pride initiatives. Roupp defended his actions to reporters, describing the biblical passage as reflecting religious faith rather than opposition to LGBTQ individuals, though the passage is commonly cited in arguments against LGBTQ rights. Los Angeles Dodgers players had similarly declined to wear Pride-themed caps days earlier, though their actions did not trigger formal league warnings.



(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/doj-mlb-pride-night-investigation-b2999392.html)

Two months after Hegseth’s regressive move, Air Force base faces major flu outbreak

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth eliminated the Pentagon’s mandatory flu vaccination requirement for service members in April 2026, reversing a longstanding military policy. Hegseth justified the change by invoking “medical autonomy,” despite the military’s historical practice of requiring up to 17 vaccinations depending on deployment location.

Less than two months after Hegseth’s policy reversal, a major flu outbreak sickened nearly 160 troops at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, with one trainee in basic training dying after falling ill. The outbreak spread rapidly through a basic military training wing where recruits sleep in open bays and share communal dining facilities, creating ideal conditions for disease transmission.

Only approximately 40% of Air Force trainees at Lackland opted to receive the flu vaccine following Hegseth’s change, compared to the previous 100% compliance rate under the mandatory policy. In response to the outbreak, Lackland received an exception from Hegseth’s directive and reinstated the flu vaccine requirement for its recruits.

Military readiness has depended on disease prevention for centuries. General George Washington mandated smallpox inoculation for all troops in 1777, a decision that historian Craig Bruce Smith credited with saving countless lives and helping ensure American survival. The Atlantic’s Adam Serwer noted that disease has killed more soldiers throughout human history than any other cause.

Despite the outbreak at Lackland, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman stated the department stands by Hegseth’s decision to end the universal flu vaccine mandate across all military bases. The contradiction between revoking the policy and then reinstating it at a single base reveals the incoherence of an approach that prioritizes ideological framing over military health and operational readiness.



(Source: https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/hegseth-vaccines-air-force-base-flu-outbreak?cid=sm_fb_maddow&fbclid=IwdGRjcAShbURleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeL1WX56j9Hl6vJjx4fJIoH6eujjAQJaCRwTXs_bVGbG2BkkjAtjSxmHL_Nsk_aem_S_8AggQzLGIGLQ18Eg7R2w)of an approach that prioritizes ideological framing over military health and operational readiness.

ICE Detains 500+ Babies, Toddlers Under Trump

Since Trump’s return to office in January 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has detained at least 500 babies and toddlers, with an average of 25 children aged 3 and under held in custody daily between January 2025 and March 2026. This represents a tenfold increase from the Biden administration, when fewer than three infants and toddlers were detained on an average day. The data comes from analysis by The Marshall Project and analysis of records obtained by the Deportation Data Project, a group of academics and lawyers tracking federal immigration detention.

Between Trump’s second inauguration and March 2026, ICE held at least 175 babies and toddlers for periods exceeding the federally mandated 20-day limit established by the 1997 Flores v. Reno settlement governing child detention conditions. During the final year of the Biden administration, no children aged 3 or younger were held beyond this 20-day threshold. Trump restarted family detention practices and reopened the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas, the primary facility used to detain families with children, shortly after retaking office.

Parents report severe conditions inside facilities, including forced separation from spouses, inadequate nutrition, and substandard medical care. A 2-year-old named Kaleth stopped eating for 12 days after being separated from his father during incarceration; facility doctors attributed this to depression. A 1-year-old named Amir experienced developmental regression, stopped speaking beyond two words, and suffered from forced weaning off formula by facility staff. A 1-year-old named Amalia developed pneumonia, bronchitis, RSV, and COVID-19 while detained, with her oxygen levels dropping to dangerously low levels before she was transferred to an outside hospital. Parents described inadequate water quality, insufficient formula preparation water, lack of sleep aids, and all-night lighting that prevented children from sleeping.

Elora Mukherjee, a Columbia Law School professor who has represented more than 80 children and parents detained at Dilley in the past year, stated that nearly all recent clients complained about poor medical care. Marsha Griffin, a pediatrics professor and co-founder of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Council on Immigrant Child and Family Health, described infancy and toddlerhood as “probably the most harmful time of their lives to have them in detention,” saying “our immigration system is breaking children.” Rahil Briggs, a psychologist at Zero to Three, noted that missed developmental windows in early childhood create cascading deficits that are harder to overcome later. A court filing from lawyers for detained children called ICE’s claims about facility conditions “fanciful.”

While some detained children including Kaleth, Amir, and Amalia have since been released and show signs of recovery, experts warn the long-term neurological and psychological damage from prolonged toxic stress and institutional abuse will persist across hundreds of infants and toddlers incarcerated during this period. Trump’s DHS has systematically removed safeguards that previously protected migrant children, creating conditions that developmental experts describe as profoundly damaging during the most critical window for human brain development.



(Source: https://www.ms.now/news/trump-ice-detention-dilley-kids-immigration)

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