Greenland's "Demokraatit" party took the edge in Greenland's parliamentary election Tuesday, Reuters reported. The party favors independence, which has become particularly relevant after President Donald Trump began pushing for the U.S. to purchase the strategic island nation.
The unexpected results knocked out the Inuit Ataqatigiit, which is the party of current Greenlandic Prime Minister Múte Egede. The Demokraatit candidate clinched 29.9% of the vote, demonstrating a considerable increase from the 9.1% it earned in 2021.
The Naleraq party, which also favors independence from Demark, came in second with 24.5% of the vote. The nation's population is only 57,000, but its location makes it a strategic staging point as China and Russia saber rattle in the area.
"People want change ... We want more business to finance our welfare," leader of the Demokraatit Jens-Frederik Nielsen, who is also a former minister of industry and minerals, said of the results. "We don't want independence tomorrow, we want a good foundation," Nielsen added.
As Fox News reported, Trump declared his intention after becoming the president-elect. When announcing Ken Howery as his pick for U.S. ambassador to Demark in December 2024, Trump wrote that "the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity" on his Truth Social.
However, this is not the first time Trump has floated the idea of buying Greenland. During Trump's first term, he planned a trip to Denmark but later called it off after the Danish Prime Minister Frederiksen called the proposal "absurd."
Trump's proposal was again shot down in January of this year, with Frederiksen and Egede both advising Trump that "Greenland is not for sale." Still, this hasn't deterred Trump from continuing to push the idea.
In his speech to the joint session of Congress earlier this month, Trump spoke to the people of Greenland. "We strongly support your right to determine your own future, and, if you choose, we welcome you into the United States of America," he said.
"We need Greenland for national security and even international security, and we’re working with everybody involved to try and get it… One way or the other, we’re going to get it," he added.
Although the election is over and Greenlanders have voted in favor of independence, there's still a long way to go before becoming part of the U.S. Even those eager to separate from Denmark are cautious about the next steps, including Neilsen.
"We don’t want to be Americans. No, we don’t want to be Danes," the newly-elected Demokraatit leader said Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. "We want to be Greenlanders, and we want our own independence in the future. And we want to build our own country by ourselves," he added.
On the American side, TurningPoint USA founder Charlie Kirk foresees a slow transition, if at all. "Greenland's legislature is strictly proportional, and a conservative, more pro-Denmark, more pro-gradual independence party got first overall, so they are a long way from joining America, but things are headed in the right direction," he posted to X, formerly Twitter, Wednesday.
Good news from Greenland! Elections were held yesterday, and Naleraq, a nationalist party that has the most pro-USA politicians in Greenland, had its best ever result and doubled its overall support.
Greenland's legislature is strictly proportional, and a conservative, more… pic.twitter.com/MY7rA5rp31
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) March 12, 2025
Trump's out-of-the-box thinking on many issues is part of the reason he's so successful. A presence in Greenland would give the U.S. an edge in keeping the likes of Russia and China at bay.
Ukraine accepted a 30-day ceasefire deal Tuesday in exchange for President Donald Trump agreeing to resume sending military aid and sharing intelligence information with the nation, the UK Daily Mail reported. Russia has yet to respond to the administration's offer, although Secretary of State Marco Rubio is working on it.
On Wednesday, Rubio sat down in Saudi Arabia with Ukrainian officials to hammer out the idea. The Kremlin will now have the opportunity to sign on to the deal, which offers favorable conditions in exchange for the extended break from fighting.
In the past, Russia has asked that Ukraine not join NATO, to keep its land gains, and that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy be removed from office. "We´re going to tell them this is what's on the table," Rubio said after the meeting.
"Ukraine is ready to stop shooting and start talking. And now it'll be up to them to say yes or no," Rubio added.
Zelenskyy shared a statement to X, formerly Twitter, expressing his eagerness to make the deal it previously seemed would never happen. "I received a report from our delegation on their meeting with the American team in Saudi Arabia," the Ukrainian president wrote.
"The discussion lasted most of the day and was good and constructive—our teams were able to discuss many important details. Our position remains absolutely clear: Ukraine has been seeking peace from the very first second of this war, and we want to do everything to achieve it as soon as possible and in a reliable way—so that war does not return," Zelenskyy recounted after the meetings.
The Ukrainian president noted that stopping all use of force and the use of diplomacy, "which primarily means the release of prisoners of war and detainees—both military and civilian—and the return of Ukrainian children who were forcibly transferred to Russia," was necessary. "The American side understands our arguments and considers our proposals," Zelenskyy noted.
"Ukraine is ready to accept this proposal—we see it as a positive step and are ready to take it. Now, it is up to the United States to convince Russia to do the same. If Russia agrees, the ceasefire will take effect immediately," Zelenskyy concluded.
I received a report from our delegation on their meeting with the American team in Saudi Arabia. The discussion lasted most of the day and was good and constructive—our teams were able to discuss many important details.
Our position remains absolutely clear: Ukraine has been… pic.twitter.com/7EZXTVA52C
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 11, 2025
According to The Hill, Trump has sent envoys to Russia to finalize Moscow's part of the deal. National security adviser Mike Waltz met with a Russian official Wednesday, which the White House explained was "in a pursuit of ending this war and striking a peace deal with Russia and with Ukraine."
Just the day before, CIA Director John Ratcliffe had a phone conversation with Russian Foreign Intelligence Service chief Sergei Naryshkin. "Hopefully, we can get a ceasefire from Russia," Trump said.
"And if we do, I think that would be 80 percent of the way to getting this horrible bloodbath ended," he added. This deal is close to coming together just weeks after talks broke down during an Oval Office meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy.
The president sparred with Zelenskyy over his disrespectful demeanor and continued demands. Trump concluded he wasn't "ready for peace," though Zelenskyy has come crawling back ready to accept.
The war between Ukraine and Russia has gone on for three years and has cost a great deal in terms of loss of life and property for both countries. Something needs to be done to stop this conflict, and it appears Trump is on the verge of making it happen with his leadership.
InfoWars reporter Jamie White was found near his Austin, Texas, home clinging to life early Monday morning after an apparent stabbing, Breitbart reported. White later died at a hospital as police continued to work to figure out what transpired.
Police were called to White's apartment complex on Sunday just before midnight, responding to reports of a "shoot/stab hotshot" in the parking lot of the residence. However, law enforcement knows little else about what transpired.
InfoWars founder Alex Jones shared the information and a news report about White's death to X, formerly Twitter. "We are deeply saddened to inform you that InfoWars Reporter Jamie White was brutally murdered around midnight Sunday night due, in part, to the policies of the Soros Austin, TX D.A. Jose Garza," Jones charged.
"We pledge that Jamie’s tragic death will not be in vain, and those responsible for this senseless violence will be brought to justice. Jamie’s important work will be carried on through InfoWars, our readers, and our cherished listeners," Jones added.
Jones had more to say about White's untimely death and how he found out about the tragedy in the video on the social media post. "Jamie was murdered last night outside of his home, just a few miles away from our studios," Jones said in Monday's video.
"We sent some people over this morning when he didn’t answer the phone because he’s always here early, loves to work, loves to fight tyranny, loves to promote freedom, and when they got to the apartment complex, there was yellow tape everywhere, blood all over the parking lot," he added. No suspects are publicly named, but Jones said a particular politician was to blame.
"I’m gonna talk about in a moment who I hold responsible for this, and who is responsible for this, and who are accomplices to Jamie and so many others’ murder," Jones said. He went on to bash Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza, who was funded by billionaire George Soros.
"He’s doing exactly what he was put in by Soros to do, and I lay all of this squarely at the feet of these D.A.’s and at the Soros crime syndicate and at the Democratic Party. They are the ones that administratively cut the police, prosecute the police," Jones claimed.
“The police did tell us that they have some suspects, and I’m gonna leave it at that,” Jones revealed. “They didn’t want to tell us whether it was a stabbing or a shooting. I can just tell you that from the amount of blood I heard, it was serious. They were there scrubbing his blood off the ground when our folks got there," Jones explained.
The late employee had worked for Jones for several years before his apparent murder. White was involved in many of the controversial InfoWars reports, including possible knowledge about the list of clients of the late sex offender financier Jeffrey Epstein.
While it's unclear whether this was a targeted attack, it's undeniable that Austin has a growing crime problem. As Fox News reported, people in White's neighborhood feared for their lives long before this tragedy.
"It’s making the hair on my arms stand up. To hear eight, nine, ten shots. Just bam, bam, bam," one of the residents said in August 2024.
"Where are those bullets going? I don't want to be shot sleeping in my bed," the person added. This came a year after the city's police force was so understaffed that they were telling robbery victims to call 311 instead of the emergency number.
This was a senseless tragedy that struck down a young man in his prime. Regardless of who was involved in the actual violence, the people who run the city should be held accountable for the safety of its citizens.
Sources told Bloomberg Government in February that the Department of Homeland Security is using polygraph examinations, or lie detector tests, with its employees to ferret out leakers who may have told press outlets about impending immigration raids.
Secretary Kristi Noem issued an internal directive that all polygraphs administered by the department were required to include a question about unauthorized communications with media and nonprofit organizations, the sources said.
“The Department of Homeland Security is a national security agency,” DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in an emailed statement to The Hill about the report. “We can, should, and will polygraph personnel.”
Noem and Border Czar Tom Homan have blamed internal leaks for low numbers of arrests during some raids.
They have vowed to get to the bottom of any leaks, not only to catch more illegal immigrants, but to keep their people safe.
“Their job is dangerous enough. So we are going to address this very seriously,” Homan told reporters in early February.
Noem said that the polygraphs could also help to determine whether employees could continue to have access to classified or sensitive information and what positions they can hold within the agency.
Noem said that two leakers had been identified and would be referred to the Justice Department for prosecution.
They could get up to 10 years in prison for leaking classified information, and they will likely be looking for new jobs after they get out.
“We will find and root out all leakers. They will face prison time & we will get justice for the American people," Noem said.
While Democrats want to facilitate more immigration, even if it is illegal, Republicans and the majority of American citizens don't want to see illegal immigration at the levels it was during the Biden administration.
Illegal immigration/border security was one of the biggest issues in the 2024 election, second only to the economy.
A majority, 55%, said in a Gallup poll before the election that they wanted to see immigration decrease. That was a significant jump from the 41% that said so the year before.
Pew Research reported last week that 59% of Americans supported increasing deportations, and would presumably take a dim view toward DHS employees leaking information about raids so that illegal immigrants, many of whom have committed other crimes, could avoid arrest and deportation.
Though liberals in Congress have been dissatisfied with just about all of President Donald Trump's picks for key administration and agency roles, many have a particular dislike for his choice to serve as Washington D.C. United States Attorney.
As such, a group of Democrats from the Senate Judiciary Committee are now calling for a disciplinary probe -- and potential suspension -- of Ed Martin by the D.C. Bar, the professional body of which he is a member, as the Washington Examiner reports.
The Democrats pushing for an investigation of Martin is led by the committee's ranking member, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL).
According to the group, Martin is abusing the authority of his role by using potential prosecution as a method of intimidation against government employees.
The Durbin-led cadre of lawmakers has also suggested that Martin has taken improper steps in an effort to limit the speech of private citizens, also alleging that he has wrongfully continued to communicate with prior Jan. 6-related clients and defendants after assuming his new position, according to the Washington Times.
In their letter to the D.C. Bar, the Democrats declare, “Mr. Martin's conduct not only speaks to his fitness as a lawyer; his activities are part of a broader course of conduct by President Trump and his allies to undermine the traditional independence of Department of Justice investigations and prosecutions and the rule of law.”
The communication continued, “When a government lawyer, particularly one entrusted with a leadership role in the nation's foremost law enforcement agency, commits serious violations of professional conduct, it undermines the integrity of our justice system and erodes public confidence in it.”
Having clearly drawn the ire of the Democrats during the first weeks of the Trump administration, Martin has made no bones about his aggressive approach to his work, going so far as to use the nickname "The Eagle," as CBS News notes.
Martin's nomination to permanently serve as U.S. attorney for D.C. remains under consideration by the Senate, and in the meantime, he has been staking out a position as the sort of tough-on-crime prosecutor Republicans say the capital has long needed, given the role's unique jurisdiction that allows its occupant to tackle not just federal crimes but also offenses committed within the District of Columbia.
Taking seriously his ability to crack down on the rampant crime that has plagued D.C. in the last several years, Martin recently took to social media to warn, “Hey, thugs with guns, you hear that? Yup, we comin,” a reference to a memo he issued indicating that assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was imminent.
Martin has also drawn criticism from Democrats for having instructed his staff members to comply with a Department of Government Efficiency request for them to send a list of five things they had accomplished the week prior, an initiative that has courted controversy across the federal bureaucracy but is wholeheartedly supported by the president.
While Trump appears to have full confidence in Martin, given that he wants him to move from interim to permanent status in his current role, Democrat Rep. Gerry Connolly has also launched a probe of the prosecutor, complaining that his statements “are directed exclusively at opponents of and express support for the Trump Administration, explicitly criticize the Biden Administration, publicize pending investigative activity by your office, and make assertions of fact for which there exists no evidence.”
The Durbin-led investigation request has been filed with the D.C. Bar's Office of Disciplinary Counsel, and thus far, that entity has not weighed in on its status, with its representative stating that “all matters in this office are confidential unless and until we bring formal charges.”
Whether the various complaints and probes of Martin's conduct ultimately go anywhere is something that remains to be seen, but it is clear that he is committed to furthering the Trump agenda in his unique, dual-jurisdictional role, and that is something the Democrats are sure to oppose at every turn.
The Department of Government Efficiency canceled the lease for the site of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, Illinois, the UK Daily Mail reported. This news comes as divorce rumors swirl about former President Barack Obama and wife Michelle Obama.
Tesla billionaire Elon Musk has been heading up DOGE's efforts to streamline the government. One of those undertakings deemed wasteful was Barack Obama's planned legacy project, which cost $1.4 million annually in rent since 2016.
The site northwest of Chicago was home to many artifacts from the Obama administration, including dresses worn by the former first lady, a jewel-encrusted sword and scabbard gifted from Saudi Arabia, and a baseball signed by the 2010 San Francisco Giants who won the World Series that year. It also included his infamous silver BlackBerry device Barack Obama used while president.
The National Archives and Records Administration was in charge of the building and contents at Hoffman Estates where the center is being built. The collection will now be stored permanently in College Park, Maryland, and will be on loan to the Obama Presidential Center periodically when it opens next year.
Although the building was slated to be closed before DOGE set to eliminate it, this news comes at a tumultuous time for the Obamas. Rumors have been swirling about an impending divorce for the former first couple, and recent events only underscore that concern.
Michelle Obama was noticeably absent during the state funeral for the late President Jimmy Carter earlier this year. Then, on Wednesday, Barack Obama attended a Los Angeles Clippers game without his wife.
Although he was well-received by the crowd, it didn't go unnoticed that he was not with Michelle Obama again for another highly public event. Political commentator Dom Lucre posted on X, formerly Twitter, how this fueled speculation about the demise of their marriage.
"Former President Obama just ignited more divorce rumors after he was spotted at a Los Angeles Clippers basketball game without his wife Michelle Obama. This comes after a report that Obama has been staying with his ‘best friend’ Martin Nesbitt in preparation for their new $18M mansion in Hawaii," he wrote Thursday.
🔥🚨BREAKING: Former President Obama just ignited more divorce rumors after her was spotted at a Los Angeles Clippers basketball game without his wife Michelle Obama. This comes after a report that Obama has been staying with his ‘best friend’ Martin Nesbitt in preparation for… pic.twitter.com/9wVJ1ZhIik
— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) March 6, 2025
Whether or not the Obamas' marriage is on the rocks, the former president's legacy project seems to have been doomed from the start. According to Fox News, cost overages and a race-based lawsuit have caused significant delays as it limps toward opening in 2026.
The 19.3-acre site was slated to cost $350 million to build out for the project. Though no firm public figures exist, an analysis of the 2021 annual report shows it has ballooned to be $830 million. Moreover, the project suffers from the same flaw that sunk Barack Obama's legacy: racial strife.
The former president envisioned the project as a grand stage for diversity, equity, and inclusion that was a focus of his. Instead, it has resulted in a huge price tag, including a $40.75 million lawsuit from a minority-owned contractor over changes to concrete work.
The lawsuit claims engineering company Thornton Tomasetti did so to racially discriminate against the contractor. Thornton Tomasetti insists it was necessary after subpar work and that it "bent over backwards to assist what everyone knows was a questionably qualified subcontractor team in areas where a more qualified subcontractor would not have required it."
It's sad to watch the Obamas possibly break up their marriage while the former president's legacy suffers under the weight of his terrible philosophies. However, it's true that we all reap what we sow, whether peasant or president.
Sen. Joni Ernst was outed in a sexting scandal Tuesday that revealed a relationship she was having with a high-ranking military official, the Daily Beast reported. The 54-year-old Iowa Republican was one of several women on Capitol Hill who were exchanging sleazy messages with retired Maj. Gen. Christopher Finerty.
A January 2023 report from the Air Force's inspector general alleged that the Finerty had multiple "sexual, inappropriate, or unprofessional relationships" against military policy. Finerty was demoted over the scandal and retired from the service in November.
The women's names were redacted when the report was released to the press. However, two sources close to the matter confirmed that Ernst was one of the women involved in the scandal after being implicated in a similar relationship in 2019 with a Navy legislative affairs official.
Republican Senator Joni Ernst is being accused of having relationships with two military officials.
One is Air Force Major General Christopher Finerty, who was demoted after getting busted sexting women on Capitol Hill, according to a ProPublica report.
The other is a Navy… pic.twitter.com/vfh7AElcUP
— Art Candee 🍿🥤 (@ArtCandee) March 4, 2025
According to ProPublica, Finerty's colleagues slammed his exploits as "highly inappropriate" because of Ernst's position in Congress, which could give the Air Force an unfair advantage. Ernst, a combat veteran, is on the Senate's Armed Services Committee.
Part of her duties include drafting the Pentagon's annual budget, including allocating spending to the Air Force. "I honestly felt sick to my stomach because it just felt so sleazy," a colleague said.
The Republican lawmaker, who has been in the Senate since 2015, was not married at the time of the affair, nor was Finerty. Moreover, there's nothing in the Senate rules that precludes lawmakers from carrying on with lobbyists.
Although Finerty isn't a lobbyist, his position presents ethical concerns that certain relationships could create undue influence. "From an ethics standpoint, it’s severely problematic," said a former military legislative affairs official.
In fact, those who worked for Finerty believed that their relationship "absolutely gave the Air Force undue influence." It didn't help that their romance was the worst-kept secret, as at least six colleagues reportedly knew about and were concerned regarding their relationship.
Finerty was rightly demoted for his conduct, but Ernst will also suffer because of their relationship if the reports are accurate. Her spokesperson refused to speak on the matter but stressed that the Iowa Republican was not compromised in her job.
"The fake news media is clearly too busy gossiping to report the real news that Senator Ernst is focused on cutting waste at the Pentagon. Her votes and work in the Senate are guided by the voices of Iowans who elected her and her constitutional duty alone," the spokesperson said.
"Any insinuation otherwise by tabloid ‘journalism’ is a slanderous lie — full stop," the person added. Finerty's attorney also wouldn't say whether he was involved with Ernst and denied wrongdoing.
"The IG report found no evidence suggesting anything remotely approaching either conflict of interest or undue influence involving General Finerty and anyone on Capitol Hill. Further, the IG report found no law, rule, policy, or guidance prohibited any of General Finerty’s relationships. Any suggestion to the contrary would be defamatory," his attorney said.
This scandal is harmful to all parties involved and could easily have been avoided if all parties acted with the dignity of their offices. If the reports are true, it's a terrible look for them all and will surely have a ripple effect in Congress and the military.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly halted U.S. Cyber Command's offensive against Russia, according to the Associated Press Monday. The media ran with the news and critics slammed the decision before the Pentagon formally denied that this was happening.
On Monday, news outlets said that an official in President Donald Trump's administration ordered cyber operations against Russia to cease. The source requested to remain anonymous while supposedly spilling secrets about security operations against an adversary of the U.S.
The AP claimed Hegseth's move "comes as many national security and cybersecurity experts have urged greater investments in cyber defense and offense, particularly as China and Russia have sought to interfere with the nation’s economy, elections and security." It cited one expert's warning about Russian interference in elections through cyberattacks.
"Instead of confronting this threat, the Trump administration has actively taken steps to make it easier for the Kremlin to interfere in our electoral processes," said Liana Keesing, campaigns manager for technology reform at the nonprofit Issue One. This was one of several criticisms launched at Trump and Hegseth based on the incorrect reporting.
After the reports spreading across the establishment media about Hegseth's decision to ax this critical security measure, there was no shortage of naysayers. Several lawmakers jumped on the news, including Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL).
"I don’t know why he’s doing that. But the Russians are attacking us every single day," Gimenez said during an interview with Fox Business.
"The Chinese are attacking us every single day. I don’t think you signal to the Russians that ‘Hey, we’re gonna unilaterally withdraw from this space,'" Gimenez went on.
"If they can keep attacking us — and they do every single day — they should be fearful of our capacity to inflict damage on them. So I really don’t understand where that’s coming from," the Florida Republican added.
The reports were definitely was red meat for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who said Sunday that Hegseth's alleged decision was a "critical strategic mistake." As it would turn out, this handwringing and hysteria were all for naught.
The Pentagon did not respond to the reports directly at first except to reiterate Hegseth's mission. "There is no greater priority to Secretary Hegseth than the safety of the Warfighter in all operations to include the cyber domain," an official told The Hill Monday.
However, the Department of Defense Rapid Response team put out an official rebuttal Tuesday. "TO BE CLEAR: @SecDef has neither canceled nor delayed any cyber operations directed against malicious Russian targets, and there has been no stand-down order whatsoever from that priority," the account posted to X, formerly Twitter.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency took the denial a step further. "CISA’s mission is to defend against all cyber threats to U.S. Critical Infrastructure, including from Russia. There has been no change in our posture. Any reporting to the contrary is fake and undermines our national security," its post to X stated.
CISA’s mission is to defend against all cyber threats to U.S. Critical Infrastructure, including from Russia. There has been no change in our posture. Any reporting to the contrary is fake and undermines our national security.
— Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (@CISAgov) March 3, 2025
The Trump administration is transparent in its mission to protect the U.S. on all fronts. The reporting about this issue created a panic where none was due, but they couldn't pass up the opportunity to blame Trump for something.
The Supreme Court declined Monday to hear a First Amendment case involving the "bias response team" at Indiana University, the Washington Examiner reported. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented from the majority on this refusal.
Bias response teams encourage students to inform on their peers over instances of supposed bias. Some claim they "objectively chill" free expression on college campuses and cause students to self-police their speech.
Thomas said that deciding a case on this issue would have provided a definitive statement on the use of this model. "Given the number of schools with bias response teams, this Court eventually will need to resolve the split over a student’s right to challenge such programs," Thomas wrote.
Some 450 colleges throughout the U.S. employ this model. "The Court’s refusal to intervene now leaves students subject to a 'patchwork of First Amendment rights,' with a student’s ability to challenge his university’s bias response policies varying depending on accidents of geography," Thomas added.
The organization Speech First initiated the lawsuit against Indiana University school officials, including President Pamela Whitten, in 2024, Reuters reported. It has sued nine other universities over similar speech-limiting policies.
The main issue for Speech First involved how the university's policy defined "bias incidents." The vague language included "any conduct, speech or expression motivated in whole or in part by bias or prejudice meant to intimidate, demean, mock, degrade, marginalize or threaten individuals or groups based on that individual or group's actual or perceived identities."
Students are then encouraged to submit a report of such conduct, whether they experienced it or witnessed something they thought was discriminatory. "Indiana University is committed to creating welcoming, inclusive, and respectful campus communities where everyone can thrive and do their best work - a place where all are treated with civility and respect," the school's website touts.
However, the policy meant to ensure these lofty ideals tramples of the free speech rights of some of its students. The university confers the power to its administrators "to police speech that someone believes is motivated by 'bias,'" the lawsuit noted.
"This policy poses a grave risk of chilling the open and unfettered discourse that should be central to higher education," the lawsuit added. This is especially problematic because the university is a public institution.
This battle over free speech on college campuses is creating other concerns. While traditionally-minded students feel hemmed in by bias response teams, Jewish students are increasingly falling victim to anti-Israel hatred.
According to the Associated Press, freedom of speech on college campuses applies liberally to phrases such as "from the river to the sea," which implies Israel has no right to exist. While institutions penalize students for any perceived slight, these incendiary phrases are allowed.
"What I always hear now is how, when students are upset or offended, they phrase it as ‘I feel unsafe.’ And I think it’s so important that we separate out the campus’ duty," Edwin Chemerinsky, the law school dean for the University of California, Berkley, claimed.
"It’s not our role to make them safe from ideas that they don’t want exposed to. But that line, I think, has gotten blurred," he added.
It's unfair that some speech is protected while others are silenced. Thomas and Alito are right that the high court should not remove itself from this issue, if for no other reason than to shore up First Amendment rights for all with a definitive ruling on it.
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas slammed his colleagues for refusing to hear a case about free speech on college campuses, the Daily Caller reported. The Republican-appointed justice said in his dissenting opinion Monday that failing to take the case would let the "confusion persist."
The case involved so-called "bias response teams," which restrict freedom of speech rights on college campuses throughout the U.S. Some 450 institutions of higher learning have this model, whereby students are encouraged to file complaints against each other for bias claims.
Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito would have gladly heard the case, Speech First, Inc. v. Pamela Whitten, but were outnumbered by the remaining judges. Thomas thinks this was a lost opportunity to shore up this fundamental constitutional right.
"Given the number of schools with bias response teams, this Court eventually will need to resolve the split over a student’s right to challenge such programs. The Court’s refusal to intervene now leaves students subject to a ‘patchwork of First Amendment rights,’ with a student’s ability to challenge his university’s bias response policies varying depending on accidents of geography," Thomas wrote.
Speech First, an advocacy group for First Amendment protections on campus, brought the case against Indiana University's bias team. Their lawsuit filed in May said that students "credibly fear that the expression of their deeply held views" would be under fire on campus.
Those views included "that every person is either male or female" and that "the federal government needs to vigorously enforce our immigration law." The lawsuit was meant to expose the atmosphere these bias response teams create on campus against right-leaning or Republican students.
"This Court hasn’t addressed the free-speech rights of college students since at least 2010. Over that time, those rights have not fared well," Speech First's petition stated.
"Bias-response teams are designed to get as close to the constitutional line as possible, so it’s no surprise that they ‘have divided’ the lower courts," the filing added. Another Speech First case last year against Virginia Tech similarly failed to make it to the high court's docket.
Thomas also dissented from the majority on that decision with similar misgivings. However, the Supreme Court reversed a lower court's ruling without agreeing to take the full case.
While many of these institutions crack down on traditional values, other objectionable and even illegal protests are allowed to proceed. On Tuesday, President Donald Trump vowed to right that wrong, Fox News reported.
"All Federal Funding will STOP for any College, School, or University that allows illegal protests. Agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came," Trump wrote on his Truth Social.
"American students will be permanently expelled or, depending on on the crime, arrested. NO MASKS! Thank you for your attention to this matter," he added. Schools readily allowed anti-Israel protests that turned destructive even after the nation was attacked by the terrorist organization Hamas while treating Republicans and conservatives with disdain.
College campuses used to be bastions of free thought and intellectual ideas. Now, the left has taken over and won't tolerate dissent from its students, and Thomas is right that the Supreme Court needs to intervene.