We previously discussed how the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) elected an outspoken activist as its president. The selection of Todd Wolfson, a Rutgers University anthropologist, was viewed by many as the AAUP doubling down on support for academic activism and opposition to intellectual diversity. Now the leading AAUP publication, Academe, has run ‘Seven Theses Against Viewpoint Diversity.’ Written by Lisa Siraganian, the J. R. Herbert Boone Chair in Humanities and professor at Johns Hopkins University, the essay repeats the tired rationalizations of faculty members to excuse their purging of schools of dissenting and largely conservative or libertarian voices. Continue reading “Johns Hopkins Professor Argues Against Intellectual Diversity in Higher Education”
Below is my column on the rise of Antifa deniers in Washington. Once embraced and even marketed on the left, Antifa has become the group that must not be named as political violence rises across the country. It does not matter that radicals identify as Antifa, coordinate protests, carry Antifa flags, wear signature clothing, and espouse the same ideas from the “Antifa handbook.” There have even been people elected as Antifa representatives. Yet, the current spin is to pretend that they do not exist as a single organization to deflect the debate over violence on the left. Even with the past and current FBI directors saying that they exist as a group, politicians are mocking those who object to Antifa, even journalists and others targeted by its members.
This week, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D) claimed that “nobody” knows what the left-wing terrorist organization Antifa is and that it does not exist. However, he previously promoted the “Antifa Handbook” in 2018 and praised the group as terrifying Trump. Now, however, he has joined the chorus of Antifa denials as political violence rises around the country.
Here is the column:
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed the long-anticipated “Responsible Gun Manufacturing Act,” Assembly Bill 1127, a law that may now trigger a major challenge under the Second Amendment. The law banned the Glock semi-automatic handguns that are a favorite of American gun owners, including former Vice President Kamala Harris. Continue reading “Second Amendment Showdown: California Bans Glock Handguns in Major Challenge to Gun Rights”
Princeton University announced this week that it will be reinstating the requirement for undergraduate applicants to submit standardized test scores in the 2027–28 admissions cycle. It is only the latest reversal for an ill-conceived and poorly supported movement to achieve greater equity and diversity by eliminating standardized testing in higher education. Continue reading “Princeton Joins Move Back to Standardized Testing”
Below is my column in the New York Post on how Madison’s famous objective of making “ambition … counteract ambition” in the constitutional system depends on the right type of ambition. Today, some members exhibit an ambition that transcends any institutional or constitutional interests. They act more like social media influencers than constitutional actors. One of the best examples is New York Rep. Dan Goldman, who vividly shows the distinction between partisan and institutional interests in a Madisonian system. Continue reading “Madison’s Nightmare: Dan Goldman and The Wrong Type of Ambition”
I am returning today from a speech in Boise, Idaho. I love coming to Idaho and Boise in the “Treasure Valley” is always a delight. This city was initially founded as a fort along the Oregon Trail and grew rapidly during the Gold Rush. It remains an American gem, a quiet and graceful city along the Boise River. Continue reading “The Beauty of Boise in the Fall”
As someone who has taught torts (including defamation) for three decades, I pay close attention to defamation claims coming out of campaigns. I often question the viability of such claims given the higher burden for public officials and public figures under controlling defamation cases. However, a claim during the New Jersey gubernatorial debate between Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) and Republican Jack Ciattarelli, may have triggered a viable torts case. It occurred when Sherrill accused Ciattarelli of “killing thousands.”
On MSNBC’s “All In,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) doubled down on his pledge of legal retaliation against Trump officials and associates if Democrats retake power. He noted that Trump “sycophants” in the Department of Justice do not have immunity and will be pursued. The statement comes after the indictment of Letitia James for mortgage fraud. The statement suggests that the country could be in store for waves of purge politics in which parties fire or prosecute officials from the prior administration. Continue reading “Purge Politics: Jeffries Pledges Legal Retaliation When Democrats Take Power”
James Comey made history this week by standing in the dock and entering a not guilty plea as the first FBI Director ever indicted in the history of the country. Comey hopes to be spared the added ignoble distinction of a trial scheduled for 2026. He and his counsel, Patrick Fitzgerald, are reportedly going to seek a dismissal under three primary challenges: vindictive prosecution, selective prosecution, and challenging the status of the acting U.S. Attorney, Lindsey Halligan. I wanted to briefly address these claims, including the one that has the most credibility. Continue reading “Hail Mary Play: Comey Reportedly Will Raise Three Challenges to Block his Prosecution”
As a native Chicagoan, I must confess that I have little patience for Mayor Brandon Johnson, a politician who has been a disaster for the city. One of the most unpopular mayors in the city’s history, Johnson has been using the increased ICE operations to try to ride a wave of rage back into popularity. His language has become more and more inflammatory in calling for citizens to “resist” and “fight” federal law enforcement. Now, he is claiming the authority to not only mandate “ICE-free zones” in the city but to arrest federal officers. Continue reading “Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson Calls for the Arrest of ICE Officers”
On Sunday, the Green Party in the United Kingdom voted to “abolish” private landlords in a move that reaffirms the party as a largely socialist movement. For some environmentalists, it is a sad hijacking of a cause by far-left elements that moves it away from its original environmental priorities.
Jay Jones, Virginia’s Democratic attorney general candidate, is under fire for shocking statements that expressed a desire to kill political opponents and their young “fascist” children. Despite the violent rhetoric, Democrats like Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee in Virginia, have stood by Jones and continue to campaign for his election. Now, however, Jones is accused of making disturbing comments about the benefit of killing a few cops as a warning to others. It is unclear whether the alleged comments were made in writing (as were earlier comments), and Jones has denied them.
Just in time for Halloween, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to rule on Hawaii’s so-called “Vampire Rule” on gun possession in Wolford v. Lopez. The state law bars gun permit holders from bringing handguns onto private property open to the public without the owner’s express permission. So, like vampires, gun owners must be invited in with their weapons. Continue reading “Supreme Court Takes Up Hawaii’s “Vampire Rule” on Gun Possession”
Below is my column in The Hill on the pledge of Zohran Mamdani to end some of the early Gifted and Talented programs in the New York educational system. The move is part of a national campaign against such programs as racist or privileged due to the higher percentage of White and Asian students who qualify. The fear is that the Mamdani administration will return to the disastrous policies of the de Blasio administration in rolling back on the programs.
Here is the column: Continue reading “Mamdani’s Plan to Ruin the New York Educational System”
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of debating Harvard Professor Randall Kennedy at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Before returning to Washington, I made a pilgrimage to Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage and wanted to share a few pictures. Nashville is a favorite city that has been featured on this blog previously. However, no trip would be truly complete without a trip out to Hermitage. Continue reading “The Beauty of Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage”