On his first day in office, in an executive order aimed at restoring freedom of speech and ending federal censorship, Donald Trump decreed that the First Amendment to the Constitution is “essential to the success of our republic.” Not long after, during an address to a joint session of Congress, the president declared it all a fait accompli. “I have stopped all government censorship and brought back free speech in America,” he said. “It’s back.”

Palestinian activist and Columbia graduate Mahmoud Khalil, whom ICE arrested over his advocacy against the war in Gaza, doesn’t think so. Neither does Tufts student Rumeysa Ozturk, whom the Trump administration abducted off the street over an opinion piece she co-wrote in the student newspaper. Or the scores of student advocates and protesters who have seen their visas revoked or been marked for deportation. Or the colleges and universities that have seen their funding, and very existence, come under threat for not falling in line with the administration’s priorities. Or the news organizations that have been singled out for retaliation simply for making editorial decisions that the White House doesn’t like. And then there’s the law firms, nonprofits, and civic society organizations that fear they might be next on the president’s hit list—simply for standing up for their causes and clients.

“The Bully’s Pulpit: Trump v. The First Amendment,” a weekly podcast from the Knight Institute, will follow the Trump administration’s assault on the freedoms of speech and the press and will feature the people, communities, and institutions that are fighting back. Hosted by legal journalist Cristian Farias and lawyers from the Knight Institute, each episode will explore a major First Amendment story in the news and feature the people most affected by it.

Episode One: The Students Are Winning

In the first episode of “The Bully’s Pulpit,” host and journalist Cristian Farias describes a harrowing bail hearing for Rümeysa Öztürk, the Tufts University Ph.D. student who was detained by ICE for co-authoring an opinion piece in a student newspaper, and reflects on the meaning of her shocking detention and now her freedom. Knight Institute Executive Director Jameel Jaffer joins Farias to discuss the Trump administration’s ongoing assault on First Amendment freedoms and the awe-inspiring resilience of students who have been threatened with deportation for their constitutionally protected speech.

Transcript: Ep. 1.

Episode Two: Farmers Fight Data Purge

A mere ten days after President Trump took office in January, the U.S. Department of Agriculture began purging climate-focused information from its web pages. Representing organic farmers and environmental activists, the Knight Institute and Earthjustice filed a lawsuit to restore the pages. Host Cristian Farias speaks with the Institute’s Stephanie Krent, an attorney on the case, and Wes Gillingham, organic farmer and board president of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York, the lawsuit’s lead plaintiff. They discuss how the data purge has already harmed farmers, how they’re fighting this form of “thought control,” and what this has to do with the First Amendment.

Transcript: Ep. 2.

Episode Three: We Want to Look at Your Phone

The government has long invoked its authority to search traveler’s devices—whether owned by noncitizens or citizens—at the U.S. border. Under the second Trump administration, this practice only seems to be growing more aggressive and targeted. Host Cristian Farias speaks with the Institute’s Scott Wilkens, about the legal regime surrounding border searches, and with Amir Makled, an attorney whose smartphone was targeted for search by border agents following his legal representation of a pro-Palestine protester. They discuss how the omnipresence of digital devices and the presence of Ports of Entry at airports throughout the country have vastly expanded opportunities for the government to search and surveil travelers.

Transcript: Ep. 3.

Episode Four: Public Broadcasting Digs In

After issuing his own sweeping executive order, President Trump has sent a rescission notice to Congress seeking to eliminate all federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which includes NPR and PBS. Host Cristian Farias speaks with Nadine Farid Johnson, the Institute’s policy director, to break down historical and ongoing attempts by both Congress and the Executive to defund independent public broadcasting. Tami Graham, executive director of Colorado-based public radio station KSUT, speaks about her station’s important work serving both tribal and broader communities, as well as KSUT’s lawsuit against the Trump administration over attempted funding cuts. In the face of major threats, public broadcasters are fighting to protect their independence.

Transcript: Ep. 4.

Preview: The Bully's Pulpit

Season credits

Producer: Ann Marie Awad and Candace White
Associate Producer: Kushal Dev
Host and Writer: Cristian Farias
Executive Producer: Candace White
Engineer: Patrick McNameeking
Fact-Checkers: Kushal Dev, Ellie Fivas, and Ella Sohn
Art: Astrid Da Silva