Automated Summary (Subject To Error)

• President Trump has launched an organized “retribution campaign” against elite American institutions since November 2024, with most targets quickly capitulating

• Major law firms made deals with Trump:

• Paul, Weiss pledged $40M in pro bono services to Trump-supported causes
• Skadden Arps promised $100M in free legal work before Trump took action
• Some firms (Perkins Coie, WilmerHale, Jenner & Block) chose to fight in court

• Media organizations have settled or adjusted:

• ABC News settled a defamation lawsuit for $15M toward Trump’s presidential library
• CBS News appears poised to settle for millions
• Washington Post and LA Times adjusted editorial content to please the White House

• Universities have complied with demands:

• Columbia University agreed to nine policy changes to unfreeze $400M in federal funding
• Many hired Republican lobbyists to maintain good relations with the administration

• Key reasons for compliance include:

• Financial self-preservation and desire to return to business as usual
• Extensive financial entanglements between private institutions and federal government
• Wealthy institutions paradoxically more vulnerable due to multiple pressure points
• Limited collective resistance as “everybody’s looking out for number one”