The Megyn Kelly Show - Domestic Terrorism Targeting Tesla, Trump Cracking Down on Title IX Violations: AM Update 3/20
Episode Date: March 20, 2025High-profile Democrats fuel anti-Tesla activism as vandalism against the electric car company spreads nationwide, prompting the DOJ to investigate the attacks as acts of domestic terrorism. The Trump ...administration faces a legal setback in its fight to deport Columbia University agitator Mahmoud Khalil. The Trump administration freezes $175 million in federal funds for the University of Pennsylvania, citing its policy allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer faces growing pressure from fellow Democrats to step down.Ground News: Use the link https://groundnews.com/megyn to get 40% off the Vantage subscription to see through mainstream media narrativesWe Heart Nutrition: Go to https://WeHeartNutrition.com/MEGYN for 20% off
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Good morning, everyone. I'm Megyn Kelly. It's Thursday, March 20th, 2025. And this is your AM update.
Please don't vandalize, don't ever vandalize Tesla vehicles. And so...
High-profile Democrats egg on anti-Tesla behavior as acts of vandalism against the electric car company sweep the nation. The battle to deport Columbia University student agitator Mahmoud Khalil
finds a venue for its court fight.
Multiple teachers all came into the girls' locker room,
making them change into uniform.
A mom files a civil rights complaint on behalf of her 13-year-old daughter,
allegedly forced to change in front of a biological male at school.
And Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is in hot water.
All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM Update.
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Megan to invest in your ability to think critically about the news. The DOJ investigating
increased attacks on Tesla dealerships, charging stations, and vehicles as acts of domestic
terrorism. Attorney General Pam Bondi releasing a statement on Tuesday
reading in part, quote, the DOJ has already charged several perpetrators with that, meaning terror,
in mind, including in cases that involve charges with five-year mandatory minimum sentences.
Since Doge, unofficially headed by Elon Musk, began slashing waste, fraud, and abuse. The car company also owned by Musk,
now the target of waves of vandalism. Musk responding to the attacks on Tuesday night.
Tesla is a peaceful company. We've never done anything harmful. I've never done anything
harmful. I've only done productive things. There's some kind of mental illness thing
going on here because this doesn't make any sense. I think there are larger forces at work as well.
I mean, I don't know who's funding it and who's coordinating it. The reason
we're seeing this extreme amount of hatred and violence is because we're actually succeeding
in getting rid of corruption and waste. If we weren't succeeding in getting rid of corruption
and waste, they wouldn't care. On Tuesday in Las Vegas, at least five vehicles destroyed by fire
with at least three rounds fired at a Tesla store.
The assailant spray painting the word resist in red across the storefront. Last month,
a transgender activist, Lucy Grace Nelson, a biological male, arrested on charges of malicious
destruction of property. Nelson accused of throwing Molotov cocktails at vehicles at a
Colorado Tesla dealership and spray painting
Nazi cars on the building. Similar attacks reported across at least 10 states and in
other countries like England and Germany. The acts of vandalism sarcastically condemned
by ABC late night host Jimmy Kimmel. Tesla stock is way down, almost disastrously so. People have been vandalizing
Tesla vehicles, new Tesla vehicles. Please don't vandalize, don't ever vandalize Tesla vehicles.
And so. A group called DogeQuest publishing a website earlier this week showing not just the locations
of dealerships and charging stations, but also exposing personal information of Tesla owners.
The site stating,
At DogeQuest, we believe in empowering creative expressions of protest
that you can execute from the comfort of your own home.
Users are encouraged to visit a self-described anarchist website
providing guidance on evading detection online.
Tesla owners whose personal information is posted to DogeQuest can request removal, but only with proof their vehicle has been sold.
Progressive activists without a stomach for online harassment or vandalism are encouraged to rally outside of Tesla facilities. Many of the events coordinated
on the progressive platform ActionNetwork.org, the Tesla takedown page of the site, encouraging
users to, quote, sell your Teslas, dump your stock, join the picket line. Another reading,
quote, we're tanking Tesla's stock price to stop Musk. Tesla stock prices hovering in the low to mid 200s this week,
about a 50% drop from the high in December.
Former Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz
supporting the anti-Tesla campaign at a recent town hall event.
Saying on my phone, I know some of you know this on the iPhone,
they've got that little stock app.
I added Tesla to it to give me a little boost during the day.
$2.25 and dropping.
Tesla employs more than 120,000 Americans
and is one of the most valuable companies in the world,
even with the recent drop in stock price.
The Manhattan federal judge overseeing the deportation case of Mahmoud Khalil,
the former Columbia University agitator, ordering the case moved to New Jersey.
Mr. Khalil arrested nearly two weeks ago outside his New York home by Homeland Security agents.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoking Mr.
Khalil's green card, retaliating against his participation in a student group which reportedly sympathizes with Hamas, a U.S.-designated terror organization. Columbia University Apartheid
Divest, a pro-Palestinian group, staged a takeover of Columbia's Hamilton Hall last year,
effectively holding two maintenance
workers hostage for a time, breaking windows, damaging school property, and disrupting campus
life, particularly for Jewish students. The group presented a long list of demands,
chiefly Columbia's divestment from all Israeli-linked companies or else. Ultimately, NYPD officers called in,
arresting around 300 people.
While there's no evidence Mr. Khalil
participated in that takeover,
he was involved in the creation
of a Gaza Solidarity encampment on Colombia's campus
and acted as the lead negotiator for these groups,
attempting to secure their demands with Colombia faculty.
Mr. Khalil has been seen on video referring to the October 7 Hamas terror attack in Israel as,
quote, armed resistance. Secretary of State Rubio determining Mr. Khalil's activity, quote,
would have serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States, which
under U.S. law is all that's needed to deport a green
card holder. Donna Lieberman, attorney for Mr. Khalil on CNN, framing the arrest as a violation
of her client's First Amendment freedom and right to due process. This is all about the First
Amendment and it's all about due process. You know, they have they kidnapped this man, this young student father to be in any minute now based on an accusation that he has the wrong political ideas.
And it's an attempt to bully the rest of us into being quiet and going with the administration's program.
Last I heard, we were a democracy.
This attempt to quell free speech is absolutely terrifying. If they can disappear somebody
for doing nothing but having ideas that the government disapproves of,
it should be terrifying to everybody. On Wednesday, Mr. Khalil pending a letter
from his detention center reading in part, quote, My arrest was a direct consequence of exercising my right to free speech as I advocated for a free Palestine.
The Trump administration is targeting me as part of a broader strategy to suppress dissent.
He also said he's being deported due to, quote, racism.
U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman writing in his order, quote, a person challenging his detention is required to file that petition in the federal district where he is detained at the time of filing.
Mr. Khalil's lawyers wanted this case to be heard in the very liberal Southern District of New York, where it was as of yesterday. Prosecutors asked for a federal venue in Louisiana, much more conservative,
the court finding a middle ground for venue, New Jersey. Khalil was held at a New Jersey
detention center at the time his lawyer filed the petition. His next court date is March 27th.
Coming up, the Trump administration taking more action over allowing
males to participate in female sports divisions, growing calls from House Democrats demanding Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer step down.
All that and more coming up in just a moment.
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The Trump administration announcing a suspension
of about 175 million in federal funds
for the Ivy League's University of Pennsylvania.
UPenn was the home to Leah Thomas, who in 2022 became the first biological male to win a D1
title in a women's division, swimming the 500-yard freestyle. He had been a lackluster swimmer in the
men's league. President Trump's executive order protecting women's sports bars biological males from competing in female athletic leagues or from using women's facilities.
The order directs federal agencies to withhold funding from any school violating the policy,
reinforcing Title IX protections for women. A UPenn spokesperson responding to the freeze saying,
we have been in the past and remain today in full compliance with the regulations
that apply to not only Penn,
but all of our NCAA and Ivy League peer institutions.
Really?
An unnamed senior White House official
telling CBS Philadelphia the funding cut will come
from money the Department of Defense
and Health and Human Services had been funneling to UPenn,
which received some $1 billion in total federal funding last year, according to the Daily
Pennsylvanian, a student newspaper. So this is not a penalty resulting from the Department of
Education's probe under Title IX. That investigation appears to be ongoing. The White House's rapid response account
posting the story along with the caption, promises made, promises kept. And speaking of the Department
of Health and Human Services, its civil rights office earlier this week finding the main Department
of Education, the main Principals Association, and Greeley High School in violation of Title IX. A biological
male representing Greeley High School placed first in a state pole vaulting championship on February
17th, a week and a half after President Trump signed the Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports
Executive Order. The biologically male student in question beat the second-place girl by more
than six inches. President Trump
putting a national spotlight on the story at a governor's luncheon just days later,
directly calling out Maine Governor Janet Mills. Is the Maine here, the governor of Maine?
Are you not going to comply with it? I'm complying with state and federal laws.
Well, we are the federal law. Well, you better do it. You better do it
because you're not going to get any federal funding at all if you don't. HHS's civil rights
office allowing the Maine Department of Education, the Maine Principals Association and Greeley High
School 10 days to comply with President Trump's executive order or risk referral to the DOJ.
A mother in Deerfield, Illinois, speaking out against her child's school
for alleged Title IX violations as well. Nicole Georges alleges her 13-year-old daughter witnessed
a biological male using the female locker room at her middle school. Ms. Georges says her daughter
complained to school administrators and was told the student was allowed to use the female
facilities because he now identifies as female.
Ms. Georges describing what allegedly happened next at a recent school board meeting.
A few days later, the male student was present in the girls' locker room. Feeling violated,
the girls made the choice to not change into their PE clothes with a biological male student present. The next day, Assistant principal Kathy Vantrese pulled the girls into
their office questioning them. The same day, assistant superintendent Joanna Ford, Kathy
Vantrese, and multiple teachers all came into the girls' locker room, making them change into
uniform. If that is true, the school may have committed a crime. Ms. Georges stating that the
principal offered to switch her daughter into a new P.E. class, which was rejected. Ms. Georges stating that the principal offered to switch her daughter into a new PE
class, which was rejected. Ms. Georges' remarks at the school board met with boos from local
activists. The next speaker in favor of allowing trans students in female spaces,
making a veiled threat against the school board. My name is Charlie Friedman. My pronouns are they,
he. I'm a trans person. I am the parent of a trans middle schooler.
I am also the Director of Operations for Trans Upfront. It's a non-profit organization fighting for trans rights.
We partner with over 30 major organizations including the ACLU, Lambda Legal, HRC, etc.
If needed, we'd be happy to dig in, to contact our coalition, to make sure that the
board is supported in doing the right thing for the right reasons and following Illinois state law.
Another woman in favor of forcing girls to change in front of biological boys,
Jess Holzman, said research shows that middle school girls, quote,
do better when boys are allowed to watch them undress in school locker
rooms, reports the Lake County Gazette. Ms. Holzman describes herself as a queer, non-binary,
consensually non-monogamous, intersectional, feminist, anti-racist, activist, educator,
and scholar. Okay. Ms. Georges filed a civil rights complaint with the DOJ on behalf of her minor daughter.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer facing growing calls to step down from his fellow Democrats in the House.
So far, not the Senate.
Congressional Democrats outraged with Senator Schumer's handling of the continuing resolution last week. Mr. Schumer voting to advance the GOP bill to the floor, arguing a bad bill is worse than what he thinks Elon Musk and Doge could do during a government shutdown. House Democrats
believe Mr. Schumer should have allowed the government to shut down in order to force some
concessions from Republicans. House Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday, criticizing Mr. Schumer's decision. I myself don't give away anything for nothing.
And I think that's what happened the other day. We could have, in my view, perhaps gotten them
to agree to a third way, which was a bipartisan CR for two weeks, four weeks, in which we could
have had bipartisan legislation to go forward.
Axios reporting Wednesday, more calls to resign could follow. One Democrat rep saying,
I think there are some already there, but just haven't been asked directly or avoided the
question. Senator Schumer, who earlier this week canceled his book tour citing alleged
security concerns, instead making the media rounds defending his leadership position.
I believe so strongly I did the right thing. When I was majority leader and under Biden's
presidency, we passed more legislation in 2022 than before. When you're a leader, sometimes
you have to do things that you know are right, despite the consequences. I've always said
people in politics, the higher up you climb, the more fierce the winds blow.
One of the things I am known to be very good at
is how to win Senate seats.
Look, winning in 2026 in the House and Senate,
which could stop Trump once and for all,
is vitally important.
A senior House Democrat telling Axios, quote,
his popularity is hovering somewhere
between Elon Musk and the
Ebola virus. Some House members reportedly urging New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
to launch a primary bid against Senator Schumer in 2028. Not all House Dems fully soured on Schumer,
however. Wisconsin Congressman Mark Pocan saying anger toward the minority leader is, quote,
a bit of an inside the beltway conversation. Mr. Pocan saying anger toward the minority leader is, quote, a bit of an inside the beltway conversation.
Mr. Pocan saying his constituents understand Mr. Schumer's position.
And that'll do it for your AM update.
I'm Megyn Kelly.
Join me back here for The Megyn Kelly Show live on Sirius XM Triumph Channel 111 at New East, on YouTube.com slash Megyn Kelly, and on all podcast platforms.