President Donald Trump’s strategy of using the power of the presidency to pressure institutions he disapproves of may be running out of steam, especially when it comes to three major forces that seem unwilling to bend: China, Harvard, and the U.S. Supreme Court.
In a sharply worded column for The Guardian, former Labor Secretary Robert Reich argued that Trump’s inner circle, described as a “small cadre of bottom-feeding fanatics,” has overestimated their ability to intimidate powerful institutions.
“Encouraged by the ease with which many big US institutions caved in to their demands, the Trump regime – that is, the small cadre of bottom-feeding fanatics around Donald Trump (JD Vance, Elon Musk, Russell Vought, Stephen Miller and RFK Jr) along with the child king himself – have overreached,” Reich wrote. “They’ve dared China, Harvard, and the Supreme Court to blink. But guess what? They’ve met their matches. None of them has blinked – and they won’t.”
China, a frequent target of Trump’s economic agenda, has responded to his aggressive tariff campaign not by folding, but by retaliating. Reich noted that Beijing imposed massive tariffs of its own and halted exports of rare-earth elements critical to the U.S. tech and defense sectors.
Harvard University, meanwhile, remains defiant after Trump suspended scientific grants and threatened its tax-exempt status over its handling of student protests. The move was seen as an attempt to force the institution into compliance, but so far, it’s had no visible impact.
The Supreme Court, despite its conservative majority and three Trump-appointed justices, also pushed back. In a unanimous decision, it ordered the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a wrongfully deported Maryland father. Trump has ignored the ruling and falsely claimed the court sided with him — a defiance that Reich suggests could further erode his credibility.
“I suspect the testosterone-poisoned lackeys around King Trump are urging him to hit back even harder,” Reich wrote. “They view these showdowns as ultimate tests of the regime’s strength.”
But Reich warned that this strategy could easily backfire. “These three institutions will not back down. They are rich and powerful enough to defy Trump’s escalating threats and demands… If Trump escalates his wars against them, they’ll become even stronger.”
In closing, Reich called them “Trump’s most formidable foes” — and warned that his administration may be unraveling before it even finishes its first hundred days.
You Might Also Like:
- Blake Lively Opens Up About ‘Lowest Lows’ Amid Legal Battle
- Is This a Joke?’: Joe Biden Slammed for Making TV Comeback on The View After White House Exit
- Ben Affleck reportedly Eyes High Profile Romance with Angelina Jolie after JLo Split
- 3-Year-Old Girl Dies Hours After Being Sent Home for ‘Rash
- Omar Stirs Controversy with Profane Response to Reporter on Deportation Case