Trump tasked his incoming White House counsel David Warrington, staff secretary Will Scharf, and top policy adviser Stephen Miller to craft Executive Orders targeting other perceived corporate enemies. “That was the first break in the dam,” explains a source close to Trump. The message, the source says, would be: “Look, either we come after you, we shut you down, or you’re going to help me out.”
The Administration soon shot off letters to top law firms that represented Trump foes and universities known for progressive social activism, especially anti-Israel protests. Paul Weiss, Kirkland & Ellis, Skadden Arps, and other white-shoe firms quickly agreed to provide hundreds of millions in pro-bono work for Trump in exchange for relief from his attacks. “I’ve gotta be doing something right, because I’ve had a lot of law firms give me a lot of money,” the President tells TIME.
Universities followed. Columbia University agreed to overhaul its protest policies and change its Middle Eastern Studies curriculum to avoid Trump’s cutting $400 million of federal funding. CBS’s leadership is reportedly considering a settlement after Trump filed a $20 billion lawsuit against 60 Minutes. Trump has taken over the Kennedy Center for the Arts and ordered the Smithsonian to change its exhibits.
