Blacklisting
Blacklisting is the formal or informal exclusion of individuals or organizations from government participation — employment, contracting, advisory roles, security clearances — based on their speech, associations, or political beliefs. Concrete forms include lists distributed within agencies marking certain figures as ineligible, refusals to hire individuals whose names appear on partisan donor lists, and the directed exclusion of specific scholars or experts from advisory bodies because of their published views. The publication tracks documented patterns of exclusion; routine vetting of public statements against fitness for specific positions is a separate matter.
2026 Events (14)
State Department published a report naming 40-plus American activists and officials as Cuban front groups
On July 21, 2026, the State Department released a 100-page report claiming Cuba's government has recruited American activists and influenced domestic political movements, naming more than 40 U.S. organizations and public figures — including the Democratic Socialists of America, Code Pink, Black Lives Matter, and members of Congress — as "front groups" or "fellow travelers" without providing evidence of actual direction from Cuba. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's department cited McCarthyera blacklists approvingly and framed domestic left-wing political activity as a national security threat.
Interior Department severed funding partnership with Cultural Landscape Foundation after it sued over Kennedy Center, criticized ballroom
On June 10, 2026, the U.S. Department of the Interior under Secretary Doug Burgum terminated its cooperative agreement with the Cultural Landscape Foundation as part of a broader cut of 43 outside partnerships and more than $4 million in funding. Interior specifically cited the foundation's lawsuit over changes at the Kennedy Center, its criticism of White House ballroom construction, and its "Landslide 2026" initiative tracking threats to historic sites as reasons its partnership no longer aligned with the department's mission.
Democratic AGs' deputies turned away from Vance's White House anti-fraud roundtable
On May 26, 2026, Vice President JD Vance — who leads the Trump administration's anti-fraud effort — convened a White House roundtable on government-program fraud attended by Republican state attorneys general. Two dozen Democratic attorneys general had declined the invitation, citing less than one business day's notice and no agenda, and instead sent senior deputies; officials representing New York, California, New Jersey, and (per AG Letitia James) Minnesota, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Nevada said they were turned away at the door. Vance stated on camera that representatives from Connecticut and Oregon were present and that fighting fraud "should not be a partisan effort," even as the excluded Democratic offices held a press conference calling the event a political stunt.
Secret Service, Trump White House barred JD Vance critic from Bangor event over her online criticism, lawsuit alleges
On May 14, 2026, armed U.S. Secret Service agents and other officials organizing Vice President JD Vance's public event in Bangor, Maine, identified Amanda McGonigle — creator of the @CatsOnACouch social media accounts that mock Vance — by name in the registration line and denied her entry despite her having registered and received official guest confirmation from the Executive Office of the President. McGonigle sued Secret Service Director Sean Curran, Office of Presidential Advance Director John Hiller, the Executive Office of the President, and the Secret Service, alleging First Amendment retaliation and viewpoint discrimination.
Pentagon brands Anthropic a 'supply chain risk' in retaliation for refusing unrestricted military use of its AI models
On March 5, 2026, the U.S. Department of Defense formally notified Anthropic that the company and its products were designated a "supply chain risk," effective immediately — a label normally reserved for firms tied to foreign adversaries and reportedly the first publicly applied to an American company. The designation, which bars defense contractors from using Anthropic's technology, followed the breakdown of contract talks: the Pentagon demanded access to Anthropic's Claude models "for all lawful purposes," while the company's acceptable-use policy barred their use for fully autonomous weapons and mass domestic surveillance of Americans. After Anthropic refused to drop those limits, President Trump on February 27 ordered agencies and contractors to halt business with the company and called its stance a "disastrous mistake," and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth tied the designation directly to the firm's refusal to comply — even as the military continued using Claude to support intelligence and targeting work.
Pentagon formally designated Anthropic a 'supply chain risk' after AI-guardrails dispute
On March 5, 2026, the Department of Defense formally notified Anthropic that the company and its products were designated a "supply chain risk," a label normally reserved for foreign adversaries, after Anthropic refused to drop acceptable-use limits barring its Claude models from mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons. The Pentagon, which gave the military up to six months to phase out the technology, framed the move as ensuring it could use the tools "for all lawful purposes"; Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called the action "retaliatory and punitive" and said the company would challenge it in court. The designation came even as the U.S. military was reportedly using Claude to support its operations in the Iran campaign.
Trump orders federal agencies and contractors to cut off Anthropic over its AI-use limits
On February 27, 2026, President Trump ordered federal agencies and military contractors to halt business with the AI company Anthropic, giving the government roughly six months to phase out its products. The order followed the breakdown of Pentagon contract talks: the department sought access to Anthropic's Claude models "for all lawful purposes," while the company's acceptable-use policy barred their use for fully autonomous weapons and the mass domestic surveillance of Americans. Announcing the move on Truth Social, Trump called the company's refusal a "disastrous mistake," opening a retaliation campaign that culminated in the March 5 "supply chain risk" designation.
Hegseth cancels 93 military fellowships at elite universities, bars officers from attending
In a memo signed February 27, 2026 — "Aligning Senior Service College Opportunities With American Values" — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the cancellation of about 93 Pentagon-funded Senior Service College fellowships at roughly 22 civilian universities, including Princeton, Yale, Columbia, Brown, MIT, and Georgetown, effective the 2026–27 academic year. He barred the military from sending active-duty officers to graduate programs at the named schools, declaring in a same-day video that elite institutions had become "factories of anti-American resentment and military disdain." Officers already enrolled were permitted to finish their coursework.
UT Knoxville Chancellor fired assistant professor Tamar Shirinian for Facebook post criticizing Charlie Kirk
On February 11, 2026, University of Tennessee Knoxville Chancellor Donde Plowman terminated anthropology assistant professor Tamar Shirinian, citing "misconduct" over Facebook comments she made about Charlie Kirk following his assassination in September 2025. Shirinian had written on a friend's private Facebook page that Kirk's children were "better off living in a world without a disgusting psychopath like him." Despite Shirinian's subsequent apology, Chancellor Plowman signed the termination letter in February after a months-long administrative investigation launched by UT System President Randy Boyd.
Trump excluded Govs. Polis and Moore from bipartisan White House governors' meeting and dinner over their criticism
On February 6, 2026, President Trump restricted that month's White House working meeting of the National Governors Association to Republican governors only, and personally blocked Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore from the traditionally bipartisan black-tie dinner held alongside it. Other Democratic governors who have also criticized Trump, including California's Gavin Newsom and Illinois' JB Pritzker, remained invited to the dinner. NGA leadership said it would not treat the restricted meeting as an official NGA event, calling it a break from decades of bipartisan tradition.
Pentagon cuts ties with Harvard, ending military training and fellowships
On February 6, 2026, the Department of War (Pentagon) announced it would sever academic ties with Harvard University, ending Pentagon-funded graduate-level professional military education, fellowships, and certificate programs connected to the school beginning in the 2026–27 academic year. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Harvard "no longer meets the needs of the War Department," faulting officers who returned "looking too much like Harvard — heads full of globalist and radical ideologies," and a Pentagon account posted on X that "Harvard is woke; The War Department is not." The Pentagon described the cut as the first in a broader review of elite universities, with officers already enrolled allowed to finish their coursework.
UT Austin's presidential committee denied tenure to border-surveillance scholar Iván Chaar López despite unanimous faculty approval
In February 2026, the University of Texas at Austin's presidential Promotion and Tenure Committee denied tenure to historian Iván Chaar López despite a unanimous recommendation from his department (7-0), external reviewers (8-0), and his college's tenure committee (19-2), offering no stated academic reason. The denial followed the UT System Board of Regents' adoption of a "controversial topics" classroom-speech policy and the elimination of several interdisciplinary departments, including ethnic and gender studies. No source discloses the exact day of the February decision; the date recorded here is a placeholder for the month.
ICE removed all detainees from Cumberland County Jail and DHS canceled its housing contract hours after sheriff criticized ICE's tactics
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement removed all roughly 50 federal detainees from the Cumberland County Jail in Portland, Maine, on January 22, 2026, and the Department of Homeland Security formally canceled the jail's detainee-housing contract the next day, hours after Sheriff Kevin Joyce publicly criticized ICE's arrest of a county corrections officer as "bush league." ICE Deputy Assistant Director Patricia Hyde said on the record that the cancellation followed Joyce "criticizing those who actually protect our communities," and in the same rushed transfer ICE moved detainees in violation of standing federal court orders, prompting two judges to order several immediate releases.
DHS fired career IT employee Brandon Wright over private political remarks caught in a covert dating-app sting
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security fired Brandon Wright, an eight-year career IT employee, on January 8, 2026, over private remarks criticizing incoming DHS Secretary Kristi Noem that political provocateur James O'Keefe secretly recorded during a date and published as part of his "Dating the Deep State" video series. DHS's own termination decision said continued employment would signal to the workforce that undermining the Secretary's agenda was permissible; Wright is suing DHS in federal court alleging First Amendment and due-process violations.
2025 Events (22)
The State Department moved to exclude or deport five noncitizen researchers under a visa policy targeting online 'censorship'
On December 23, 2025, the State Department announced it would exclude or deport five individuals — including two leaders of Coalition for Independent Technology Research member organizations — under a visa-restriction policy that Secretary of State Marco Rubio first announced in May 2025 to target foreign "censorship" of Americans' speech. Initially framed as aimed at foreign officials, the policy had by then expanded into a broader campaign against noncitizen researchers, fact-checkers, and trust-and-safety workers who study social media platforms and online harms. Rubio said the Department "stands ready and willing to expand" the list if others did not "reverse course."
Florida Gov. DeSantis designated CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood 'foreign terrorist organizations,' barring state contracts and funds
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order on December 8, 2025 designating the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim Brotherhood as "foreign terrorist organizations," directing state agencies to deny contracts, employment, funds, and other material support to the groups and anyone supporting them. CAIR, which has more than 20 U.S. chapters and is not on the federal terrorist-organization list, sued days later alleging the order was unconstitutional and that DeSantis had usurped the federal government's exclusive authority to designate terrorist organizations.
University of Arkansas dean removed tenured Middle East studies director over Israel posts, later fired her
On December 5, 2025, University of Arkansas Fulbright College Dean Brian Raines removed tenured political science professor Shirin Saeidi as director of the King Fahd Center for Middle East Studies and recommended her termination, citing her social media posts and reposts about Israel, Gaza, and Iran. A UA faculty committee unanimously recommended against her dismissal in February 2026, but UA System President Jay Silveria overrode that finding in March, citing risk of funding loss under an Arkansas antisemitism-reporting law, and the UA System Board of Trustees voted to uphold her termination and revoke her tenure in May 2026.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott designated CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood foreign terrorist organizations, a power reserved to the U.S. Secretary of State
On November 18, 2025, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a proclamation designating the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim Brotherhood "foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organizations," citing unproven claims that CAIR is a "front group" for Hamas. The proclamation bars both organizations from purchasing or acquiring property in Texas and authorizes "increased enforcement," including the attorney general suing to shut them down, even though designating a foreign terrorist organization is a power held exclusively by the U.S. Secretary of State and neither organization is on any federal terrorism list. CAIR called the proclamation a "publicity stunt masquerading as a proclamation" and said it would sue.
Clay County school board fired teacher Kelly Brock-Sanchez over off-duty Charlie Kirk posts as Florida sought to revoke her license
On October 2, 2025, the Clay County, Florida school board terminated Exceptional Student Education teacher Kelly Brock-Sanchez, acting on Superintendent David Broskie's September 25 recommendation, over posts she had made about activist Charlie Kirk's death on a private, pseudonymous Facebook account while off duty. Days earlier, on September 22, Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas announced he had found probable cause to seek permanent revocation of her teaching certificate, part of a statewide campaign to discipline educators whose Kirk-related posts he deemed sanctionable.
Oglethorpe County school district threatened to fire teacher Michelle Mickens unless she resigned over Charlie Kirk Facebook post
On September 29, 2025, the Oglethorpe County School System in Georgia informed English teacher Michelle Mickens, through her union representative, that she would be terminated unless she voluntarily resigned, after placing her on administrative leave over a personal Facebook post that quoted assassinated activist Charlie Kirk and explicitly condemned political violence. The Southern Poverty Law Center and Georgia Association of Educators sued the district in federal court on First Amendment grounds; the parties reached a confidential settlement paying Mickens roughly $270,420 plus $17,080 in attorney fees, announced July 3, 2026.
National Park Service fired Yosemite ranger Shannon Joslin over transgender flag protest, referred them for prosecution
On July 30, 2025, the National Park Service fired Yosemite wildlife biologist and park ranger Shannon Joslin, citing a flag-size rule enacted the day after Joslin and fellow activists hung a transgender pride flag on El Capitan on their day off. Days later, NPS referred the matter to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California, which began evaluating Joslin for criminal prosecution over the same flag display.
Rubio opened State Department investigation into Harvard's J-1 visa program with no stated misconduct
Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent a letter to Harvard President Alan Garber on July 23, 2025, opening a formal State Department investigation into Harvard's participation in the Exchange Visitor Program, which sponsors J-1 visas for international researchers, instructors, and students. The letter alleged no specific misconduct, stating only that programs must not run "contrary to our nation's interests," and gave Harvard one week to produce a broad set of records. Harvard called the probe retaliatory and a violation of its First Amendment rights.
Trump signed Proclamation 10948 banning new Harvard international student visas, directing State to revoke existing ones
On June 4, 2025, President Trump signed Proclamation 10948, suspending entry of all new Harvard-bound international students on F, M, and J visas and directing the Secretary of State to consider revoking existing visas for current Harvard students on a case-by-case basis. The proclamation, issued under INA § 212(f), accused Harvard of jeopardizing the student visa system's integrity by refusing to surrender student records demanded by DHS and defying April 2025 demands to alter curriculum, admissions, and diversity programs. At the time of signing, Harvard enrolled approximately 6,800 international students.
GSA directed all federal agencies to cancel ~$100M in Harvard operating contracts, escalating political retaliation campaign
On May 27, 2025, the General Services Administration sent a letter to all federal agencies directing them to identify and cancel remaining contracts with Harvard University — approximately 30 contracts worth an estimated $100 million — and to seek alternative vendors for future services. The directive escalated the administration's retaliatory campaign against Harvard, which had publicly refused White House demands to alter its hiring, admissions, and governance practices. The contract-cancellation mechanism targeted operating agreements distinct from the $2.6 billion in research grants already frozen or cancelled since April 2025.
DHS Secretary Noem revoked Harvard's SEVP certification, threatening enrollment of ~6,000 international students
On May 22, 2025, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem summarily revoked Harvard University's Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification, the administrative authorization that allows universities to enroll international students on F-1, J-1, and M-1 visas. Citing alleged 'pro-terrorist conduct' and cooperation with the Chinese Communist Party — with no independent factual finding or adjudicatory process — the action threatened immediate displacement of more than 6,000 international students and scholars. Harvard filed for a Temporary Restraining Order the following day; District Judge Allison Burroughs granted the TRO, and a preliminary injunction issued June 20 extended the block pending full litigation.
Interagency task force terminated additional ~$450M in Harvard research grants after president publicly defied administration demands
On May 13, 2025, the interagency Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism announced the termination of approximately $450 million in additional federal research grants to Harvard University — on top of the $2.2 billion already frozen since April 14, 2025. The escalation came one week after Harvard President Alan Garber publicly stated the university would not comply with the administration's demands to alter governance, admissions, hiring, and student conduct policies. The task force declared Harvard had "forfeited the school's claim to taxpayer support." A federal court later ruled the entire Harvard funding campaign constituted unlawful retaliation for First Amendment-protected speech.
Education Secretary McMahon barred Harvard from new federal grants, demanding governance overhaul and DEI compliance
On May 5, 2025, Education Secretary Linda McMahon sent Harvard President Alan Garber a letter formally announcing that the university would receive no new federal grants until it demonstrated "responsible management" and met the Trump administration's demands for governance restructuring, admissions changes, and anti-DEI compliance. The action was a prospective escalation beyond the earlier April 14 freeze of existing Harvard grants, imposing a forward-looking embargo on all new grant funding. Harvard characterized the move as retaliation for its lawsuit challenging the April freeze and called the demands an attempt to impose "unprecedented and improper control."
Interagency task force froze $2.2 billion in Harvard grants after university publicly refused White House demands
On April 14, 2025, the interagency Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism announced the freeze of approximately $2.2 billion in federal grants and $60 million in multi-year contracts to Harvard University — announced the same day Harvard President Alan Garber publicly refused to comply with a package of White House demands delivered April 11. The demands called for governance reforms, merit-based admissions and hiring, closure of DEI programs, a mask ban targeting pro-Palestinian protesters, and cooperation with immigration authorities. A federal court later ruled that the Harvard funding campaign constituted unlawful retaliation for First Amendment-protected activity.
Trump signs EO 14263 targeting Susman Godfrey, suspending clearances and barring building access
On April 9, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14263, directing the suspension of security clearances for Susman Godfrey LLP employees, termination of all federal contracts with the firm, and restriction of firm employees from accessing federal buildings. The order cited the firm's diversity fellowship and its representation of clients in election-related and civil rights cases as justification, framing Susman's legal work as a national-security threat. Susman Godfrey, which had represented Dominion Voting Systems in its defamation lawsuit against Fox News over 2020 election coverage, filed suit to block the order within two days.
Trump signs EO 14250 suspending WilmerHale employees' security clearances, directing federal contractors to sever ties with firm
President Trump signed Executive Order 14250 on March 27, 2025, directing federal agencies to suspend the security clearances of all WilmerHale employees and instructing federal contractors to terminate their relationships with the firm. The order cited WilmerHale's prior association with Special Counsel Robert Mueller — a former WilmerHale partner — and the firm's DEI policies as justification. It was the third in a series of retaliatory executive orders targeting law firms whose attorneys had represented parties adverse to the president or participated in legal investigations of him.
Trump signed EO 14246 suspending Jenner & Block security clearances, pressuring contractors to cut ties with firm
On March 25, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14246, "Addressing Risks From Jenner & Block," directing the immediate suspension of security clearances for all firm employees and requiring federal contractors to certify no business relationships with the firm under threat of contract termination. The order cited the firm's prior employment of Andrew Weissmann—who participated in the Mueller investigation—and its representation of transgender and immigrant clients as justification. A federal court permanently enjoined the order in May 2025, finding it violated the First Amendment through viewpoint discrimination.
Trump signed EO 14237 suspending security clearances and barring federal contracts for Paul Weiss law firm
On March 14, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14237, "Addressing Risks From Paul Weiss," targeting the Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison law firm. The order suspended security clearances for Paul Weiss employees, directed agencies to terminate existing federal contracts with the firm, and barred its lawyers from accessing federal buildings. The administration cited the firm's past employment of lawyers who had participated in prosecutions of Trump's allies and its representation of clients in litigation adverse to Trump.
Trump signed EO 14230 suspending security clearances and barring federal contracts for Perkins Coie over its 2016 Clinton campaign work
On March 6, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14230, "Addressing Risks from Perkins Coie LLP," suspending security clearances for all firm employees, directing agencies to bar its attorneys from federal buildings, and ordering termination of all federal contracts with the firm or entities doing business with it. The order explicitly cited Perkins Coie's 2016 representation of Hillary Clinton's campaign and its hiring of Fusion GPS as justification. On May 2, 2025, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell permanently struck down the order, calling it an "unprecedented attack" on the legal system.
Trump directed suspension of Covington & Burling security clearances and contract terminations over Jack Smith representation
President Trump issued a presidential memorandum on February 25, 2025, directing the Attorney General and all agency heads to immediately suspend security clearances held by partners, members, and employees of Covington & Burling LLP who had assisted former Special Counsel Jack Smith, and to terminate all federal agency contracts with the firm. The memorandum cited the firm's representation of Smith as "involvement in government weaponization." It was the first in a sequence of retaliatory executive actions targeting major law firms whose attorneys had represented parties adverse to Trump or participated in investigations of him.
DOJ official Ed Martin threatened to reject Georgetown Law hires over DEI programs
On February 17, 2025, Ed Martin, then interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, sent a letter to Georgetown University Law Center dean William Treanor demanding to know whether Georgetown had eliminated DEI from its curriculum and warning that his office would reject any fellowship, internship, or attorney applicant affiliated with a law school that continued to teach DEI. Treanor responded on March 6, 2025, invoking First Amendment protections for university curriculum autonomy and calling the demand a constitutional violation. The D.C. Bar's Office of Disciplinary Counsel later filed ethics charges against Martin over the letter.
Trump signed EO 14152 revoking security clearances of 50 former intelligence officials who signed Hunter Biden laptop letter
On January 20, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14152, "Holding Former Government Officials Accountable for Election Interference and Improper Disclosure of Sensitive Governmental Information," immediately revoking the security clearances of approximately 50 former intelligence officials who in October 2020 signed a public letter asserting that the Hunter Biden laptop story bore hallmarks of a Russian information operation. The order also revoked the clearance of former National Security Advisor John Bolton, citing his 2020 memoir's treatment of sensitive national security information. The Director of National Intelligence was directed to submit a 90-day report recommending further disciplinary actions against the signatories.
2024 Events (1)
Bow, N.H. school district banned two parents from campus over anti-trans-athlete protest wristbands
On September 17, 2024, during a Bow High School girls' soccer game, Bow, New Hampshire school officials ordered parents Kyle Fellers and Anthony Foote to remove pink "XX" wristbands worn in silent protest of a transgender athlete's participation, paused the game, and called police to remove those who refused to comply; the district later banned both men from school property and games with no-trespass orders. Superintendent Marcy Kelley testified she viewed the "XX" symbol itself as "anti-trans" and "exclusionary." On August 26, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit reversed a district court ruling and found the district likely engaged in viewpoint discrimination, holding the protest was passive and non-disruptive and remanding the case.