This week, Donald Trump’s cronies shuttered the Kennedy Center—temporarily, at least—and then the president amplified the threat by being photographed with a posterboard reading “Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED.” It would be easy to dismiss the saga over the iconic venue as the latest in Trump’s weird gold-plated architectural megalomania, but as Madiba K. Dennie explains, destroying buildings and public spaces in America has a long and dangerous history in white supremacy. Dahlia and Madiba also think through the New York Times coverage of what it was like to be a federal judge in Minneapolis this winter during the administration’s anti-immigrant surge, and they discuss another judicial effort to stop the latest lazy-yet-dangerous legal attack on international students, journalists, and professors.
This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock weekly bonus episodes of Amicus—you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.