Frank Langfitt

And in the video, you can see these men, and it's a woman or two, come up to her. They grab her wrists. She begins to resist. She starts to yell. and then they take her phone, handcuff her, and then they lead her off to a car.

So after she was picked up, they sent her to Louisiana. She's never charged with a crime. And a little more than a week ago, a federal judge released her, said the only evidence the government provided for holding her was that she co-wrote an op-ed in the student newspaper. urging the university to divest from companies doing business with Israel.

So after she was picked up, they sent her to Louisiana. She's never charged with a crime. And a little more than a week ago, a federal judge released her, said the only evidence the government provided for holding her was that she co-wrote an op-ed in the student newspaper. urging the university to divest from companies doing business with Israel.

So after she was picked up, they sent her to Louisiana. She's never charged with a crime. And a little more than a week ago, a federal judge released her, said the only evidence the government provided for holding her was that she co-wrote an op-ed in the student newspaper. urging the university to divest from companies doing business with Israel.

Of course, this is not how Secretary of State Marco Rubio had described the whole thing. He said that the U.S. had revoked her visa, suggesting she's some kind of troublemaker. This is what he said.

Of course, this is not how Secretary of State Marco Rubio had described the whole thing. He said that the U.S. had revoked her visa, suggesting she's some kind of troublemaker. This is what he said.

Of course, this is not how Secretary of State Marco Rubio had described the whole thing. He said that the U.S. had revoked her visa, suggesting she's some kind of troublemaker. This is what he said.

Yeah. I mean, he told me that when he saw that video, he recognized this exact tactic. And essentially what he was seeing was an abduction. And it reminded him a lot from what happens in his homeland.

Yeah. I mean, he told me that when he saw that video, he recognized this exact tactic. And essentially what he was seeing was an abduction. And it reminded him a lot from what happens in his homeland.

Yeah. I mean, he told me that when he saw that video, he recognized this exact tactic. And essentially what he was seeing was an abduction. And it reminded him a lot from what happens in his homeland.

Oh, definitely. He's on a green card here. And he's worried that officials could get more aggressive and they could target him. He's also concerned, frankly, about the potential for being deported. His home government went after him some years ago because he criticized the government in a private online post.

Oh, definitely. He's on a green card here. And he's worried that officials could get more aggressive and they could target him. He's also concerned, frankly, about the potential for being deported. His home government went after him some years ago because he criticized the government in a private online post.

Oh, definitely. He's on a green card here. And he's worried that officials could get more aggressive and they could target him. He's also concerned, frankly, about the potential for being deported. His home government went after him some years ago because he criticized the government in a private online post.

And he's worried he could be detained if he ever ends up getting sent back to his homeland. Now, eventually, Aisha, he did agree to talk to me, but only if we didn't use his voice or his name. So we got an NPR producer to voice his answers. And so I asked the professor what he was thinking when he watched that video.

And he's worried he could be detained if he ever ends up getting sent back to his homeland. Now, eventually, Aisha, he did agree to talk to me, but only if we didn't use his voice or his name. So we got an NPR producer to voice his answers. And so I asked the professor what he was thinking when he watched that video.

And he's worried he could be detained if he ever ends up getting sent back to his homeland. Now, eventually, Aisha, he did agree to talk to me, but only if we didn't use his voice or his name. So we got an NPR producer to voice his answers. And so I asked the professor what he was thinking when he watched that video.

Yeah, first, I guess I want to point out what it isn't because I don't want to overstate this. We're not talking about hardcore authoritarianism like what you would see in China. Of course, that's a one-party state. There are no meaningful elections. Instead, we're talking about a case where a leader is democratically elected and then from office reshapes the state to maximize executive power.

Yeah, first, I guess I want to point out what it isn't because I don't want to overstate this. We're not talking about hardcore authoritarianism like what you would see in China. Of course, that's a one-party state. There are no meaningful elections. Instead, we're talking about a case where a leader is democratically elected and then from office reshapes the state to maximize executive power.

Yeah, first, I guess I want to point out what it isn't because I don't want to overstate this. We're not talking about hardcore authoritarianism like what you would see in China. Of course, that's a one-party state. There are no meaningful elections. Instead, we're talking about a case where a leader is democratically elected and then from office reshapes the state to maximize executive power.

And it kind of works like this. The executive fills the civil service with key appointments. And I mean, we're talking the prosecutor's office, the judiciary, fills them with loyalists. And then he or she, they'll attack the media, the universities to kind of blunt public criticism. And also will either intimidate or co-op business leaders.