"I can go ramp, I can go stairs" -- Trump's audience in Texas gives him an extremely tepid round of applause as he brags about being able to go up stairs without falling
I usually don't comment on politicians' posts. Making an exception for a timeline. Dates and quotes only.
2022:
- @KenPaxtonTX tells the Supreme Court "The University of Texas was wrong" to use race in admissions
- @tedcruz leads a brief signed by @JohnCornyn and 80 other Republicans: race-conscious admissions "inflict a heavy toll on Asian-American students"
2023:
- @GregAbbott_TX signs a ban on DEI offices at state universities
- The Supreme Court rules their way. UT stops considering race
Since then:
- Texas law auto-admits the top of every high school class by rank, as it has since 1997; this year, the cutoff is the top 5%
- 90% of freshmen must be Texans by law
- 4% of undergrads are international per @UTAustin's 2025-26 Common Data Set
9/13/2026:
- @bofrench, Republican nominee for Railroad Commissioner, posts a photo of South Asian students at UT and calls it "the problem"
- As of writing this post, two students in the photo have spoken to reporters. Both are US citizens
9/14/2026:
- Asked about it on the Mark Davis Show, French says letting UT administrators "select their preferred groups of people" is racism
- His fix - "prioritize Americans"
Race-blind admissions were requested and delivered. Changing who is in that photo would require bringing back affirmative action, which the Cruz-Cornyn brief called "unconstitutional on its face" and French even said letting UT administrators "select their preferred groups of people" is racism
Sources:
- Paxton brief ("The University of Texas was wrong"): https://t.co/6yYvrrOfCI
- Cruz-Cornyn brief, filed 5/9/2022, both quotes and signer list: https://t.co/Ptys9ZTw2S
- SB 17, signed June 2023: https://t.co/1xRkDNTWRx
- Top 5% rule: https://t.co/Ux0gAUsCzT
- 4% international undergrads, UT Common Data Set 2025-26: https://t.co/8XfFWFIisO
- The students in the photo: https://t.co/AwBLTQpLoO
- Mark Davis Show quotes: https://t.co/BGo0cNSjld
- "Prioritize Americans": https://t.co/seKKtVbRBf
Thanks to @vedantnair__ for inspiring me to post
The U.S. is investigating Germany for making medication and healthcare a little too affordable for their citizens.
They're pressuring Germany to raise prices and invest more in "innovative pharmaceutical research" to keep international drug prices from going down.
Warner: "There was no imminent threat to the United States by the Iranians. There was a threat to Israel. If we equate a threat to Israel as the equivalent of an imminent threat to the US, then we are in uncharted territory."
Hegseth: "To our steadfast partner, Israel. Your mission is being executed with unmatched skill and iron determination. Fighting shoulder to shoulder with such a capable ally is a true force multiplier and a breath of fresh air."