Trump targets civil society: lawyers, nonprofits, and academia under coordinated pressure

While previously focused on universities, the administration is now expanding legal and financial pressure to lawyers and nonprofits — threatening tax status, funding, and public legitimacy. This confirms a broader strategy to weaken watchdog institutions through targeted intimidation, not one-off actions. Experts warn that this reflects a classic authoritarian tactic: disable organized dissent across multiple sectors before formal power consolidation.