Welcome back to the Unify Brief, where we track the latest developments facing our nation.
Calls for Trump to be removed from office after threats towards Iran
On April 7, President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social, “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.” This led many Democrats and even some Republicans to criticize the president and propose that the 25th Amendment be invoked.
The 25th Amendment was ratified in 1967, after President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. This amendment clarifies the presidential line of succession and is helpful in the case that a president dies in office, resigns or is removed from office.
Trump eventually agreed to a two-week ceasefire after backlash and wrote in a statement that he had received a “…proposal from Iran, and believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate.”
National: Dozens of Democrats call for Trump’s removal after his Iran threats (NBC News)
Local: Colorado Dems call for Trump’s removal or impeachment after ‘war crimes’ threats (Aurora Sentinel)
What other college campuses have to say: RUIZ-ZEPEDA: Beyond party affiliation: The U.S. cabinet must resist Trump and invoke the 25th Amendment (The Vanderbilt Hustler)
Eric Swalwell ends California Governor campaign
Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell of the San Francisco Bay Area ended his campaign for California governor after allegations of sexually assaulting a former staff member were reported on April 10. He is also accused of engaging in sexual misconduct with other women.
Swalwell announced that he was suspending the campaign and denied the allegations on X. “I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s.”
The current concern in this race is who Swalwell’s supporters will now vote for, as he was one of the most prominent democratic candidates; seven Democrats remain in the race, along with two Republican candidates. With the House returning to session on Tuesday, there are talks of Swalwell resigning or being expelled by his peers.
National: Swalwell Suspends Campaign for California Governor Amid Sexual Assault Accusations (New York Times)
Local: California’s Swalwell denies assault allegations (The Denver Gazette)
What other college campuses have to say: The California mirror: What the 2026 primary says about a fractured Democratic Party (The Stanford Daily)
Freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson released from captivity
Shelly Kittleson, a freelance journalist who was kidnapped in Baghdad on March 31 by Kataib Hezbollah, an Iraqi militia backed by Iran, was released on April 7. She was released under the condition that she’d leave Iraq immediately. Kittleson, originally from Wisconsin, built her career as a journalist reporting on the Middle East.
Her release comes after the current conflict between Iran, the United States and Israel. A friend of Kittleson anonymously told the Associated Press that Kittleson had received a warning from U.S. officials about possibly being targeted — a warning she did not believe was credible.
Currently, in the U.S.-Iran-Israel conflict, the U.S. and Iran have worked out a two-week ceasefire deal.
National: American journalist Shelly Kittleson has been released week after kidnapping in Iraq, Rubio says (Associated Press)
Local: American journalist Shelly Kittleson freed from captivity in Iraq, reports say (Coloradoan)
What other college campuses have to say: As of Monday, April 13, no college newspapers have reported on this recent development.
Take Action:
At DU:
- Attend ‘Free Speech and Media: Democratic Backsliding in the Digital Age’ on April 15.
On Your Own:
- Call your representatives
- Denver County Representative: Diana DeGette
