Issue One launches new monthly series, Profiles in Constitutional Courage and Cowardice

Today, Issue One is launching a monthly series highlighting the people and organizations whose courage to uphold constitutional values reflect the true strength of American democracy and the rule of law, while shining a light on those who choose complicity and silence.

Profiles in Constitutional Courage and Cowardice seeks to document the public officials, business leaders, and institutions that refuse to bow to intimidation at a time when democratic institutions are under increasing strain, contrasted with instances of capitulation and complicity that erode the norms and guardrails of a free society.

“The strength of our democracy rests not only on our laws and values, but on the courage of those willing to uphold them when it matters most,” said Issue One’s Legislative Director Jamie Neikrie. “Every act of bravery, big and small, reinforces that our system endures when people choose to stand up and defend it. Every generation must decide whether to meet that test – and ours is no exception.”

The first profile, out today, honors the Pentagon reporters who turned in their press access badges for refusing to sign a pledge at the behest of Secretary Pete Hegseth that would have prevented them from soliciting or obtaining any information that the Department of Defense has not explicitly authorized. According to the document, a violation of this procedure would be a criminal act and wouldn’t be protected under the First Amendment. Rather than accept a deal that would have dramatically undermined freedom of the press, dozens of journalists – from outlets ranging from The New York Times and The Atlantic to Fox News and Newsmax – rejected the new policy and left the Pentagon in unison.

“A unified press corps recognized the deeper implication of this pledge: submitting to a policy drafted by the institution these reporters are overseeing and limiting their reporting solely to approved statements would dramatically weaken the public’s capacity to hold power to account,” the profile reads.

Seven universities across the country are similarly recognized for their refusal to sign onto a “compact” by the Trump administration offering preferential federal funding in exchange for institutional commitments that would reshape admissions criteria, cap international enrollment, and undercut diversity initiatives. The compact explicitly included conditions like agreeing “that academic freedom is not absolute” and pledging to potentially shut down “institutional units that purposefully punish, belittle and even spark violence against conservative ideas.”

Of the nine colleges and universities selected, all but two – the University of Texas and Vanderbilt University – refused to sign on. “Principles like academic freedom, merit-based research funding and institutional independence are foundational and must be preserved,” wrote Suresh Garimella, president of the University of Arizona, in an open letter. Presidents of Dartmouth, the University of Southern California, the University of Pennsylvania, Brown University, MIT, and the University of Virginia all offered similar statements. Vanderbilt is still considering and has expressed reservations. In coming together to reject the deal, these institutions affirmed the principle that public funding should never become a lever for partisan transformation of civic institutions.

On the other hand, the profile also spotlights Big Tech companies Apple and YouTube for displaying corporate cowardice in the face of authoritarian intimidation.

In October, Apple quietly removed several apps — including ICEBlock, which helps communities legally monitor immigration enforcement actions — from its App Store following complaints from senior administration officials. The removal effectively eliminated one of the few digital tools immigrant rights advocates relied on to track raids and verify detentions in real time. Rather than defend the principles of free expression and civic participation that underpin its own corporate rhetoric, Apple chose compliance with the administration.

YouTube’s decision to settle a $24.5 million lawsuit brought by President Trump and others over their post-January 6 account suspensions sent a similarly chilling signal. Instead of defending its original decision to enforce policies against incitement and violent rhetoric, YouTube (and its parent company, Alphabet) effectively conceded the false premise that holding public figures accountable is a form of censorship and whitewashed the events that occurred on January 6, 2021. $22 million of the settlement will fund renovations to the White House’s East Wing, adding an extraordinary coda: A company once considered a defender of open discourse is now bankrolling the institution that sought to silence it.

Issue One will use this recurring, monthly series to spotlight examples of both courage and cowardice. Subscribe to our Substack, The Reform Compass, to receive future profiles.

Read the inaugural profile of Profiles in Constitutional Courage and Cowardice.