Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Following the October 2023 terrorist attacks in Israel, reports of antisemitism have risen across America. In 2025, the U.S. Department of Education opened civil-rights investigations into dozens of colleges over their alleged failure to protect Jewish students.
Debates over antisemitism, free speech, and the boundaries of political coalitions have become increasingly visible. Some have called on conservatives and libertarians to take a forceful stand against antisemitism and draw clearer lines against figures who refuse to do so. Others have grown skeptical of how antisemitism is defined and argue that supporters of Israel are squelching legitimate dissent.
Are more proactive measures needed to combat antisemitism in America? When does coalition-building become moral evasion, and when does gatekeeping risk policing legitimate dissent? Join us for a timely and lively discussion of antisemitism, free speech, and the proper limits of the right’s “big tent.”
Featuring:
Dr. Jesse Merriam, Associate Professor of Government; Pre-Law Advisor, Patrick Henry College
Josh Blackman, Professor of Law, South Texas College of Law Houston
(Moderator) Hon. Kenneth L. Marcus, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law
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As always, the Federalist Society takes no position on particular legal or public policy issues; all expressions of opinion are those of the speaker.
Following the October 2023 terrorist attacks in Israel, reports of antisemitism have risen across America. In 2025, the U.S. Department of Education opened civil-rights investigations into dozens of colleges over their alleged failure to protect Jewish students.
Debates over antisemitism, free speech, and the boundaries of political coalitions have become increasingly visible. Some have called on conservatives and libertarians to take a forceful stand against antisemitism and draw clearer lines against figures who refuse to do so. Others have grown skeptical of how antisemitism is defined and argue that supporters of Israel are squelching legitimate dissent.
Are more proactive measures needed to combat antisemitism in America? When does coalition-building become moral evasion, and when does gatekeeping risk policing legitimate dissent? Join us for a timely and lively discussion of antisemitism, free speech, and the proper limits of the right’s “big tent.”
Featuring:
Dr. Jesse Merriam, Associate Professor of Government; Pre-Law Advisor, Patrick Henry College
Josh Blackman, Professor of Law, South Texas College of Law Houston
(Moderator) Hon. Kenneth L. Marcus, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law
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As always, the Federalist Society takes no position on particular legal or public policy issues; all expressions of opinion are those of the speaker.
![[LIVE] What Did the Founders Think of the President’s Pardon Power?](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/TTUUcMQHoGI/mqdefault.jpg "[LIVE] What Did the Founders Think of the President’s Pardon Power?
In this Federalist Society America250 series, experts analyze modern legal and policy debates through the lens of the Founding generation. The Founders gave us the tools to answer many contemporary questions; join us as we explore those answers.
During the constitutional convention, Alexander Hamilton raised the idea of a presidential pardon power, borrowing from the British monarchy’s prerogative of mercy. Hamilton’s proposal ultimately resulted in Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, which gives the president the authority to pardon individuals convicted of a federal crime.
The first presidential pardon was exercised by George Washington in 1795, when he granted amnesty to individuals who participated in Pennsylvania’s Whiskey Rebellion. Since then, there have been more than 14,000 instances of presidential pardons. From Andrew Johnson’s pardon of Jefferson Davis to Gerald Ford’s preemptive pardon of Richard Nixon to more recent instances including Joe Biden’s preemptive pardon of Hunter Biden and Donald Trump’s January 6th pardons, presidents’ use – and sometimes purported abuse – of the power has been a controversial and fiercely debated executive authority throughout our nation’s history.
Join our panel of experts as they explore the Founders’ views of the pardon power and place recent use in context with the founding generation.
Featuring:
• Paul J. Larkin, Senior Legal Fellow, Advancing American Freedom
• Andrew McCarthy, Senior Fellow, National Review Institute; Contributing Editor, National Review
• James Trusty, Member, Ifrah Law
• (Moderator) Jeffrey DeSousa, Florida Office of the Attorney General
Register for the live webinar at https://fedsoc.org/events/what-did-the-founders-think-of-the-president-s-pardon-power
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As always, the Federalist Society takes no position on particular legal or public policy issues; all expressions of opinion are those of the speaker.")
