Only a coordinated defense can blunt the Trump administration’s illegitimate coercion.

The Trump administration’s attack on DEI is like a mafia protection racket run by your unhinged uncle after three glasses of bourbon. A mobster is menacing but sensible: He’ll tell you exactly what to do to keep him from torching your bodega. Your uncle may be offensive and unintelligible, but he’s basically harmless: You can ignore him and get through dinner. By contrast, the Trump administration blends illegitimate coercion with rambling incoherence. Colleges and universities can’t tell whether they should pay up, call in the law (at the risk of getting torched before help arrives), or just ignore Trump and hope he falls asleep.