> You can certainly speculate that the these affiliates had an ulterior motive in their actions to curry favor with the Trump administration, ...

I don't know what "ulterior motive" would mean. Businesses have no choice but to deal with real threats, that isn't a hidden agenda. And I wouldn't refer to bending to demands, as a means of damage control under duress, as "currying favor".

I would consider "favor curriers" to be those that align themselves with administration excesses, in hope of favors, without duress being a factor.

This is now a business reality: a US administration that loudly broadcasts its successful use of corrupted leverage against law firms, media companies, universities, tech companies, and others it wishes to bow the knee.

Even if we conjecture the same decisions might have been made in healthier times, for whatever reasons, the unlawful pressure still shades the decisions made in this reality.