Trump Has Put Colleges and Universities on Notice — Protect Students’ Right to Free Speech, or Lose Federal Money

College campuses should be places that promote and protect unpopular speech. The Baby Boom generation held demonstrations on campus, opposing the suppression of speech. Today, their grandchildren protest to support suppression. The administrations of these institutions of “higher learning,” largely leftists, comply.

But President Donald Trump has the power to change this. He signed an executive order on Thursday to link federal tax money with students’ First Amendment rights. The schools that receive funding from taxpayers must protect free speech (and should promote it), or risk losing that funding.

“We reject oppressive speech codes, censorship, political correctness, and every other attempt by the hard left to stop people from challenging ridiculous and dangerous ideas,” the president said. “These ideas are dangerous. Instead, we believe in free speech, including online and including on campus.”

In the brief clip, President Trump said that people confident in their beliefs don’t censor others. They welcome (or should welcome) fair and open debate.

We’re delivering a clear message to the professors & power structures trying to suppress dissent & keeping Americans from challenging rigid, far-left ideology. People who are confident in their beliefs don’t censor others. They welcome debate…that’s what we’re demanding. -POTUS pic.twitter.com/mdG5gOOUG9

— Nick Short (@PoliticalShort) March 21, 2019