The Nation Podcasts Trump and the Universities: Submission and Resistance | Start Making Sense
Mar 19, 2025
David Cole, former National Legal Director of the ACLU, and David Myers, a distinguished professor at UCLA, dive into the tension between the Trump administration and American universities. They discuss the alarming funding cuts aimed at enforcing compliance on social issues. The arrest of Palestinian student activist Mahmoud Khalil raises critical questions on free speech and the implications for Jewish students. The conversation also touches on the historical parallels to McCarthyism and the need for universities to defend inclusivity and resist authoritarian pressures.
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Trump's University Attacks
- Trump attacks university independence using funding cuts as a weapon.
- He demands submission to his requirements, targeting sources of opposition.
Targeting Free Speech
- Trump's attack on Columbia University uses anti-Semitism as a pretext.
- He aims to control universities and suppress free speech by targeting Mahmoud Khalil.
Trump vs. Maine
- Trump confronted Maine's Governor Janet Mills over her refusal to comply with his trans athlete ban.
- He threatened to withhold federal funding, prompting Mills to threaten legal action.
