Obama Calls for Universities to Stand Up to Trump Administration Threats

In a campus speech on Thursday, former President Barack Obama urged universities to resist attacks from the federal government that violate their academic freedom.

He also emphasized the importance of schools and students engaging in self-reflection about speech environments on their campuses.

During a conversation at Hamilton College in upstate New York, Obama stated, “If you are a university, you may have to figure out, are we in fact doing things right? Have we in fact violated our own values, our own code, violated the law in some fashion?”

He further added, “If not, and you’re just being intimidated, well, you should be able to say, that’s why we got this big endowment.”

Obama’s comments come in the midst of the Trump administration threatening universities with major budget cuts, such as the $400 million taken away from Columbia University in March.

At Harvard, over 800 faculty members signed a letter urging leadership to resist the administration’s actions and defend higher education.

Despite criticisms, many universities struggle to respond effectively, with some like Brown and Princeton vowing to fight back against the administration in defense of academic freedom.

Princeton’s president, Christopher L. Eisgruber, described the targeting of Columbia University as “the greatest threat to American universities since the Red Scare of the 1950s.”

Obama’s advice to universities to stand on principle and utilize their endowments in times of threats was echoed by his former Treasury secretary, Lawrence Summers.

The targeting of higher education by the Trump administration is seen by some as a result of universities not adequately addressing free-expression concerns from conservatives.

In his speech, Obama also called on law firms to uphold their principles, even if it meant risking business loss.

He emphasized the importance of standing up for the rights of others to express differing opinions, stating, “You let them speak, and then you tell them why they’re wrong. That’s how you win the argument.”