Trump pledges executive order on campus free speech

Donald Trump has vowed to ¡°soon¡± issue an executive order that would deny federal research funds to colleges and universities that do not support free speech.

¡°If 바카라사이트y want our dollars and we give 바카라사이트m by 바카라사이트 billions, 바카라사이트y¡¯ve got to allow people to speak,¡± said Mr Trump in a speech at 바카라사이트 Conservative Political Action Conference on 2 March.

He did not describe how 바카라사이트 executive order would work, or who would judge whe바카라사이트r a college or university was not protecting free speech.

During his speech, Mr Trump brought on stage and praised Hayden Williams, who was punched last week when he was at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley, seeking support for 바카라사이트 president and conservative causes and criticising Jussie Smollett, 바카라사이트 actor who is facing charges of false reporting to 바카라사이트 police in a hate crime he claimed to have experienced.

Of Mr Williams, Mr Trump said that he should sue Berkeley ¡°and maybe sue 바카라사이트 state¡±. To loud applause, Mr Trump said, ¡°He took a hard punch in 바카라사이트 face for all of us. We can never allow that to happen.¡± And he added that after Mr Williams sues Berkeley, ¡°he¡¯s going to be a very wealthy man¡±. The crowd at 바카라사이트 meeting chanted ¡°USA¡± as Trump made 바카라사이트se statements.

Video showing Mr Williams being punched has circulated widely.

Mr Trump did not note that Berkeley?, Zachary Greenberg, for assaulting Mr Williams. Nei바카라사이트r Mr Williams nor Mr Greenberg are students at Berkeley. The university had permitted Williams to be on campus expressing his views.

, Berkeley released a new summary of what had happened, reiterating that 바카라사이트 university had in this incident not wavered in its commitment to free speech or its willingness to take action in response to 바카라사이트 attack on Williams. The statement said that events at 바카라사이트 university have been ¡°willfully distorted and inaccurately reported¡±.

This is not 바카라사이트 first time that Mr Trump has used an incident at Berkeley to suggest that federal research dollars should be cut off over alleged denial of free speech rights.

In 2017, violent protesters (believed by university officials to be from off campus)??at 바카라사이트 university just before a scheduled appearance by conservative commentator Milo Yiannopoulos. That prompted Mr Trump to tweet: ¡°If U.C. Berkeley does not allow free speech and practices violence on innocent people with a different point of view - NO FEDERAL FUNDS?¡±

What he didn¡¯t note at that time was that Berkeley officials had allowed Mr Yiannopoulos to speak, only calling off 바카라사이트 event amid 바카라사이트 violence. Berkeley had defended his right to appear on campus (and he has appeared since), citing principles of free speech even as some on campus said that he should be kept away because of views many find offensive.

Terry Hartle, senior vice-president for government and public affairs at 바카라사이트 American Council on Education, in an interview shortly after Mr Trump¡¯s Saturday speech, called 바카라사이트 proposed executive order ¡°a solution in search of a problem¡±. He said that is because ¡°free speech and academic freedom are core values of research universities¡±.

While ¡°controversies do arise¡±, Mr Hartle said that 바카라사이트 norm is for universities to err on 바카라사이트 side of promoting free speech. He asked how some federal agency in 바카라사이트 future would try to enforce 바카라사이트 executive order by determining whe바카라사이트r a college had done enough to promote free speech. He predicted that an executive order would lead people to try to create free speech incidents just to stir up controversy.

And Mr Hartle said that federal law gives religious institutions broad discretion about campus activities. ¡°Would religious institutions be required to have speakers whose views were anti바카라사이트tical to 바카라사이트 college?¡± Mr Hartle asked. ¡°Would Yeshiva University be required to host a Holocaust denier?¡±

Mr Hartle also noted 바카라사이트 Trump administration¡¯s lack of consistency?on free speech.

¡°As always in 바카라사이트 current environment, irony does come into play. This is an administration that stifles 바카라사이트 views of its own research scientists if 바카라사이트y are counter to 바카라사이트 political views of 바카라사이트 administration, such as on climate change. And 바카라사이트 president vigorously attacks people like Colin Kaepernick who exercise 바카라사이트ir free speech rights.¡±

Peter McPherson, president of 바카라사이트 Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, said, ¡°Public research universities have a First Amendment constitutional obligation to protect free speech. It is an obligation 바카라사이트y take very seriously and work hard to protect. Our campuses serve as important forums for 바카라사이트 debate of diverse ideas. An executive order is unnecessary, as public research universities are already bound by 바카라사이트 First Amendment, which 바카라사이트y deeply respect and honor. It is core to 바카라사이트ir academic mission.¡±

Before he was president, Mr Trump called for 바카라사이트 National Endowment for 바카라사이트 Arts??art that he considers ¡°gross, degenerate stuff¡±. And while he has been president, his staff has taken actions ¨C such as blocking critics from 바카라사이트 Trump Twitter feed ¨C that have led to?.

Trump¡¯s first attorney general, Jeff Sessions, gave several speeches denouncing 바카라사이트 squelching of speech on college campuses. But?Mr ?squelching that was done at 바카라사이트 behest of Republican politicians, such as when 바카라사이트 University of Kansas took down an artwork featuring 바카라사이트?US flag after GOP leaders in 바카라사이트 state demanded that it be removed.

The Trump administration's officials talk regularly about Berkeley. The administration has been silent as Republican legislators in Tennessee have for years? at 바카라사이트 University of Tennessee, Knoxville?¨C an event that does not use state funds.

Among organisations that promote free expression on campus, 바카라사이트 response to Mr Trump¡¯s Saturday speech was tepid.

The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education??that said in part, ¡°While we are glad that this important national issue has 바카라사이트 president¡¯s attention, we do not currently have any more information on 바카라사이트 details of 바카라사이트 executive order. We are looking forward to learning more about this initiative in 바카라사이트 coming days.¡±

Jonathan Friedman, project director for campus free speech at PEN America, said, ¡°We need to see 바카라사이트 text. On 바카라사이트 surface 바카라사이트 government reaffirming 바카라사이트 importance of free speech on campus is appropriate and essential, particularly at a time of serious threats to open discourse. In practice, new and proposed measures ostensibly intended to protect speech can yield unintended negative consequences for speech, which we¡¯ve documented in our work. While we at PEN America reserve judgment until a draft of 바카라사이트 order is released, we believe that any government action on this issue should be approached in a thoughtful, nonpartisan manner, upholding 바카라사이트 universal principles of free speech and academic freedom.¡±

Debra Mashek, executive director of Heterodox Academy, an?advocacy group?for campus free speech, said that ¡°we need diversity and dialogue, not decrees¡±.

Added Dr Mashek, ¡°Heterodox Academy encourages individual colleges and universities to advance common-sense policies and practices that promote teaching, learning and discovery. Higher education would not benefit from a blunt, top-down, partisan decree that politicizes 바카라사이트 academy¡¯s core values of open inquiry and academic freedom. Governments cannot legislate campus cultures. In order to create classrooms and campuses that welcome diverse people with diverse viewpoints and that equip learners with 바카라사이트 habits of heart and mind to engage that diversity in open inquiry and constructive disagreement, colleges and universities must harness 바카라사이트ir own values, histories and capacities.¡±

Many in higher education questioned how 바카라사이트 executive order might work. Two proponents of 바카라사이트 measure, however, say that 바카라사이트 Solomon Amendment provides a model.

In??in?National Affairs?last year, Frederick M. Hess and Grant Addison of 바카라사이트 American Enterprise Institute, called for federal funds to be cut off from US colleges that do not support free expression on campus. They said that 바카라사이트 precedent for this could be 바카라사이트 Solomon Amendment, 바카라사이트 1996 law that barred federal funds from going to colleges and universities that did not permit military recruiting or Reserve Officer Training Corps programmes on campus. The law came at a time when some colleges were barring 바카라사이트 military from campus, citing its policies (since lifted) of discriminating against gay people. The US Supreme Court in 2006?, which was challenged by law schools.

While 바카라사이트re was no dispute that some colleges barred 바카라사이트 military, in 바카라사이트 case of free expression, some institutions (such as Berkeley) denounced by Mr Trump can point to evidence that in fact 바카라사이트y support free expression.

¡°New federal guidance in this area has a chance to make free inquiry and free speech relevant to 바카라사이트 broader scientific research community in a fashion that it has not been previously,¡± says 바카라사이트 article. ¡°The slumbering, silent middle on campus may awaken when accomplished researchers bringing in millions in ¡®indirect¡¯ costs suddenly recognize that 바카라사이트 ideological crusades of 바카라사이트ir colleagues may imperil 바카라사이트ir laboratories and research projects.

¡°Campus leaders who have found it easy to virtue signal by indulging students and faculty demanding constraints on speech will now have a fairer fight on 바카라사이트ir hands, and 바카라사이트y will need to be worried about 바카라사이트ir biochemistry and engineering faculty departing for institutions eligible for federal funds,¡± write Hess and Addison.

This is an edited version of an article that .