The Trump administration is intensifying its campaign against American universities, particularly targeting institutions perceived as liberal, by cutting billions in federal research grants. This approach has notably impacted prestigious universities such as Harvard and other Ivy League schools. The administration’s stated justification for these actions is to combat antisemitism, particularly in the wake of incidents involving the harassment of Jewish students and anti-Zionist chants on campuses since October 7. While these issues have been acknowledged and universities have been graded at a B+ for their responses, critics argue that slashing funding for science departments does little to address the root causes of antisemitism and serves more as a pretext for an ideological crackdown on higher education.
The Financial Times reports that Christopher Rufo, a prominent advocate in this campaign against universities, describes the issue as an “existential terror” and seeks to impose “viewpoint diversity” on campuses accused of “ideological capture.” Echoing this sentiment, JD Vance, speaking at the 2021 National Conservatism Conference, characterised American universities as “fundamentally corrupt” and warned parents that college education had become a process in which their children “learn to hate their country and acquire a lot of debt in the process.” Vance cited former President Richard Nixon’s infamous remark that “the professors are the enemy,” a view that underpins much of the current conservative war on academia.
Historically, the founders of the United States regarded knowledge as essential to liberty and the health of the republic. George Washington famously asserted in his first address to Congress that “knowledge is in every country the surest basis of public happiness,” and Thomas Jefferson emphasised the importance of “illuminating the minds of the people at large” through education. Early American leaders envisioned universities as centres of learning that transcended political factions and nurtured a well-informed citizenry, essential to the nation’s freedom.
Over the centuries, this respect for intellectual inquiry faced challenges from various quarters. In the 19th century, Andrew Jackson’s rise to power was partly attributed to his image as a man of action rather than of learning. The populist suspicion of intellectuals deepened in the early 20th century, highlighted by figures like the preacher Billy Sunday, who disparaged college education as a pathway to moral ruin. The tension between intellectualism and popular sentiment has been a recurring theme in American history, with debates over the role of professors and academic expertise continuing through different eras, including during the Red Scare of the mid-20th century when anti-intellectualism surged.
Despite these challenges, the partnership between government and university-based research thrived particularly during and after World War II. The creation of the Office of Scientific Research and Development in 1941, headed by MIT engineer Vannevar Bush and reporting directly to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, spearheaded significant scientific advancements including penicillin mass production and the Manhattan Project. Bush championed the idea that colleges were “the wellsprings of knowledge and understanding” and advocated for federal funding that ensured academic freedom to pursue scientific inquiry based on curiosity and exploration.
The establishment of the National Science Foundation in 1950 further solidified the government’s role in supporting basic scientific research free from commercial pressures. This model produced numerous world-changing discoveries and Nobel Prizes. However, the current administration’s actions have disrupted this continuity: the National Institutes of Health has experienced significant staff reductions, and over 400 National Science Foundation grants have been cancelled, notably targeting research areas such as disinformation, climate science, and diversity initiatives.
Further illustrating the political pressures on academic and scientific independence, peer-reviewed journals such as Emerging Infectious Diseases, CHEST, and the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report have faced freezes on funding. Authorities have demanded these journals accommodate “alternative views,” a move that critics see as undermining scientific standards and peer review. According to the Financial Times, this drive for “lockstep obedience” resembles “the purest Sovietism,” potentially damaging to intellectual and scientific progress.
The war on knowledge extends beyond science. President Trump has reportedly dictated that Smithsonian Institution museums avoid negative historical portrayals, favouring narratives of national self-congratulation. Additionally, a military parade planned for the president's 79th birthday aims to showcase national pride, while plans for a National Garden of American Heroes will install 250 statues celebrating selected figures from American history. Funding for the National Endowments for the Humanities and the Arts has been drastically cut, with 85% of their grants cancelled to help finance this garden.
Ironically, among the figures chosen for commemoration is Hannah Arendt, a historian and philosopher known for her essay “Truth and Politics.” Arendt wrote, “Truth, though powerless and always defeated in a head-on clash with the powers that be, possesses a strength of its own: whatever those in power may contrive, they are unable to discover or invent a viable substitute for it. Persuasion and violence can destroy truth, but they cannot replace it.”
Simon Schama, contributing editor to the Financial Times, underscores the contradiction in current policies that seek to undermine academic freedom and scientific integrity while invoking a patriotic defence of the nation. The historic American ideal holds that an informed citizenry and robust education system are fundamental to democracy and public happiness. The present developments, as reported by the Financial Times, signify a sharp departure from this tradition, with potential long-term implications for American intellectual and cultural life.
Source: Noah Wire Services