FPM: President Trump vowed to issue an executive order protecting free speech at America’s universities Saturday as he invited Hayden Williams, a conservative victim of leftist violence on campus, to share the stage with him at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference.
“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. These ideas are dangerous,” Trump said March 2 in a speech that was interrupted by chants of “USA! USA! USA!” “Instead we believe in free speech, including online and including on campus.”
“Today I’m proud to announce that I will be very soon signing an executive order requiring colleges and universities to support free speech if they want federal research grants.”
“If they want our dollars, and we give it to them by the billions, they’ve got to allow people like Hayden and many other great young people and old people to speak. Free speech. If they don’t, it will be very costly,” he said. “Every day we’re restoring common sense and the timeless values that unite us all. We believe in the Constitution and the rule of law.”
The president did not provide details about the upcoming executive order. Robby Soave of Reasonreports that “an official with knowledge of the executive order confirmed … that a draft exists. Indeed, the plan is to penalize universities that do not protect free speech by taking away their federal grants.”
The announcement came after student leaders from a group of taxpayer-funded universities in Kentucky urged state lawmakers to approve legislation to protect free speech on campus. A letter to lawmakers was signed by 18 student leaders, including representatives of College Republicans, Young Americans for Liberty, and the Council on Post-Secondary Education. “Across the country, speech codes have been used against students of all parts of the political spectrum,” the letter states.
Williams, a field representative for the grassroots conservative training academy, the Arlington, Va.-based Leadership Institute, briefly joined Trump on the dais at CPAC in a National Harbor, Maryland hotel a few miles from the nation’s capital.
“It’s great that I’m being recognized … but there’s so many conservative students across the country who are facing discrimination, harassment, and worse if they dare to speak up on campus,” said Williams, a black eye visible on his face.
“So I’m glad that we could we could bring this to the forefront and I’d just like to say if these socialist progressives had their way they would put our Constitution through the paper shredder in a heartbeat. So it’s as important now [as] ever, the work at Leadership Institute and Campus Reform, exposing these liberal abuses to the public.”
Williams, 26, was coldcocked Feb. 19 when he was allegedly assaulted by Zachary Greenberg, 28, at the University of California, Berkeley. MORE HERE
While he is at it, let’s get the feds out of the student loan business.
Is the 28 yr old attacker a professional student?
Prog heads exploding, film at 11
“Trump is forcing free speech.” (EE 2019)
OK, now with hold Federal money from any state that Infringes Second Amendment rights. The Precedents has now been set.
Please Mr President, DO IT ! By E.O.
Still exceeding all expectations; now if Ginsberg would just die already.
TO Bad_Brad
Duuude! You got it all wrong!
According to the Left, the 2A means we get FREE AMMO from the Gub’mint! 😉
It will be great to see what democrats speak out against this plan. Get every one of them on record for use on campaign ads.
The Good GENERAL Svejk
I assume you mean just the bullet. The massive push for Gun Control currently equals the sane intensity as the push for Socialism. And that’s gotta be what it’s all about. It seems Socialist regimes frown on getting shot at.