Universities were falsely implicated prior to Trump's presidency
U.S. Universities: Lacking the Drive of Past Protest Movements
At a pivotal moment in American history, the question arises: where are the students in the face of significant political change? In Europe, universities have often served as the breeding grounds for resistance. In the United States, they played a considerable role in protests against the Vietnam War and societal liberalization. Today, however, at the heart of the U.S.-Trump saga, the question remains unanswered.
Last week, Homeland Security Minister Kristi Noem criticized Harvard for fostering violence and antisemitism on campus, thereby disqualifying the institution from accepting international students. Noem's intentions were clear: a warning to universities nationwide. This warning had been heeded long before, as Trump's administration put pressure on institutions during his presidency to crack down on protests.
In the aftermath of Trump's inauguration, the federal government froze research funds, slashed billions from funding, and demanded sweeping structural reforms. The academic landscape grappled with this new atmosphere, with students reporting an environment of fear, with over half of the teaching staff allegedly hesitant to voice public statements due to the political climate. One might wonder, why are only the universities' legal teams resisting? Where are the protest camps, the banners, and the songs?
Limited Resistance: Causes and Consequences
Three reasons account for the limited resistance from students. Firstly, Trump's crackdown strategy was effective, creating an atmosphere of uncertainty that made silence seem the safest option. Secondly, the student movement suffered a significant blow last year. The remnants of a movement that never managed to mobilize masses remain, in part due to early and substantial resistance.
Protests and Local Targets
Political researcher Robert Cohen believes that protests typically have a specific local target. Previous student protests, such as those against universities' investments in Israel, provided a clear focus for student activism. However, Trump lacks this local dimension, making it challenging for students to direct their energy effectively. Some researchers propose that students are focusing their efforts on election campaign activities instead, aiming to support candidates who can oust Trump's allies in the congressional elections next year.
Dormant or Suppressed?
The protests against Israel's military operations in Gaza in mid-2024 constituted a significant student movement, with students demanding their universities sever financial ties with Israel. The movement, however, escalated quickly, culminating in the clearing of protest camps and the expulsion of students. More than 3,000 arrests were recorded by the "New York Times", a number exceeding that of the Vietnam War protests. Despite these intense efforts, the universities did not emerge from the ordeal stronger; rather, they seemed to submit to pressure, both from Trump's supporters and those within their own ranks.
From Questioning to Pressure
According to Cohen, the pressure on universities to suppress protests started rolling when Trump ally Elise Stefanik questioned Harvard President Claudine Gay and her colleagues in a committee hearing. Stefanik's questions targeted the alleged violation of rules regarding antisemitism, prompting outrage and eventually leading to Gay's resignation, also due to emerging plagiarism allegations.
During the Trump administration, universities found themselves successful prey to suppression. The pressure came from various sources, including Congress, funders, and Trump supporters. The movement was crushed before Trump even took office.
The Role of Trump
Harvard's new president, Alan Garber, recently stated in an interview with NPR that the Trump administration had legitimate concerns, but the solutions they proposed were "surprising." Garber highlighted that the cuts to research funding hurt Harvard, but also the U.S., as these funds supported crucial work. The connection to antisemitism remained unclear. Cohen believes that Trump is now using the already weakened protest movement as an excuse to launch attacks on the university system as a whole, with universities traditionally being a popular target for Republicans.
Cohen considers the attacks on universities exaggerated, stating that they were never particularly free, adding, "In a way, universities were already 'Trumpified' before Trump." Regardless of one's viewpoint, it is clear that the American university system faced significant challenges during the Trump era, with some feeling compelled to comply with government demands to maintain their funding and prestige.
Source: ntv.de
- USA
- University
- Protests
- Donald Trump
- Despite the European Union being a political entity, American universities during the Trump era failed to emulate the resistance exhibited by their counterparts in Europe, who have historically fostered political change and self-development through education and protests.
- The limited resistance from American students in the face of Donald Trump's administration's crackdown on protests can be attributed to factors such as the creation of an atmosphere of uncertainty and the lack of a clear local target for protests, similar to the education-and-self-development driven movements that once took place in European universities.
