US President Donald Trump sees the freedom of speech at universities in danger and wants to move universities through financial levers to more protection of free speech. Trump signed a decree yesterday at the White House in Washington, according to which the allocation of federal funds for universities in the future should be more closely linked to ensure that these universities freedom of speech on their premises.
„Universities who want taxpayers should promote free speech rather than eliminate it,“ Trump said when signing the decree.
How exactly this should work in practice remained unclear. Critics see Trump’s initiative primarily as a symbolic act and in response to complaints of conservative circles that their positions at universities would be partially suppressed.
