Trump Strikes Back at “Woke”

Trump Strikes Back at “Woke”

Peter Kopa, Prague,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieMgkqtwUSI&t=278s

Donald Trump threatened to cut off state funding to intolerant “woke” universities. With this necessary act of governance, he is defending freedom of speech.

The absurd attacks of “woke” culture are on the retreat thanks to Donald Trump. This was already becoming apparent shortly before his reelection. In a video, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg regretfully stated that Facebook had gone too far with its “woke”-friendly censorship. Large companies around the world have scaled back their diversity programs, which has brought great relief to many people. Their rigid demands against freedom of thought and speech had become unbearable. The constant emphasis on DEI (“diversity,” “equity,” and “inclusion”) increasingly resembled a sectarian ideological cult.

The U.S. economy recovered, much to the relief of a large portion of the population. After his election, Trump focused on American universities in his fight against “WOKE,” because they were the hotbeds from which “woke culture” originated.

What Are “WOKE” and “Cancel Culture”?

“WOKE” could be defined as an attempt to break with the past, under the pretext that it was racist, sexist, and homophobic. Based on this erroneous view, its professional, paid activists articulated their stance for the present: anything that is discriminatory, according to them, must be eradicated, and anyone who critically opposes this frenzy will be marginalized without further ado, as if they were a beast unworthy of dialogue. And this is where the core of “cancel culture” stems from.

This rejection is never based on objective reasons but relies solely on personal feeling: whoever feels discriminated against is considered to be discriminated against. Birth and gender have become decisive criteria for claiming victim status. Thus, minorities were considered marginalized per se, with white people automatically regarded as racist oppressors. Indeed, the entire West was stigmatized as the epitome of evil.

The Threat of “Woke” Culture

https://thinktanklatam.org/alianza-de-islamistas-con-la-izquierda/

This ideological foundation resonated in the massive demonstrations against Israel and in support of the Palestinians, both at universities in the U.S. and in Europe. This went so far that, following Hamas’s terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, many students sympathized not only with the Palestinian people but also with the terrorist organization Hamas and with the destruction of Israel.

But this was not merely an ideological aberration on the part of the students. No one made this clearer than former Harvard President Claudine Gay. When she had to explain herself before the U.S. Congress regarding anti-Semitic excesses on campus, it became evident that she herself was part of the problem. When asked whether calls for the genocide of Jews constituted a violation of the rules, she replied that it depended on the “context.”

When Claudine Gay, the first Black woman to lead Harvard, resigned from her position, she did so in a very contemporary and stylish manner: She claimed she had been the victim of a racist smear campaign. Her departure was a blow to “woke” culture, as it had long enjoyed broad support: who isn’t in favor of equal rights, regardless of background or gender? However, its excesses and contradictions increasingly led to absurdity and totalitarianism.

Trump’s Conditions

Trump presented elite universities with an ultimatum: either they adapted their diversity guidelines or federal funding would be withdrawn. The president was particularly critical of Harvard. According to him, it was an anti-Semitic, far-left institution. Harvard, according to Trump, was a threat to democracy.

His criticisms hit the mark. Many universities had strayed ideologically and isolated themselves. In this context, Yale University recently published a notably self-critical report. The university analyzes the loss of trust in American universities. Just ten years ago, 57% of Americans had “very high” or “fairly high” trust in universities. Although trust improved slightly in 2025, 70% still believe that universities are on the wrong track. A key reason is also the lack of free speech.

Conservative professors were fired

“Woke” censorship is a real problem, the report notes. One-third of students do not feel free to express their political beliefs on campus. This represents a 17% increase compared to 2015. A survey by the Buckley Institute concludes that, nationwide, half of all students do not dare to share their opinions in class. The report also addresses criticism from conservatives that conservative intellectual traditions are being marginalized at universities; indeed, the figures point to a glaring political imbalance, as there is a collective consensus on what can and cannot be said.

Academics are the most narrow-minded

People with higher education degrees have particular difficulty tolerating other opinions, as recently confirmed by an Allensbach study commissioned by the “FAZ” (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung) in Germany. This is, at its core, a sobering finding. Accumulated intellectual training tends to breed more pedantry, a sense of superiority, and intolerance. This has also been demonstrated by the pro-Hamas demonstrations on college campuses: it is not skeptical intellectuals who are demonstrating here, but moralistic ideologues. Engaging with theories always carries the danger of becoming ensnared by them and, in doing so, losing sight of real life. Thus, at universities, students have fallen prey to Marxism, Maoism, Stalinism, and Leninism, as well as to the radical excesses of postcolonialism and identity politics.

The Convenient Rule of “Shooting the Messenger”

That is why an open and tolerant culture of dialogue is especially necessary here. This also includes the ability to accept and examine criticism that may come from someone we might not initially like, such as Donald J. Trump.

Because one of the most primitive public mechanisms is to reject criticism simply by disparaging the person who voices it. This is called “shooting the messenger.” The treatment of right-wing parties in the West is largely based on this convenient principle. Instead of examining the content and arguments, people attack matters of style, thereby discrediting those on the right. When in doubt, they are labeled right-wing extremists or fascists.

The Right to Debate the Unspeakable

In the wake of student protests at Yale University in 1974, a commission led by historian C. Vann Woodward drafted a report that is a passionate defense of free speech. Universities have the role of expanding the boundaries of knowledge. To fulfill this mission, one needs the right to “think the unthinkable, debate the unspeakable, and question the unquestionable.”

Furthermore, freedom of expression is a prerequisite for research and progress. It is the foundation of democracy itself: speech and response. If this is not exercised in universities—which are the training grounds for dialectic and controversy—it bodes ill for society as a whole. That is why it is encouraging that universities like Yale are setting an example in a self-critical spirit. Because, deep down, no one wants conservative alternative universities. Rather, they want free universities for everyone.

Source: NZZ in Zurich. Recent article by Benedict Neff