Day 109 — March 21, 2025
Last week, I wrote about the Trump shakedown of Columbia—and the long list of demands the Trump administration made in order for Columbia to receive federal funding (which had been frozen).
I cautioned then: “If Columbia acts upon these demands, it truly will set a precedent of the federal government dictating policies of private colleges and universities going forward. Given the role that an independent system of higher ed plays in a functioning democracy, that’s as dangerous as it gets.”
Well, yesterday, Columbia caved.
For the full story, read here.
To read the unsigned letter of response to Trump’s demands, go here.
In terms of academic freedom and independence, the most troubling aspect of Columbia’s compliance is around its curriculum. Remember, the Trump government had specifically demanded that Columbia place its Middle East, African and Asian Studies departments under academic “receivership” for a five-year period.
Outrageous, right?
Here is the school’s response: “As part of our ongoing efforts, we are appointing a new Senior Vice Provost this week with a focus on promoting excellence in Regional Studies. As part of this portfolio, the Senior Vice Provost, acting with the authority of the Provost Office, will conduct a thorough review of the portfolio of programs in regional areas across the University, starting immediately with the Middle East. This review will include the Center for Palestine Studies; the Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies; Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies; the Middle East Institute; the Tel Aviv and Amman global hubs; the School of International and Public Affairs Middle East Policy major; and other University programs focused on the Middle East (together, the “Middle East Programs”). In this role, the Senior Vice Provost will: (1) review the educational programs to ensure the educational offerings are comprehensive and balanced; (2) review all aspects of leadership and curriculum; (3) steward the creation of new programs to address the full range of fields; (4) create a standard review process for the hiring of non-tenured faculty across the University, partnering with the Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and the schools; (5) review the processes for approving curricular changes; (6) following academic procedures, make recommendations to the President and Provost about any necessary changes, academic restructuring, or investments that will ensure academic excellence and complementarity across all programs in the given academic areas.”
And in response to the Trump demand on admissions, the school committed to “[r]eview our admissions procedures to ensure they reflect best practices.”
If we’ve learned anything during the Trump era, it’s that once you cave to a bully, the bullying is just getting started. So isn’t hard to see how this plays out from here: Follow-up letters by the Trump administration unsatisfied with Columbia’s response and demanding even more concessions. Then more caving by Columbia. And downhill from there.
And buoyed by his success with Columbia, Trump will no doubt make similar “hold-ups” and lists of demands of other private and public universities—leveraging federal money for certain purposes to demand concessions in all sorts of other areas. And the Columbia precedent will be used a hammer against any schools that push back. At some point, it’s also easy to envision schools being pitted against one another—with the most compliant ones being rewarded with more funds.
In all, it’s a disastrous downward spiral. But all part of their game plan to destroy and control American higher ed, which Vance declared to be conservatives’ “enemy.”
As Predicted…
Not to keep harping back to what I wrote in my book “2025,” but Chapter 10 was about this precise scenario.
The scene describes a Trump administration official addressing a large crowd of higher ed and academic leaders in a Washington ballroom—threatening that they will lose federal funding if they do not bend to the new government’s will. Not only is the scene about the loss of academic freedom and independence to a far-right government, but it also captures another form of damage rendered when institutions cave due to monetary threats: it only confirms to the Trump henchmen what they always assumed about higher ed—that they can be bought. That, like everything else, it’s all transactional.
Which again, will only fuel more shakedowns and attacks in the future.
Here’s what I wrote:
“Beginning today, as promised, we are deleting the terms ‘sexual orientation’ and ‘gender identity’….’diversity’…”
He slowed down. These were terms these people had lived off of their entire lives. He wanted every word to be heard.
“…‘equity’…..and ‘inclusion’….‘gender,’ ‘gender equality,’ ‘gender equity,’ ‘gender awareness,’ ‘gender sensitive,’ ‘abortion,’ ‘reproductive health,’ and ‘reproductive rights’ from every federal rule, agency regulation, contract, grant, regulation, and piece of legislation that exists.”
Faces remained mostly frozen in place. Eyes vacant. But, Web knew, earthquakes were erupting within each of the arrogant heads before him.
“And to be clear, when I say ‘equity’ and ‘inclusion,’ it means we are eliminating any reference to race in all the same areas.”
As he’d practiced, he pounded the podium so that it shook his microphone, causing a loud thud to echo throughout the ballroom.
Boom.
“Every.”
He pounded again.
Boom.
“Last.”
Boom.
“One.”
Boom.
“Did you hear that, friends?”
A few in the crowd nodded.
“I can’t hear you.” He scanned left and right. “Did you hear that?”
A number said yes out loud, unhappily. Some rolled their eyes.
Drips of sweat were now forming on his nearly bald head, as always happened when he was on a roll. He used a napkin to wipe them off.
“Louder, please.”
“Yes,” they yelled out.
Web grinned, enjoying how pathetic they were. He had just persuaded a room of eggheads—university and hospital presidents, deans, professors, provosts, scientists, doctors, business leaders, and other researchers—to shout yes to a mortal threat to their worlds.
Pathetic and perfect. A DEI audience affirming its own demise.
Plus, these were the people who had convinced his own kids to turn against him once they reached college, with Charlie coming out his freshman year. So watching them squirm was fitting payback.
But the best part was yet to come. Because this was far bigger than erasing words.
“And you heard me say ‘grants’ and ‘contracts,’ right?”
A murmur.
“I can’t hear you.”
Some now said yes.
“Again, louder.”
“Yes!” was shouted from various corners of the room. Not with enthusiasm, but loudly enough he could move on.
“Good. All grants and contracts with references to any of those words, or race or gender generally, are immediately terminated. Not a penny more from this government will support any of your institutions doing such racist work. The federal government is out of the woke history, woke science, DEI, and gender sensitivity business. Forever!”
More murmurs. A few headshakes. But overall, this group was far more submissive than those mobs back in Tallahassee—back when the American woke still thought it would win.
Together, the people in this room received billions in federal grant money. They’d been the willing accomplices of the Deep State. Scooping up billions to advance a poisonous mission.
For many, his announcement would surely mean the end of the gravy train. Careers and jobs and institutions terminated—the true believers who were consumed by “woke,” and had nothing else to offer. Good riddance.
For others, though, the money was the prize. Always had been. For the nimble ones, this would not mean the end—just a change of purpose. A new mission, funded by Web and the federal government. They would submit and serve the new government’s needs.
Did this mean they were corrupt?
Of course.
Government was corrupt by nature. So were those who gobbled up government funds. But Web now controlled its direction and the new ideology the spending would advance.
The difference between those openly shaking their heads at his words and those nodding told him which of the two groups they were in.
“We will now a play a video for you explaining the specific changes and how they will impact you, followed by words of encouragement from the president. When you leave, staff will hand a packet explaining the new process of working with the federal government, should you choose to keep doing so.”
Some faces relaxed. Frowns evened out. Some nods.
Relief everywhere.
For most, he had just thrown them what they wanted. A lifeline.
And this would lead to what he and the president wanted. Submission.
Money had a way of doing that.
“Thank you for your time.”
The applause was muted. The opposite of the cheers he got in friendly, less diverse crowds.
Web Powers didn’t care.
It had taken more time than he’d hoped when the president had appointed him in February. He’d lost his own family along the way.
But now it was done.
He had just fired “woke” from the United States of America.”
If you want to listen to the podcast episode of this chapter, read by truly talented actors, you can HERE.
