> Skip to content
FEATURED:
  • The Evolution of Race in Admissions
Sign In
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
Sign In
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
Sign In
ADVERTISEMENT
News
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Show more sharing options
Share
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Copy Link URLCopied!
  • Print

Trump Says the Campus Free-Speech Crisis Is ‘Overblown’

By  Chris Quintana
March 22, 2018
President Trump speaks with Charlie Kirk, head of Turning Point USA, at an event covering free speech and the opioid crisis, among other issues, on Thursday.
Evan Vucci, AP Images
President Trump speaks with Charlie Kirk, head of Turning Point USA, at an event covering free speech and the opioid crisis, among other issues, on Thursday.

Is free speech in a state of crisis on college campuses? Those with a strong opinion say it’s either a dire concern, citing disrupted speeches, or blown way out of proportion in response to cherry-picked incidents. Many conservatives will argue the former, but you can apparently count President Trump as one of the skeptics.

Charlie Kirk, executive director of the conservative student group Turning Point USA, spoke with Trump at a panel discussion on Thursday.

Their conversation covered the recent changes to the tax code, vocational schools, and political correctness. Kirk also requested advice from the president for the “young patriots and conservatives on campus that support your agenda that are being ridiculed and silenced because administrators are clamping down on free speech.”

We’re sorry. Something went wrong.

We are unable to fully display the content of this page.

The most likely cause of this is a content blocker on your computer or network. Please make sure your computer, VPN, or network allows javascript and allows content to be delivered from c950.chronicle.com and chronicle.blueconic.net.

Once javascript and access to those URLs are allowed, please refresh this page. You may then be asked to log in, create an account if you don't already have one, or subscribe.

If you continue to experience issues, contact us at 202-466-1032 or help@chronicle.com

President Trump speaks with Charlie Kirk, head of Turning Point USA, at an event covering free speech and the opioid crisis, among other issues, on Thursday.
Evan Vucci, AP Images
President Trump speaks with Charlie Kirk, head of Turning Point USA, at an event covering free speech and the opioid crisis, among other issues, on Thursday.

Is free speech in a state of crisis on college campuses? Those with a strong opinion say it’s either a dire concern, citing disrupted speeches, or blown way out of proportion in response to cherry-picked incidents. Many conservatives will argue the former, but you can apparently count President Trump as one of the skeptics.

Charlie Kirk, executive director of the conservative student group Turning Point USA, spoke with Trump at a panel discussion on Thursday.

Their conversation covered the recent changes to the tax code, vocational schools, and political correctness. Kirk also requested advice from the president for the “young patriots and conservatives on campus that support your agenda that are being ridiculed and silenced because administrators are clamping down on free speech.”

The president responded that one or two campuses get all the publicity. (Trump last year raised the idea of revoking federal funds from the University of California at Berkeley following the violent protests against a speech by Milo Yiannopoulos.)

ADVERTISEMENT

But he appeared to ultimately brush aside Kirk’s premise. He said the “vast majority” of people on campuses “want free speech.”

“If you look at what’s going on with free speech with the super left, with antifa, with all of these characters,” Trump said, “I’ll tell you what, they get a lot of publicity, but you go to the real campuses, and you go all over the country, you go out to the Middle West, you go out even to the coast in many cases, we have a tremendous support. I would say we have majority support. I think it’s highly overblown. Highly overblown.”

Kirk responded that he “totally agreed” before adding that he hears from people who are Trump supporters who feel they aren’t allowed to say as much because of administrators and professors.

Research largely backs up the idea that a majority of college students support free speech. A recent Gallup poll found that 56 percent of college students say protecting free expression is extremely important to society — though there were caveats. In the same poll, 73 percent said they supported campus policies that restrict hate speech.

Trump’s statement also goes against comments made by Justice Department officials. In January a top department official said colleges ought to do more to deal with those who heckle speakers or shut down campus events. The department has also filed at least three statements of interest in cases involving free-speech lawsuits and colleges, following a speech by the attorney general, Jeff Sessions, who assailed colleges that attempt to curb free speech through restrictive rules.

ADVERTISEMENT

Chris Quintana is a breaking-news reporter. Follow him on Twitter @cquintanadc or email him at chris.quintana@chronicle.com.

A version of this article appeared in the April 6, 2018, issue.
We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
Leadership & GovernanceLaw & PolicyPolitical Influence & Activism
Chris Quintana
Chris Quintana was a breaking-news reporter for The Chronicle. He graduated from the University of New Mexico with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Related Content

  • College Students Want Free Speech — Sort Of
  • Security Costs Loom Larger in Campus Free-Speech Fights. A Lawsuit Shows Why.
  • Inside a Stealth Plan for Political Influence
  • Explore
    • Get Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Blogs
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Find a Job
    Explore
    • Get Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Blogs
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Find a Job
  • The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • DEI Commitment Statement
    • Write for Us
    • Talk to Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • User Agreement
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Site Map
    • Accessibility Statement
    The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • DEI Commitment Statement
    • Write for Us
    • Talk to Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • User Agreement
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Site Map
    • Accessibility Statement
  • Customer Assistance
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Post a Job
    • Advertising Terms and Conditions
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
    Customer Assistance
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Post a Job
    • Advertising Terms and Conditions
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • Subscribe
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Institutional Subscriptions
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Manage Your Account
    Subscribe
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Institutional Subscriptions
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Manage Your Account
1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037
© 2023 The Chronicle of Higher Education
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • facebook
  • linkedin