Donald Trump has already signed a series of executive orders that could radically alter the future of higher education all across the country. The directives are intended to unilaterally destroy diversity and inclusion initiatives at state universities. Trump claims these programs have been hijacked by what he calls “Marxist maniacs and lunatics.” This action greatly expands the Trump administration’s already extreme efforts to intimidate U.S. universities. These efforts are nothing new, in fact he’s been doing this since taking office in January.
The White House has indicated that these orders will include measures to foster workforce development, including AI education and training. Trump’s Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, emphasized that the administration seeks to steer schools away from what she termed the “diversity, equity, and inclusion cult.”
Trump stated, “We are getting out of that … after being in that jungle for a long time.” His administration has faced criticism for its approach to higher education, with over 150 university presidents signing a statement condemning what they describe as “unprecedented government overreach and political interference.”
Together, these executive orders introduce new measures to hold educational accreditors accountable for their failure to perform. McMahon pointed to an example of how many accreditors have favored the principles of “woke ideology” over merit. Trump’s directives call for strong and swift enforcement against accreditors that fail to enforce federal civil rights laws. They may be subject to denial, surveillance, suspension, or withdrawal of their recognition of accreditation.
To go along with these regulatory changes, the administration has threatened to withhold billions in federal funding from any university that doesn’t fall in line with its demands. According to advocate reports, the government has gone so far as to imprison foreign students, as a punitive action against their advocacy work.
Trump plans to replace existing accreditors with new bodies that will impose stricter standards on colleges. “We will then accept applications for new accreditors who will impose real standards on colleges once again and once for all,” he asserted.
The administration’s position is part of a broader assault on pedagogical diversity efforts within K-12 schools and higher education. Opponents say that such moves stifle academic freedom and erode the quality of higher education.