‘Pause Button’ Needed On Trump’s College Campus Comments, Says Surprising Group Of People

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An op-ed written by Outkick’s David Hookstead in March presented an argument against President Donald Trump’s recent call to police free speech on college campuses.

Hookstead first detailed how he voted for Trump and he’s a big fan of the second administration thus far. This is why he was “so concerned when” he saw Trump’s recent statements that “could easily be interpreted as encroaching on free speech.”

“All Federal Funding will STOP for any College, School, or University that allows illegal protests. Agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came. American students will be permanently expelled or, depending on the crime, arrested. NO MASKS! Thank you for your attention to this matter.” — Trump wrote on TruthSocial on March 4.

Big Backlash

Along with Hookstead, a self-described Trump supporter, the comments drew hefty backlash from everyone from FIRE to the ACLU. “As FIRE knows too well from our work defending student and faculty rights under the Obama and Biden administrations, threatening schools with the loss of federal funding will result in a crackdown on lawful speech. Schools will censor first and ask questions later,” FIRE wrote in their statement. (EXCLUSIVE: State Law Could Cut Food Costs With Overhaul Of Farming, Agricultural Industry)

“Even the most controversial political speech is protected by the First Amendment. As the  Supreme Court reminds us, in America, we don’t use the law to punish those with whom we disagree. Instead, “[a]s a Nation we have chosen a different course—to protect even hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that we do not stifle public debate.”

Never Let Censorship Win

No matter how you feel about free speech, you have a right to use it and your lawmakers depend on YOU — the voters — outside of election season, to exercise your right and guide their agenda. Changing your world starts with your locally elected officials, and goes all the way up to the White House. Did you know that it is your responsibility to tell your lawmakers what you want to happen during their time in office?

Just because you voted for them in November (or maybe you didn’t) doesn’t mean your role in shaping America’s future is over. Now is the time to actually engage with your lawmakers by lobbying them to support the change YOU want to see.

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Join us in our mission to advocate for religious freedom, support fair and secure elections, and uphold the values that this great nation was built upon. Tell us what you want from the next four years, and we will fight to make it a reality … again!