Christopher Rufo

And so I'd like to see some targeted defunding of compromised and non-scholarly academic departments, projects, research grants. We've seen that happening through Doge, and I'd like to see that become systematized throughout the federal government.

And so I'd like to see some targeted defunding of compromised and non-scholarly academic departments, projects, research grants. We've seen that happening through Doge, and I'd like to see that become systematized throughout the federal government.

I mean, Princeton has decided to take hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer money, but that taxpayer money comes with basic terms and conditions, basic rights and responsibilities. And so the federal government is well within its right to say, we're not going to keep cutting you a blank check unless you meet certain basic standards and requirements that

I mean, Princeton has decided to take hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer money, but that taxpayer money comes with basic terms and conditions, basic rights and responsibilities. And so the federal government is well within its right to say, we're not going to keep cutting you a blank check unless you meet certain basic standards and requirements that

are necessary for the good stewardship of these public dollars. And so Princeton had a choice many years ago to accept government money with the inevitable reciprocal responsibilities or to refuse government money and to maintain its academic independence and its academic freedom.

are necessary for the good stewardship of these public dollars. And so Princeton had a choice many years ago to accept government money with the inevitable reciprocal responsibilities or to refuse government money and to maintain its academic independence and its academic freedom.

Hillsdale College, where I'm a distinguished fellow, decided to reject public funding so that it could maintain its institutional independence. Princeton is at liberty to make the same choice, to refuse taxpayer money and then to not have to negotiate with the taxpayers through the democratically elected administration to come to mutually beneficial and mutually agreeable terms.

Hillsdale College, where I'm a distinguished fellow, decided to reject public funding so that it could maintain its institutional independence. Princeton is at liberty to make the same choice, to refuse taxpayer money and then to not have to negotiate with the taxpayers through the democratically elected administration to come to mutually beneficial and mutually agreeable terms.

Well, they were all given the binary choice. They all can accept public funds or they can not accept public funds, and they still have that choice available. Forgo public funding. and gain more academic independence. But the president of Princeton wants to have it both ways. He wants to have all of the entitlements without any of the responsibilities.

Well, they were all given the binary choice. They all can accept public funds or they can not accept public funds, and they still have that choice available. Forgo public funding. and gain more academic independence. But the president of Princeton wants to have it both ways. He wants to have all of the entitlements without any of the responsibilities.

And so that's the mark of someone that is not looking at this in a mature way, but looking at this, I think, in a very greedy and very self-serving way. I think the president and the secretary of education should be fully ready

And so that's the mark of someone that is not looking at this in a mature way, but looking at this, I think, in a very greedy and very self-serving way. I think the president and the secretary of education should be fully ready

to say, if you don't want to make a deal, as you actually said, for the public good, I hope that the administration is ready to terminate that funding, not just on a temporary basis, but on a permanent basis. I think that's when you get a cascade effect. You're going to see other institutions recalculating in a very healthy way.

to say, if you don't want to make a deal, as you actually said, for the public good, I hope that the administration is ready to terminate that funding, not just on a temporary basis, but on a permanent basis. I think that's when you get a cascade effect. You're going to see other institutions recalculating in a very healthy way.

Well, so I actually would agree in part that, yes, obviously it is not practicable and probably not desirable for universities to say, hey, we're going to have kind of an ideological quota to have balance, to have every point of view represented, to have every religion. I mean, I would like to have a greater kind of philosophical balance.

Well, so I actually would agree in part that, yes, obviously it is not practicable and probably not desirable for universities to say, hey, we're going to have kind of an ideological quota to have balance, to have every point of view represented, to have every religion. I mean, I would like to have a greater kind of philosophical balance.

But what I'm not calling for is like a one-to-one parody or that it has to reflect the particular political ideologies of the public. I don't think that that is the best way to do it. So that's why I say I agree in part. But what I don't agree on, the lesson of the last few years is that the university's

But what I'm not calling for is like a one-to-one parody or that it has to reflect the particular political ideologies of the public. I don't think that that is the best way to do it. So that's why I say I agree in part. But what I don't agree on, the lesson of the last few years is that the university's

have not developed a sufficient and robust internal controls, internal critics, internal challenges. And even at Princeton, for example, I actually know quite a few members of the Princeton faculty, some of whom are conservatives who are essentially in hiding

have not developed a sufficient and robust internal controls, internal critics, internal challenges. And even at Princeton, for example, I actually know quite a few members of the Princeton faculty, some of whom are conservatives who are essentially in hiding