Frank Langfitt

There's a lot of strong economic growth. And he leveraged his popularity to basically take control of the levers of power.

There's a lot of strong economic growth. And he leveraged his popularity to basically take control of the levers of power.

There's a lot of strong economic growth. And he leveraged his popularity to basically take control of the levers of power.

This is Fulya Pinarş. She's an anthropologist who studies Turkey and the Middle East at Middlebury College in Vermont. And she says she watched Erdogan slowly tighten his grip on power in her homeland.

This is Fulya Pinarş. She's an anthropologist who studies Turkey and the Middle East at Middlebury College in Vermont. And she says she watched Erdogan slowly tighten his grip on power in her homeland.

This is Fulya Pinarş. She's an anthropologist who studies Turkey and the Middle East at Middlebury College in Vermont. And she says she watched Erdogan slowly tighten his grip on power in her homeland.

Pinar's sister, she worked for a major newspaper there.

Pinar's sister, she worked for a major newspaper there.

Pinar's sister, she worked for a major newspaper there.

And Pinar says the government also targeted a lot of academics.

And Pinar says the government also targeted a lot of academics.

And Pinar says the government also targeted a lot of academics.

And so Pinar, this is 2016. She moves to the U.S. She's basically seeking academic freedom. And she's also studying for a Ph.D. at Rutgers. But the U.S. has not over time proven to be the haven that she'd hoped. And since taking office, you know, Trump has withheld, as we've reported, billions of dollars from universities that he says haven't done enough to fight anti-Semitism.

And so Pinar, this is 2016. She moves to the U.S. She's basically seeking academic freedom. And she's also studying for a Ph.D. at Rutgers. But the U.S. has not over time proven to be the haven that she'd hoped. And since taking office, you know, Trump has withheld, as we've reported, billions of dollars from universities that he says haven't done enough to fight anti-Semitism.

And so Pinar, this is 2016. She moves to the U.S. She's basically seeking academic freedom. And she's also studying for a Ph.D. at Rutgers. But the U.S. has not over time proven to be the haven that she'd hoped. And since taking office, you know, Trump has withheld, as we've reported, billions of dollars from universities that he says haven't done enough to fight anti-Semitism.

And Pinar, she's untenured. She's kind of worried and has changed actually the way that she's teaching right now.

And Pinar, she's untenured. She's kind of worried and has changed actually the way that she's teaching right now.

And Pinar, she's untenured. She's kind of worried and has changed actually the way that she's teaching right now.

Before, in her lectures, she used to cite death tolls for conflicts like the war in Gaza. Now what she'll do is just direct students to readings where they can find the answers on their own. And otherwise, she's kind of worried that students who disagree with her might report her to the school administration. And Pinar says she wants to protect herself against any possible charges of bias.

Before, in her lectures, she used to cite death tolls for conflicts like the war in Gaza. Now what she'll do is just direct students to readings where they can find the answers on their own. And otherwise, she's kind of worried that students who disagree with her might report her to the school administration. And Pinar says she wants to protect herself against any possible charges of bias.