The radicalism that is consuming American politics can be traced back to American universities. Any solution will require overhauling higher education as it currently exists.
There is no greater proof that American universities are fueling radical politics than Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary, where antisemitic, terrorist sympathizing socialist Abdul el Sayed defeated generic Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens. El Sayed defeated Stevens 48.5% to 47.5%, likely only because another, more generic Democrat, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, siphoned 4% of the vote that likely would have gone to Stevens.
WHAT ABDUL EL SAYED COULD GAIN FROM BIG-NAME DEMOCRATS CLAMORING TO CAMPAIGN WITH HIM
El Sayed’s victory was driven entirely by the products of American universities. He lost all 15 of the Michigan counties with the lowest share of college graduates (i.e., the counties with the highest share of working-class voters), and won 13 of the 15 counties with the highest share of degree holders. El Sayed’s second-best performance came in Washtenaw County, home to the city of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan. His third-best performance was in Ingham County, which includes Michigan State University in Lansing.
This is not much of a revelation for anyone who has followed the developments at universities closely. For years, poll after poll has shown that college students (particularly left-wing college students) hate free speech, love socialism, hate America, and are increasingly accepting of political violence. Universities have been a breeding ground for left-wing radicalism for decades, driven by activist professors more concerned with “organizing” than teaching, and bloated left-wing bureaucracies that employ useless left-wingers who impose left-wing politics on their institutions.
UNIVERSITIES SHOULD ANSWER WASHINGTON WITH CIVIC COVENANTS OF THEIR OWN
A radical remaking of higher education is the only solution. Under Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), Florida Republicans have attempted to do exactly that, targeting accreditation bureaucrats, students who are members of violent organizations, and useless university bureaucracies (typically given such names as the “Office of Equity and Inclusion). The Trump administration has also been trying to root out the left-wing ideology that has infected higher education, targeting universities that racially discriminate against applicants.
Dismantling the left-wing orthodoxy at American universities should be one of the top priorities of the GOP, as DeSantis and the Trump administration have recognized. From “pro-Palestine” encampments to violent “protests” to backing radicals like el Sayed, universities are fueling radicalism that is destroying the social fabric of the country, and it must be addressed.