The article details the Trump administration's efforts to control higher education in the US, characterized by critics as a move towards political conformity similar to that seen under Putin's regime.
Several renowned professors, including experts on fascism and Eastern Europe, are leaving prestigious universities like Yale and relocating to Canada, citing concerns about academic freedom and a looming 'civil war' in the US.
The Trump administration is actively targeting universities, cutting funding, and pressuring institutions to align with a specific narrative of American history. This includes the targeting of fields perceived as 'woke', like gender studies and climate change.
The article notes the surprising lack of widespread protest from universities themselves, despite the governmental pressures.
Trump's actions are compared to Putin's methods, aiming to control the narrative of American history and promote a specific kind of 'patriotic education'. The Smithsonian Institution is targeted for its historical depictions.
The Trump administration seeks to rewrite American history, suppressing narratives deemed 'unpatriotic' and promoting a more nationalistic view. The reinstatement of monuments to Confederate generals is given as an example.