If you ever get the sense that certain media outlets don’t trust their readers to think for themselves, you’re not alone. Politico, for one, seems convinced that its audience requires a carefully guided tour of political events, complete with pre-approved conclusions. Their latest coverage of Republican efforts to rein in campus radicalism is a perfect example of this trend, twisting reality to fit a preferred partisan narrative.
Take the recent Politico piece headlined, “Republicans have hated universities for years. Anti-war protests gave them a reason to punish them.” From the get-go, the framing suggests that Republican concerns about higher education are rooted in little more than irrational animosity. The article paints universities as innocent victims of a GOP vendetta, conveniently omitting the broader context: the unchecked rise of campus radicalism, the intimidation of Jewish students, and the universities’ own complicity in fostering a hostile environment.
What Politico Wants You to Ignore
To believe Politico’s version of events, you’d have to assume that Republican efforts to hold universities accountable emerged spontaneously—without any provocation. The reality is far different. The October 7 Hamas attacks sparked a wave of campus protests that frequently crossed the line from advocacy into outright intimidation and harassment. But rather than acknowledge this, Politico’s report downplays or outright ignores the widespread antisemitism that has turned many campuses into hostile environments for Jewish students.
Instead, the piece pivots to portraying the Trump administration’s actions—such as deportation proceedings against Mahmoud Khalil, a student activist involved in the illegal occupation of Columbia University buildings—as some kind of draconian suppression of free speech. What it fails to emphasize is that Khalil’s group was openly disseminating pro-Hamas materials. Rather than simply protesting, they were actively contributing to an atmosphere of hostility and lawlessness.
The Missing Context
Politico’s selective storytelling also omits an important detail: the congressional hearings that exposed university presidents’ stunning reluctance to take a firm stand against antisemitism. The fact that two of those presidents resigned shortly afterward speaks volumes. Yet, in Politico’s telling, these universities were targeted not for failing to protect students from harassment but simply because they are sites of “progressive ideology.”
The reality is that the federal government has a responsibility to ensure that taxpayer-funded institutions are not fostering environments of hostility and violence. Efforts to curb these issues—whether by defunding radical academic programs or holding administrators accountable—are not about “punishing” universities. They’re about restoring campuses as places of learning rather than ideological battlegrounds.
The Real Threat to Free Expression
Ironically, Politico’s narrative suggests that cracking down on campus radicalism is an assault on free speech. But in truth, the greater threat to free expression has come from those who seek to shout down, harass, or even physically intimidate students and faculty who refuse to toe the line of radical activism. The Republican response, however imperfect, is an attempt to restore balance—not to stifle debate.
Politico’s piece isn’t just misleading; it’s a textbook example of how media narratives can be carefully curated to guide readers toward a politically convenient conclusion. But if you value actual common sense, it’s worth looking beyond the headlines. The real story is much more complicated—and much less flattering to the universities that Politico rushes to defend.
