The announcement came as more than 100 presidents of U.S. universities and colleges signed a letter denouncing ‘unprecedented government overreach.’
President Donald Trump said on Monday he will deliver commencement speeches at two colleges, amid the federal government’s ongoing crackdown on anti-Semitism at universities across the United States.
“I have agreed to do the Commencement Address at two really GREAT places, the University of Alabama and, WEST POINT,” he stated in a Truth Social
post, referring to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
Trump said the schedules for those events will be announced later. The University of Alabama
stated on its website that it will hold commencement ceremonies from May 2 to May 4 at Coleman Coliseum.
The Epoch Times reached out to both institutions for comment but received no response by publication time.
Trump made the announcement against the backdrop of his administration’s
investigations into reports of anti-Semitic discrimination and harassment within 60 institutions of higher education.
More than 100 presidents of American universities and colleges signed a
letter denouncing what they called “unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education.”
In the letter, published by the American Association of Colleges and Universities on April 22, the university leaders called for “constructive engagement” with the administration and said they oppose “the coercive use of public research funding.”
“We are open to constructive reform and do not oppose legitimate government oversight,” they stated. “However, we must oppose undue government intrusion in the lives of those who learn, live, and work on our campuses.”
The White House did not respond to a request for comment by publication time.
Among the institutions under investigation is Harvard University, which on Monday
filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration’s decision to freeze federal contracts and grants in response to the university’s refusal to adopt structural changes aimed at ending diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and tackling anti-Semitism on campus.
Columbia University, on the other hand, has agreed to implement a raft of policy changes after the administration canceled $400 million in grants.
Columbia’s interim president, Katrina Armstrong,
said on March 21 that the university will implement policy changes, including imposing a student mask ban and increasing the number of campus public safety staff.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon previously urged university leaders to prevent discrimination against Jewish students on campus or risk losing federal funding.
McMahon emphasized the need to protect Jewish students from anti-Semitic discrimination on “elite U.S. campuses.”
The protests erupted in the aftermath of the Israel–Hamas war in Gaza, which began after the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, prompting military retaliation by Israel.
“U.S. colleges and universities benefit from enormous public investments funded by U.S. taxpayers. That support is a privilege and it is contingent on scrupulous adherence to federal antidiscrimination laws,” McMahon said in a March 10
statement.
