Trump Reacts To $50 Million Brown University Settlement
Newsweek21 hrs
Brown University Settles With Trump Admin for $50M
Above: Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island on March 19, 2025. Image copyright: Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images
The Spin
Republican narrative
This deal represents a major victory in restoring merit-based education and protecting women's sports. Brown's agreement eliminates discriminatory DEI programs that unfairly disadvantage qualified students based on race. The settlement ensures Jewish students receive proper protection from campus antisemitism while maintaining women-only facilities and athletics.
Democratic narrative
The Trump administration is essentially extorting universities through financial pressure rather than establishing legitimate educational policy. This deal-making approach forces schools to capitulate to political demands without evidence of actual wrongdoing, undermining academic freedom and democratic governance of higher education institutions.