By JOCELYN GECKER and LINLEY SANDERS, Related Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A majority of U.S. adults disapprove of President Donald Trump’s dealing with of points associated to high schools and universities, in line with a brand new ballot, as his administration ramps up threats to chop federal funding except colleges comply along with his political agenda.

Greater than half of Individuals, 56%, disapprove of the Republican president’s strategy on increased schooling, the survey from The Related Press-NORC Middle for Public Affairs Analysis finds, whereas about 4 in 10 approve, consistent with his total job approval.

Since taking workplace in January, Trump has tried to pressure change at universities he says have turn into hotbeds of liberalism and antisemitism. The highlight most just lately has been on Harvard College, the place Trump’s administration has frozen greater than $2.2 billion in federal grants, threatened to strip the varsity’s tax-exempt standing, and demanded broad coverage modifications.

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters in entrance of the West Wing of the White Home, Thursday, Might 8, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photograph/Alex Brandon)

The Trump administration additionally has reduce off cash to different elite schools, together with Columbia College, the College of Pennsylvania and Cornell College, over points together with the dealing with of pro-Palestinian activism and transgender athletes’ participation in girls’s sports activities. Harvard has framed the federal government’s calls for as a risk to the autonomy that the Supreme Court docket has lengthy granted American universities.

The ballot reveals a disconnect between the Trump administration’s focusing on of universities and an American public that sees them as key to scientific analysis, new concepts and progressive know-how. About 6 in 10 U.S. adults say schools and universities make extra of a optimistic contribution to medical and scientific analysis than a adverse one, and an identical share favors sustaining federal funding for scientific analysis.

“Let’s talk about Harvard for a minute,” mentioned Freddy Ortega, 66, a Democrat and a retired navy veteran in Columbus, Georgia. “The way he took away all that money in funding, impacting things that Harvard has been working on for the betterment of the world.”

“One man should not have that much power,” Ortega continued. “This is something for Congress to deal with.”

Ortega, who’s Hispanic, additionally mentioned he’s involved about Trump’s makes an attempt to dismantle range, fairness and inclusion packages throughout U.S. society. “I came up in the military. I know the good that those programs do,” he mentioned. “It changes the direction that people’s lives are going to take.”

Republicans are divided on cuts to high schools’ federal funding

Trump’s stance on increased schooling resonates extra strongly with Republicans, most of whom see faculty campuses as locations the place conservatives are silenced and liberal concepts run unchecked. About 8 in 10 Republicans approve of how Trump is dealing with points associated to high schools and universities — which, notably, is increased than the share of Republicans, 70%, who approve of his dealing with of the financial system — and about 6 in 10 say they’re “extremely” or “very” involved about liberal bias on campus.

Republicans are extra divided, nonetheless, on withholding federal funding from colleges except they bow to Trump’s calls for. About half are in favor, whereas about one-quarter are opposed and an identical share are impartial.

“I’m all for it,” mentioned Republican voter Hengameh Abraham, 38, a mom of two in Roseville, California. She helps reducing federal funds and opposes DEI packages, saying she emigrated to America from Iran as a young person and labored laborious to get forward in class with out the assistance of affirmative motion packages.

“Your racial identity, nationality and background should not be a factor in getting accepted to college or getting a job,” mentioned Abraham. She helps Trump’s give attention to campus antisemitism. When pro-Palestinian protests swept U.S. schools final 12 months, a number of the demonstrators’ messaging was anti-U.S., she mentioned.

“I do not think if you have any kind of anti-American agenda or slogan that you should be allowed on a university campus in the United States,” she mentioned.

College students, school and members of the Harvard College neighborhood rally, Thursday, April 17, 2025, in Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photograph)

In Harvard’s case, Trump has threatened to take away its tax-exempt standing, and his administration has applied funding cuts. These measures are divisive among the many basic public: Practically half oppose withholding federal funding as a punitive motion, whereas about one-quarter favor it. About one-quarter are impartial.

Charles Jolivette, 43, a school profession counselor who lives in New Orleans, sees Trump’s schooling insurance policies as an assault on free speech and other people of coloration.

“Not only is the president going after anyone he feels is an opponent and anyone who is not compliant, but he’s attacking some of the most important elements of our society,” mentioned Jolivette, a Democrat. “It’s rampant bullying from the president of the United States, who is supposed to be crossing the aisle.”

The price of tuition far outweighs different considerations

A high concern of most Individuals is the price of a school diploma. About 6 in 10 U.S. adults are “extremely” or “very” involved about the price of tuition. That concern is shared by majorities of Democrats and Republicans and much outweighs considerations about antisemitism and liberal bias on campuses among the many basic public.

“College costs a lot more than it needs to. To get an education, you should not have to break your pocketbook,” mentioned Eunice Cortez, 68, a Republican close to Houston.

Cortez, who’s initially from Mexico, didn’t go to school, however she made positive her U.S.-born youngsters did and is proud that her grandchildren are getting faculty levels. She helps Trump however is anxious that a few of his insurance policies, together with funding cuts, will make it tougher for individuals who want tuition help to get an schooling. She sees it as the federal government “getting in the way” of an informed society.

The ballot reveals a divide between college-educated Individuals and people with out faculty levels, highlighting a attainable cultural rift that Trump has seized on up to now.

Most Individuals with a school diploma, 62%, are against withholding funding from universities that don’t adjust to the president’s necessities, whereas these and not using a faculty diploma are break up, with about 3 in 10 in favor, an identical share opposed, and about 4 in 10 saying they don’t have an opinion.

Kara Hansen, 40, a registered impartial in Seminole, Oklahoma, is just a few credit shy of a school diploma. She helps the concept of dismantling the Schooling Division to shake issues up. However she mentioned she’s involved by what she calls Trump’s “authoritarian tendencies” and a rising concern on faculty campuses to talk up and voice opinions.

“It feels like everybody has a muzzle on,” Hansen mentioned. “They can’t fully express themselves because they’re afraid of getting in trouble, and afraid of Trump.”

About 3 in 10 U.S. adults say college students or professors can freely converse their minds “a lot” on faculty and college campuses. About 4 in 10 say they will do that to “some” extent. Republicans really feel their views are stifled: About 8 in 10 say liberals can converse their minds “a lot” or “some” on campus, however fewer than half say the identical about conservatives.

The AP-NORC ballot of 1,175 adults was carried out Might 1-5, utilizing a pattern drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be consultant of the U.S. inhabitants. The margin of sampling error for adults total is plus or minus 4 share factors.

Gecker reported from San Francisco.

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Initially Printed: Might 9, 2025 at 9:53 AM EDT