The Trump vs Universities stand-off: Pushback and the public

Donald Trump has targeted multiple universities since taking office in January 2025, whether in form of threatening funding cuts, launching civil rights investigations based on claims of anti-Semitism and discrimination, or rhetoric about the wokeness that has overtaken college campuses.

Unions representing university workers, civil rights organisations, staff and impacted students have not remained silent in the face of these unprecedented actions. Protests have taken place and several lawsuits have been filed against the administration. Inside Higher Ed includes more than 40 such lawsuits in a searchable database on its website, and notes that the judges ruled against the administration in two-thirds of them. Other cases are still sub-judice, making their way through the court system, in some cases having been appealed by the administration.

We take a look at some of the reactions of the public and legal action that has sought to undo certain actions by the Trump administration.