Trump to take money from college endowments for government-run "American Academy"

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Kind of stumbled across this on Trump's own campaign website, and it is rather jaw-dropping.  As much as I hate leftist educational institutions, taking money from college endowments funded by private citizens is just outrageous.  Then to use that money taken from private organizations to fund government-run education...just damn.  That is actual fascism.  Or worse.  And this is all quoted directly from Trump's own website.

President Donald J. Trump will endow the American Academy with the billions we will collect by taxing the large endowments of private universities plagued by antisemitism.

TRANSCRIPT

In recent weeks, Americans have been horrified to see students and faculty at Harvard and other once-respected universities expressing support for the savages and jihadists who attacked Israel. We spend more money on higher education than any other country, and yet they're turning our students into Communists and terrorists and sympathizers of many, many different dimensions — we can't let this happen. It’s time to offer something dramatically different.

Under the plan I’m announcing today, we will take the billions and billions of dollars that we will collect by taxing, fining, and suing excessively large private university endowments, and we will then use that money to endow a new institution called the American Academy.

Its mission will be to make a truly world-class education available to every American, free of charge, and do it without adding a single dime to the federal debt. This institution will gather an entire universe of the highest quality educational content, covering the full spectrum of human knowledge and skills, and make that material available to every American citizen online for free.

Whether you want lectures or an ancient history or an introduction to financial accounting, or training in a skilled trade, the goal will be to deliver it and get it done properly, using study groups, mentors, industry partnerships, and the latest breakthrough in computing. This will be a truly top-tier education option for the people.

It will be strictly non-political, and there will be no wokeness or jihadism allowed—none of that's going to be allowed.

Most importantly, the American Academy will compete directly with the existing and very costly four-year university system by granting students degree credentials that the U.S. government and all federal contractors will henceforth recognize. The Academy will award the full and complete equivalent of a bachelor's degree.

In addition to help the 40 million Americans who have some college education but no degree, the American Academy will grant credit for past coursework at legacy institutions and give you the chance to complete your education at the American Academy for free and much more quickly than is now possible or available.

This will be a revolution in higher education and will provide life-changing opportunities for tens of millions of our citizens.

Enjoy it, learn from it, and thank you.

https://www.donaldjtrump.com/agenda47/agenda47-the-american-academy

[Wingnut]

So if Trump does it it will be better then when they do it? 

[LMAO]

Trump and his MAGAs are not even pretending to want to reduce the power of government


If government can do this to private endowments for colleges, what other private entities can the federal government do this to?

Forget how we feel about modern day higher education. This would be an overreach in the extreme

[Maj. Bill Martin]

I mean, just think of the implications of this.  The government will simply confiscate private money donated to private or state-funded schools, and then use it to fund a school run by the federal government, which will determine the courses offered, etc..  That should horrify anyone who actually cares about the Constitution.  And even if you are a Trump supporter who is willing to eliminate Constitutional safeguards on private property because it is "necessary", what the hell is going to happen the next time a Democrat gets elected, and they are the ones in charge of this federal-government run school??

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Trump and his MAGAs are not even pretending to want to reduce the power of government

If government can do this to private endowments for colleges, what other private entities can the federal government do this to? Forget how we feel about modern day hire education. This would be an overreach in the extreme

What's so damn annoying about this is that I spent years arguing with people that Trump wasn't a fascist.  Well...they weren't wrong.  I was.  The only difference between how he views government and how they view it is who is running it.   In terms of the power they want it to have, he's dead-aligned with the left.

[LMAO]

The only difference between how he views government and how they view it is who is running it.   

Exactly

Both the left and MAGAs don’t have a problem with a dictatorship as long as they are the ones running that dictatorship

This is beyond Donald Trump simply stating no federal aid to colleges that promote antisemitism or something like that.

[libertybele]

His NY liberalism continues to shine through.

[Hoodat]

Kind of stumbled across this on Trump's own campaign website, and it is rather jaw-dropping.  As much as I hate leftist educational institutions, taking money from college endowments funded by private citizens is just outrageous.  Then to use that money taken from private organizations to fund government-run education...just damn.  That is actual fascism.  Or worse.

Yep.  Trump has gone Full Democrat.  Next, he'll be taking money from 401(k) funds to fix Social Security.

[LMAO]

Yep.  Trump has gone Full Democrat.  Next, he'll be taking money from 401(k) funds to fix Social Security.

That wouldn’t surprise me in the least

This is a guy that has no plan or desire  to reform Social Security or Medicare, except vilify people who do

[libertybele]

Yep.  Trump has gone Full Democrat.  Next, he'll be taking money from 401(k) funds to fix Social Security.

People need to really understand what Trump plans on doing. Didn't he vow that under his leadership we would never be a socialistic entity??

[LMAO]

We all understand here, instinctively, that this is a bad idea, and it would set a bad precedent

But it’s not gonna make any difference to his MAGAs. in fact, they’re probably cheering it with fist bumps up in the air as we speak. This is our Republican nominee folks. Is there anybody in the GOP primary race that’s promoting the idea of limiting and cutting the power and overbearing costs of the federal government?

[Maj. Bill Martin]

We all understand here, instinctively, that this is a bad idea, and it would set a bad precedent

But it’s not gonna make any difference to his MAGAs. in fact, they’re probably cheering it with fist bumps up in the air as we speak. This is our Republican nominee folks. Is there anybody in the GOP primary race that’s promoting the idea of limiting and cutting the power and overbearing costs of the federal government?

Unfortunately, you are correct.

This is how the Romans killed the Republic.

[mountaineer]

Trump wants to build a free online university — and make Harvard pay for it
Trump is pledging to create a federally funded online university that awards free degrees.
By Meridith McGraw and Michael Stratford
11/01/2023 07:33 PM EDT

Donald Trump wants to “revolutionize” higher education if elected president.

And in a new campaign policy video, he is pledging to do so by creating a federally funded online university that awards free degrees — one where “wokeness or jihadism” are not allowed.

Trump’s latest policy proposal proposes taxing large private university endowments to pay for a new institution called “American Academy.” The school would grant credit to prospective students for past coursework and use their credentials to apply for jobs with the U.S. government and federal contractors, according to plans shared in advance with POLITICO.

Trump’s policy proposal comes as U.S. institutions, including top universities, have come under increased political scrutiny, most recently for their response to the deadly attack on Israel by Hamas. Prominent business leaders, politicians, and donors have criticized their alma maters and even vowed to pull future donations to schools for muddled or muted statements, or for allowing pro-Palestinian speakers on campus. ...

The idea of a national, American university has been around for centuries. In George Washington’s first address to Congress in 1780, he called on the new legislature to consider establishing a national university to promote science, literature and civic education. ...

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/11/01/trump-free-online-university-00124905

[Maj. Bill Martin]

{quote]"The idea of a national, American university has been around for centuries. In George Washington’s first address to Congress in 1780, he called on the new legislature to consider establishing a national university to promote science, literature and civic education."[/quote]

Count me as skeptical of that claim.

And that doesn't make what Trump described any less horrific.

[unite for individuality]

I mean, just think of the implications of this.  The government will simply confiscate private money donated to private or state-funded schools, and then use it to fund a school run by the federal government, which will determine the courses offered, etc..  That should horrify anyone who actually cares about the Constitution.  And even if you are a Trump supporter who is willing to eliminate Constitutional safeguards on private property because it is "necessary", what the hell is going to happen the next time a Democrat gets elected, and they are the ones in charge of this federal-government run school??

The money and the school would go right back to being used the way they are being used now - to brainwash students into supporting the global corporate dictatorship.

[massadvj]

So much for reducing the federal government's role in education. New taxes, new spending, new social engineering.  He spent like a drunken sailor during his first term, why would we expect a second term to be any different?

[Hoodat]

So much for reducing the federal government's role in education. New taxes, new spending, new social engineering.  He spent like a drunken sailor during his first term, why would we expect a second term to be any different?

Yep.  Can't believe people professing to be Republicans are signing up for this liberal crap.

[catfish1957]

One of the huge coonservative tenants through the years has been our fear of government confiscation of property not theirs.  Land, IRA's, etc.

And Freakin' Trump is endorsing it?  If this isn't raising a 100 blaring red flags for GOP voters, nothing should.

Of course, our resident Trump fans will poo poo this off as campaign rhetoric instead reality like the Freedom Cities and Baby Bonuses.

[LMAO]

Of course, our resident Trump fans will poo poo this off as campaign rhetoric instead reality like the Freedom Cities and Baby Bonuses.

What’s potentially more disturbing is they will either outright support it or attempt to justify it

[libertybele]

What’s potentially more disturbing is they will either outright support it or attempt to justify it

...hmm... how about we wait for our resident Trump supporters to weigh in before we judge them?

[mountaineer]

I would suggest that any potential student of this university would be better off taking HVAC courses at the local community college or getting a CDL.

[libertybele]

So much for reducing the federal government's role in education. New taxes, new spending, new social engineering.  He spent like a drunken sailor during his first term, why would we expect a second term to be any different?

I anticipate that his second term would be worse as there isn't any need for restraint as he wouldn't have to worry about re-election.

I am pretty confident that he won't get the nomination though, so I'm not too concerned.  Even IF he does get the nomination, the bigger concern is who the DEMS are going to run.

[LMAO]

...hmm... how about we wait for our resident Trump supporters to weigh in before we judge them?

Well, if history is any guide…

But you’re right. Even if this doesn’t mean they give up their support for Trump, we’ll see what they say about this

I’ll reserve judgment until then

[Smokin Joe]

We have some uniquely American, Government funded Universities:
They even concentrate on History, science, and mathematics, among other STEM subjects.

The US Naval Academy
West Point
The Air Force Academy

 They have excellent job placement records.

I cannot support a candidate who advocates the government confiscating private anything, whether I agree with the people it would confiscate those assets from or not.

Why, we even have an amendment which prohibits the taking of liberty of property without Due Process of Law. Changing the law to open season on private assets is not what I would consider Due Process (and I include 'civil forfeiture' in that).

Between this, amped up and relabeled (instead of eliminated) Obamacare, and 15 minute cities, I could not vote for Trump.

There is nothing Conservative about this, it's just a different flavor of totalitarianism.

[jmyrlefuller]

Student loan clawbacks? Giving that money back to the students they fleeced? Nah.

A new government program that resembles Trump University 2.0? Yeah.