Proponents look for Trump 'free speech' executive order to hit universities where it hurts: Their funding

Free speech advocates say that President Trump's executive order to promote free speech at universities could work if the administration enforces it through research contracts awarded to schools.

"I'm a fan," said Rick Hess, an education expert at the conservative American Enterprise Institute. Hess noted that universities get roughly $40 billion in research funds each year, a point of leverage for the Trump administration, which could easily add language regulating university treatment of speakers into existing contracts.

The administration has not released text for the executive order, making it a matter of speculation how it will work. Trump announced the order last week at the Conservative Political Action Conference, saying only that it would require universities to support "free speech" if they wanted to continue receiving federal research dollars.

Federal agencies routinely give universities funds to perform research for them as subcontractors. Research dollars come with contract obligations, and a free speech requirement would merely be an addendum.

Hess said that if the Trump executive order required federal agencies to stipulate in their research contracts with universities that the institution must uphold free speech, the order would only be making explicit what is already an implicit understanding between agencies and universities.