Free Speech, Colleges & Trump with Princeton President Chris Eisgruber

On with Kara Swisher

New York Magazine

Society & Culture

4.2 • 3.2K Ratings

🗓️ 2 October 2025

⏱️ 60 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Universities have been in the crosshairs of the White House since President Trump took office — and Princeton University president Christopher Eisgruber is one of a handful of college administrators who have spoken out against it. Kara speaks to the Eisgruber about his new book, Terms of Respect: How Colleges Get Free Speech Right, and right-wing attacks on universities that come under the guise of free speech, including from the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk and his organization Turning Point USA. They discuss why some campus leaders have fought against (and others have complied) with the Trump administration’s investigations into allegations of antisemitism and demands to overhaul diversity programs in college admissions and hiring. And they talk about the long-term impacts of losing academic freedom on the reputation and success of US higher education, the economy and society as a whole. Please note: this interview was recorded on Monday September 29th, before President Trump said his administration was nearing a deal with Harvard while it also began a process called debarment that could allow it to bar the university from future federal grants. Want to see Kara (and Scott Galloway) live on the Pivot Tour November 8th - 14th? Find tickets and details at PivotTour.com. Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	I didn't get into Princeton, just so you know.
0:03.2	I'm sorry to hear that.
0:04.8	It wasn't my decision, Kara.
0:06.7	A lot of colleges now are like, well, you teach at our school.
0:09.5	I said, you didn't let me in, so I'm not sure why I would.
0:15.2	Hi, everyone from New York Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network. This is on with
0:28.2	Kara Swisher, and I'm Kara Swisher. I've been talking to students and faculty on college campuses
0:33.0	recently, and one thing is clear, there's a lot of uncertainty out there. From Harvard to UCLA, the Trump
0:38.6	administration has been pulling funding or threatening to if universities don't comply with their new
0:43.1	policies targeting diversity in other programs in admission and hiring. Some colleges with
0:48.3	deep pockets have pushed back in one lawsuits, but many are complying and even complying in advance. My guest today is one of the
0:56.0	University administrators who has spoken out against the Trump administration's move, Princeton
1:00.4	University President Christopher Ice Gruber. Icegruber is a constitutional scholar, a man of many degrees,
1:06.7	and also the author of a new book about the First Amendment, which is out this week.
1:10.9	Terms of Respect, How Colleg free speech right. In it, he pushes back against the notion
1:16.7	that American universities are liberal bastions, unwelcoming to conservatives, an idea that was
1:21.6	propagated by right-wing conservative activist Charlie Kirk and his organization Turning Point USA.
1:29.7	Kirk has been lauded as a defender of free speech by many, so I want to ask Icegruber about his thoughts on Kirk and the right-wing attacks on
1:35.1	universities under the guise of more speech. I also want to talk to about what colleges and students
1:40.4	should be doing right now to ensure we continue to have academic freedom.
1:49.5	Our expert question comes from Jason Stanley, former Yale professor who moved to the University of Toronto to escape the political climate here in the U.S. and also on college campuses.
1:55.4	Stay with us.
	...

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