Blue-city mayors urge colleges to stand up to Trump

Source: Politico

09/14/2025 10:00 AM EDT


Mayors of blue cities poised to feel the economic hit of President Donald Trump’s feud with universities are lining up behind one message for the schools: don’t cave.

The Trump administration’s decision to withhold federal funds from schools that don’t abandon diversity efforts and adopt new antisemitism policies is forcing universities to submit or risk losing the cash. That financial fallout could start to bleed into the communities these universities call home. Harvard froze its hiring and Northwestern University began laying off hundreds of employees amid funding cuts and new restrictions.

Despite the economic risks many cities face if their universities are at odds with a raft of White House policies, some mayors argue the stakes are about free speech and the future of academia.

“It’s my hope that Duke does remain firm on their values,” said Leonardo Williams, the Democratic mayor of Durham, North Carolina, where the university is based. “These are bumpy times and the reality is, if we’re going to get our asses handed to us, then we’re going to get our asses handed to us with our values intact.”

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/14/blue-city-mayors-colleges-stand-up-trump-00555292