In a sharp turn, comedian Bill Maher endorsed President Trump’s campaign against elite colleges, warning that American universities now function as “indoctrination factories.” Maher argued academia lacks ideological diversity and needs a heavy-handed corrective, even if he disagrees with Trump’s methods.
On HBO’s Real Time, Maher said universities “have been out of control for a long time” and support for Trump’s push to withhold federal funding is rooted in concern over leftward bias and declining campus moral standards. He conceded funding cuts may be extreme but insisted change is needed: “Academia needed a hot poker up the a‑‑. . . there’s absolutely no diversity of thought”.
Maher highlighted recent campus unrest over antisemitism and political radicalism as evidence universities foster anti‑American sentiment. He referenced faculty protests celebrating the October 7 Hamas attack and accused professors of moral insulation in “ivory towers” disconnected from basic values.
Maher’s stance echoes Trump’s efforts to freeze billions in federal research grants to Columbia, Harvard, Yale, and other institutions accused of ideological homogeneity and campus unrest. He stated, “Trump has declared full‑scale war on Harvard… there’s a kernel of a good idea there,” though he stressed he doesn’t consider defunding scientific research an overall solution.
Maher’s critique is notable coming from a self‑identified liberal and Cornell University alumnus. His support for Trump’s education agenda extends a conservative talking point into unexpected territory, giving cover to critics who argue ideological conformity suppresses free speech in higher ed. Maher called universities “anti‑America” and lamented their failure to tolerate conservative viewpoints.
