University of Colorado at Boulder faculty criticism of President Trump’s military action in Venezuela sparked a heated debate over academic bias and patriotic values on campus. A professor called the United States a “fascist authoritarian regime,” drawing backlash from students and observers who see the remark as extreme and out of step with most Americans’ view of law and order. The university had to clarify that her opinion does not represent the institution’s official stance.
Professor Jennifer Ho, director of the Center for Humanities & the Arts at CU Boulder, published a strongly worded commentary in the center’s January newsletter after learning of President Trump’s military operation to remove Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. Ho wrote that the United States, by taking “control of Venezuela,” had become a “fascist authoritarian regime.”
Ho’s statement aligned with her academic framing of President Trump’s actions as “competitive authoritarianism,” a political science term used to describe systems that maintain democratic appearances but lack genuine fair competition. She drew on academic definitions to support her critique and urged colleagues and students to resist what she views as authoritarianism by emphasizing arts, scholarship, and community engagement.
The professor did not directly name President Trump in her criticism, but her reference to recent U.S. military action in Venezuela clearly targeted his decision-making. That action — undertaken by the U.S. to remove Maduro — has drawn varied responses from experts and academics.
Ho’s newsletter post prompted the university to add a disclaimer clarifying that her comments reflect her own views and are not the official position of the University of Colorado Boulder or its Center for Humanities & the Arts. The disclaimer noted that as director of the center, Ho is not “an officer of the university,” and her statements should not be associated with the broader institution.
The critique at CU Boulder is part of a broader pattern of academic pushback on the U.S. operation. Other professors, including a law professor at the University of Michigan, have publicly questioned the legality or strategy of the military move. However, many Americans, including conservatives, see the effort as justified in combating tyranny and defending freedom.
The backlash also underscores ongoing concerns about ideological balance in higher education. Critics argue that when professors equate American foreign policy with authoritarianism, it signals a deeper cultural problem that undermines respect for democratic institutions and national defense. For parents and students, this episode raises questions about what values are being taught in classrooms and how dissenting opinions are framed.
