Free Speech Under Fire: Greg Lukianoff Discusses the Battle for Free Expression on College Campuses
· 33 min · Episode 165
Episode Free Speech Under Fire: Greg Lukianoff Discusses the Battle for Free Expression on College Campuses
How does the Trump administration's tactics impact elite universities and their freedom of speech?
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Amid escalating federal pressure on universities, Stanford Law School alum Greg Lukianoff, JD ’00, joins host Professor Pam Karlan for a sharp look at the free speech firestorms engulfing universities like Harvard and Columbia. First Amendment champion, president of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), and co-author of The Coddling of the American Mind, Lukianoff recently penned an essay for The Atlantic titled “Trump’s Attacks Threaten Much More Than Harvard.” In this episode, Lukianoff expands on his essay, breaking down the Trump administration’s tactics to punish elite institutions, from defunding threats and faculty interference to student visa crackdowns, while also calling out universities themselves for stifling dissent and eroding public trust in higher education.
Links:
Greg Lukianoff >>> FIRE page The Canceling of the American Mind >>> web page The Coddling of the American Mind >>> web page “Trump’s Attacks Threaten Much More Than Harvard” >>> The Atlantic page
Connect:
• Episode Transcripts >>> Stanford Legal Podcast Website • Stanford Legal Podcast >>> LinkedIn Page • Rich Ford >>> Twitter/X • Pam Karlan >>> Stanford Law School Page • Stanford Law School >>> Twitter/X • Stanford Lawyer Magazine >>> Twitter/X
(00:00:00) Introduction of Greg Lukianoff (00:05:01) Free Speech and Academic Freedom
(00:10:01) Challenges to Free Speech
(00:15:01) Legal Cases and Free Speech
(00:20:01) Free Speech and the Government
(00:30:01) Future of Free Speech
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Links in the notes 11
- https://www.thefire.org/about-us/our-team/greg-lukianoff
- https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Canceling-of-the-American-Mind/Greg-Lukianoff/9781668019153
- https://www.thecoddling.com/
- https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/05/trump-harvard-higher-education-law/682985/
- https://law.stanford.edu/stanford-legal-podcast/
- https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/stanfordlegal/
- https://twitter.com/our_ford
- https://law.stanford.edu/pamela-s-karlan/
- https://twitter.com/stanfordlaw
- https://twitter.com/@stanfordlawmag
- https://pcm.adswizz.com
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