A group of university professors has initiated a movement to rally academic support behind Donald Trump for the 2024 presidential election, calling him the "lesser evil" compared to potential Democratic candidates. The petition, led by George Mason University Professor Daniel Klein and Assumption University’s Daniel Mahoney, urges academics to back Trump as a more favorable choice over the anticipated Democratic ticket, particularly if Kamala Harris becomes the nominee.
The petition, titled Lesser Evil, argues that the Republican candidate better represents foundational American principles like individual liberty and limited government. Klein, a long-time advocate of classical liberalism, expressed concern over academia’s overwhelming leftist lean, citing that less than 10 percent of professors likely align with conservative or libertarian views. He noted that the current trend toward centralization and government overreach among Democrats is a growing threat to personal freedoms, making Republicans the more acceptable, though imperfect, choice.
President Trump is appealing the absurd E. Jean Carroll verdict against him, where she won without presenting any substantial evidence.
As a reminder, E. Jean Carroll is a self-identified serial r*pe victim. She claims to have been raped by multiple men over the years, including… pic.twitter.com/tF6QrtfNZq
— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) September 6, 2024
As of early September, 51 professors, both emeritus and active, had signed the petition, representing a mix of private and public institutions. The number is expected to grow as the petition circulates within academic circles leading up to the November 2024 election. Klein emphasized the importance of challenging the dominant left-wing orthodoxy in higher education, which he described as increasingly hostile toward ideological diversity. He hopes the petition will embolden other classical liberals and right-leaning academics to be more vocal in their political stances.
The professors backing Trump see his administration as preferable to the policies they believe a Democratic presidency, particularly under Harris, would bring. Brooklyn College Professor Mitchell Langbert, another signatory, criticized both parties but described the Republican platform as the better alternative, especially regarding deregulation and limited government. Langbert noted that while Trump’s presidency had significant flaws, including questionable personnel decisions and expanding federal influence during the COVID-19 pandemic, the alternative would lead to “totalitarianism, censorship, and suppression” under a Harris administration.
The fact Trump didn’t take his presidential salary of $400K & Biden took all $1.6 million then spent over 40% of his term on vacation says it all.pic.twitter.com/a1RdHPzOB4
— Chase Geiser (@realchasegeiser) September 1, 2024
Langbert’s criticism of Trump highlights a broader theme among these academics: a begrudging acceptance of Trump as the lesser of two evils. Many signatories of the petition view the former president’s flaws, including his alienation of women and his handling of certain policies, as significant but still preferable to what they describe as the dangers posed by far-left policies under Democratic leadership.
The professors fear that Democratic control would exacerbate ideological uniformity in academia, curbing free expression and worsening the suppression of conservative voices on campuses.
The initiative, though primarily academic, reflects broader conservative concerns about the trajectory of U.S. governance under Democratic control. According to Klein and his colleagues, Trump’s policies, while not ideal, align more closely with the nation’s founding principles of limited government and personal liberty. The professors also argue that Trump’s re-election could provide a necessary counterbalance to the Democratic Party’s increasing dominance in higher education and other cultural institutions.
The petition's growth underscores a persistent divide within academic and political circles, with conservatives seeking to create more ideological diversity in academia. The professors backing Trump are part of a small but vocal minority in an academic world they see as increasingly dominated by left-leaning ideologies. Klein and his fellow signatories hope that their efforts will contribute to a broader re-evaluation of political stances within academia, especially as the 2024 election draws nearer.
Its just getting to harder and harder to be a classic liberal now days,they are having to come to the consecutive camp if they want to continue to live free,I live life so freely that in the eyes of a democrat I’m considered out of control and an affront to their so called progressive vision of whats best for us! I openly encourage all democrat voters to come and join us and get the hell out of that commiecrat mindset that they have been tricked into partaking in!