Trump Moves to Cut Federal Money From Schools With COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order ensuring that no federal funds will be directed to schools and colleges enforcing COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The move is a victory for medical freedom, putting institutions on notice that coercive policies will not be tolerated under his administration.
The order, confirmed by the White House, directs the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services to take immediate steps in identifying institutions that still require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19. It also mandates a strategy to eliminate such requirements, blocking any discretionary grants or contracts to schools violating the new policy.
While COVID-19 vaccine mandates were widespread during the Biden administration, most states have since removed them. However, some private universities have continued enforcing these policies, ignoring the fact that young people face little risk from the virus. Institutions like Swarthmore and Oberlin still require vaccinations for students in campus housing, despite widespread opposition to such rules.
The executive order follows Trump’s decision to reverse vaccine mandates in the military, allowing service members who were discharged over their refusal to be reinstated. That policy change, issued in January, declared that forcing military personnel to take the vaccine had been an unjustifiable act.
Trump has repeatedly promised that no school enforcing a vaccine mandate would receive “one penny” from the federal government, and this executive order follows through on that commitment. While some Democrats, like Sen. Patty Murray, have objected, their argument holds little weight as even blue states abandoned COVID-19 vaccine mandates long ago.
This latest action underscores Trump’s continued leadership in standing up for American citizens against government overreach.
