In today’s climate of ideological purging, wokeness has replaced wisdom, and institutions that once stood for free thought are too often surrendering to the loudest activists in the room. One small college in New York now finds itself at the center of a much bigger question: Will it stand for academic integrity, or will it continue bowing to political pressure?

That college is Wagner College, a private institution that, in 2004, awarded an honorary degree to Donald J. Trump—then a famous businessman, television personality, and philanthropist with longstanding ties to New York City. But in 2021, under pressure in the wake of January 6, Wagner rescinded that degree.

Now, New York City Council candidate Frank Morano has publicly called on Wagner to reverse its decision—and his reasoning deserves national attention.

The revocation of Trump’s honorary degree was not a matter of academic standards or character evaluation. It was blatant woke appeasement—a move to virtue-signal during a politically charged moment. But erasing someone’s contribution or presence in history because they’re unpopular with the ruling class of the moment sets a dangerous precedent.

This isn’t just about one college and one degree. It’s about whether institutions of higher learning are willing to defend intellectual diversity—or whether they will continue to cave under ideological pressure. If Donald Trump, a former President of the United States, can be stripped of recognition by a college for no other reason than political backlash, who’s next?

Restoring Trump’s honorary degree would be more than symbolic. It would say to the nation: we believe in critical thought, not cancel culture. It would declare that universities should be places where ideas—yes, even “controversial” ones—can exist without fear of erasure.

Morano also suggested that Wagner consider hosting President Trump’s future Presidential Library, an idea that—though it may raise eyebrows—has real merit. Not just for Wagner, but as a broader message: that history should be preserved, not whitewashed. That ideological conformity should never become a requirement for historical inclusion.

America doesn’t need more safe spaces. It needs bold spaces—places willing to engage, debate, and document all sides of the American story, not just the sanitized versions approved by the cultural elite.

Wagner College now has the opportunity to redeem itself by taking a stand for academic courage. But this is not just Wagner’s test—it’s a test for colleges and universities everywhere. Will they honor their mission to educate broadly and fairly, or continue to crumble under the pressure of politically motivated mobs?

Whether you support Donald Trump or not, whether you’d vote for him again or never have, one thing is certain: a culture that erases people it disagrees with is not a culture of freedom. It’s a culture of fear.

And it’s time for that to end.

Image: YouTube video screen grab.