Former President Donald Trump, despite having settled for $25 million following accusations of deception and fraud related to Trump University, has unveiled his proposal to establish a new

educational institution known as the "American Academy."

In a video shared on Truth Social, Mr. Trump justified the need for this initiative by referencing campus reactions to the Israel-Hamas conflict. He expressed concern about the support shown by students and faculty at prominent universities like Harvard for individuals involved in attacks on Israel. Mr. Trump highlighted the significant investment the United States makes in higher education and the perceived ideological shifts among students, stating that it's crucial to address this issue.

Under the proposed plan, Mr. Trump aims to collect funds through taxation, fines, and lawsuits targeting excessively large university endowments. These funds would then be allocated to establish the American Academy, a non-profit institution. Its primary objective is to provide a top-tier, non-political, and non-ideological education to all American citizens, free of charge. The institution plans to achieve this without adding any financial burden to the federal debt.

Mr. Trump envisioned the American Academy as an online platform, offering a wide array of high-quality educational content covering various fields of knowledge and skills. The institution intends to compete directly with traditional four-year universities, granting students the equivalent of a bachelor's degree upon completion.

The former President referred to this initiative as a "revolution in higher education." It represents a significant undertaking, coming six years after the Trump University settlement. The settlement, which amounted to $25 million, marked a substantial change in President Trump's stance on compensating individuals affected by the institution. It also coincides with Mr. Trump's campaign for re-election and his involvement in several ongoing legal battles, including a fraud trial in New York, where he faces allegations of inflating his net worth by as much as $2.2 billion. Photo by Wikipietime, Wikimedia commons.