The Would-Be Assassin: The Problem Isn't Education -- It's Ideological Isolation
The article discusses how the ideological isolation in elite academic institutions may contribute to radicalization, using the example of a would-be assassin of President Donald Trump who was highly educated at Caltech. It argues that advanced education alone is not the issue, but rather the lack of ideological diversity that fosters moral certainty and extremism. The author highlights survey data and personal anecdotes to illustrate growing political polarization in academia and society.
- ▪The would-be assassin of President Donald Trump was a graduate of the California Institute of Technology, one of the most selective schools in the U.S.
- ▪Caltech ranked 95th in student ideological diversity, with 16 liberal students for every conservative student and a large DEI bureaucracy.
- ▪A survey from the Skeptic Research Center found that those with graduate degrees are nearly twice as likely to believe violence is often necessary for social change.
- ▪The Harvard faculty survey showed over 77% identified as liberal or very liberal, while fewer than 3% identified as conservative.
- ▪Political disagreements have led to broken friendships, family estrangements, and ended romantic relationships among a significant portion of Americans.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
The Would-Be Assassin: The Problem Isn't Education -- It's Ideological Isolation Larry Elder 1:00 PM | May 03, 2026 AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana Much has been made of the advanced education of the latest would-be assassin of President Donald Trump, whom the suspect described in a manifesto as a "pedophile," "rapist" and "traitor." He graduated from the California Institute of Technology, one of the most selective schools in the country. Advertisement googletag.cmd.push(function () { googletag.display("div-gpt-300x250_4"); //googletag.pubads().refresh([gptAdSlot["div-gpt-300x250_4"]]) }); As to Caltech, Daniel McCarthy of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute writes: "In the most recent City Journal college rankings, Caltech took the top spot for 'value added to career,' but languished at a…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at HotAir.
