‘Bias Reigns’: Most Americans ‘Definitely Agree’ With Trump There’s a Big Problem in Higher Ed in New Poll

CNN’s Harry Enten reported that faith in higher education has suffered a stunning collapse in the last decade, with “most Americans” in agreement with President Donald Trump that there’s a real problem. Enten broke down the new polling showing that the perception of institutional liberal bias is a huge problem for colleges and universities.

Speaking with Kate Bolduan on Thursday, Enten explained that the percentage of Americans who express high confidence in higher education has “plummeted” from 57% in 2015 to just 36% as of last year — and not just among Republicans.

“That number has plummeted, plummeted as of last year, down to 36%. We’re talking about a 36-point drop among Republicans specifically,” he said. “Get this: 68% of Americans said that higher education was on the wrong track.”

Enten added that while “it’s a question of whether or not people agree with Trump’s tactics,” it is still the case that they “definitely agree with him on the idea that there is a problem with higher ed overall.”

When asked about perceived ideological bias, Enten cited survey results showing that 45% of Americans overall—and 67 percent of Republicans—believe colleges and universities lean too far to the left.

“What we see in polling after polling after polling is that the plurality says, yes, overall, look at that. Forty-five percent of Americans overall agree with the idea that colleges have a liberal bias. Just 24% disagree with that idea,” he said.

Enten also shared a post on X summarizing the findings on Wednesday, again pointing out that Americans “agree with Trump” that there’s a problem with colleges and universities in the United States.

A lot of Americans agree with Trump: higher ed needs a kick in the rear end. Those with high confidence in higher ed has collapsed: 57% in 2015 to 36% now. 68% (!) say higher ed is on the wrong track.

Also, a plurality of Americans & the GOP agree: colleges have a liberal bias. pic.twitter.com/JZtup3BoGV

— (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) May 29, 2025

“This is why Donald Trump is so emphatic and so wanting to take on this fight, because he knows that Republicans hate universities, hate the administrations, believe they have a liberal bias,” Enten concluded on CNN’s News Central Thursday. “And in fact the plurality of Americans overall agree with the idea, agree with Donald Trump, that colleges are in fact a place where bias reigns.”

The findings come as debates over campus speech, DEI policies, and administrative practices continue to shape public discourse, and Trump’s so-called “crackdown” on higher education is facing court challenges and sharp criticism from the media.

BOLDUAN: One question lingers is, how do the American people feel about this? CNN’s Harry Enten is looking into it and finding some clues. What are you looking at to gauge this question?

ENTEN: Yeah, I think going into this, I think a lot of Americans thought that higher ed needed a nice kick in the rear end. What am I talking about here? Well, why don’t we take a look at high confidence in higher education? You go back a decade ago, 57% of Americans had high confidence in higher education.

Look at where we are now. That number has plummeted, plummeted as of last year down to 36%. We’re talking about a 36-point drop among Republicans specifically. Get this: 68% of American said that higher education was on the wrong track. So it’s a question of whether or not people agree with Trump’s tactics, but they definitely agree with him on the idea that there is a problem with higher ed overall.

BOLDUAN: One thing you’ve heard from President Trump and many Republican allies for quite some time is accusing colleges and universities across the country of not being a friendly place for conservatives, if you will. How did the American public feel?

ENTEN: Yeah. So, you know, do colleges have a liberal bias? I think that’s really the question here. And what we see in polling after polling after polling is that the plurality say, yes, overall, look at that. Forty five percent of Americans overall agree with the idea that colleges have a liberal bias. Just 24% disagree with that idea.

Lookm among Republicans, hello! Sixty-seven percent of Republicans agree that colleges have a little bias. This is why Donald Trump is so emphatic and so wanting to take on this fight, because he knows that Republicans hate universities, hate the administrations, believe they have a liberal bias, and in fact the plurality of Americans overall agree with the idea, agree with Donald Trump, that colleges are in fact a place where bias reigns.

Watch the clip above via CNN.