Gavin Newsom threatens California universities who 'bend to the will' of Trump after latest demand

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom continued his feud against President Donald Trump by threatening the universities who complied with a request from the federal government.

The president issued a 10-point memo titled the "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education" to nine universities and said any that agreed would receive preferential treatment for grants and other federal money.

'California will not bankroll schools that sign away academic freedom.'

Newsom, who has presidential ambitions and has positioned California as a leading state to oppose Trump's policies, issued a threat to universities that agreed to the compact.

"California universities that bend to the will of Donald Trump and sign this insane 'compact' will lose billions in state funding — IMMEDIATELY," he wrote on social media Thursday.

"California will not bankroll schools that sign away academic freedom," he added.

The compact was sent to the University of Southern California, and the administration said more universities would be receiving it.

The document called for universities to change their hiring practices so they don't consider sex, ethnicity, race, national origin, disability, or religion. It also demanded that undergraduate applicants take standardized tests that include the SAT and ACT.

The compact was also sent to Vanderbilt University, Dartmouth College, Brown University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the University of Pennsylvania.

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American Council on Education president Ted Mitchell issued a statement opposing the compact.

"It's not worth the compromises that they would have to make," he said. "This is a Faustian bargain."

Trump has been targeting colleges and universities by ending research funding and other taxpayer-provided funds from the federal government. Some of his efforts have been stymied by opposition in the courts.

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