In a surprising turn that may raise eyebrows among conservative circles, political commentator and media personality Candace Owens has voiced her support for Harvard University in its escalating free speech battle with the Trump administration.
Speaking on her show, Owens made clear that while she has long supported President Donald Trump, she cannot align with what she views as an infringement on constitutional freedoms.
“The Trump administration is fighting against free speech in America. And that is very sad for me to say and to report as someone who has been a supporter of Donald Trump,” Owens said. “We cannot allow our rights to be infringed upon.”
Her comments come amid a broader national debate over campus speech and religious expression, with Harvard reportedly challenging federal restrictions that limit academic and religious discussions — including biblical references that some government agencies have recently labeled as antisemitic or discriminatory.
Owens specifically pushed back against what she called an “absurd definition” of antisemitism that, she claims, targets expressions of Catholic belief and historical interpretation.
“They even include parts of the Bible. They’re like, you can’t say that the Jews had anything to do with killing Christ, which is, you know what that is? It’s not any symptoms — it’s anti-Catholic,” she asserted.
Despite her continued alignment with conservative values, Owens warned her audience not to overlook the broader implications of the administration’s policies, saying that if the crackdown on expression succeeds at universities, it won’t stop there.
“If you think it’s going to stop with college campuses, you’re out of your mind. So you better buck up and root for Harvard University in this fight,” she added.
Her remarks mark a rare moment of public disagreement with Trump’s initiatives, particularly on an issue that has galvanized both progressives and libertarian-leaning conservatives — the defense of the First Amendment on college campuses.
Owens’ support for Harvard signals a growing unease even among conservative commentators over how far government agencies should go in defining and policing offensive speech.
Whether her stance will spark deeper divisions within the conservative movement or foster new conversations about the boundaries of religious and academic freedom remains to be seen.
