FEAR OF EDUCATION IS COMMON TO CONSERVATIVES
It is not only President Trump who fears educated people. Republicans in general have many reasons for their strong bias against public education:

• College‑educated voters have, in recent years, leaned more Democratic while non‑college voters lean more Republican.
• Higher education and public K-12 education in the U.S. show a strong alignment with liberal cultural values, often labeled “wokeism” by critics, due to dominant progressive ideologies in curricula, faculty composition, and institutional policies.
• Populist conservative movements often frame political debate in terms of “the people” against educated elites (e.g. professors, experts, journalists, scientists, etc.) This framing resonates with voters who feel ignored or disrespected by institutions and educated elites.
• Liberal education is a major issue in conservative culture wars:
  • curriculum content
  • gender identity
  • race and history
  • parental control
  • book bans
• Distrust of highly educated experts and scientists strengthens MAGA group identity.
• Education fosters critical thinking skills like analysis, evidence evaluation, and fact-checking that enable resistance to simplistic soundbites voiced by Republican politicians.
• Liberal-aligned higher education often prioritizes progressive narratives that train graduates to promote “woke” concepts while dismissing conservative views of “wokism” as conservative propaganda and disinformation. Problem-based learning, open-ended questioning, and metacognitive training build capacities for dissecting and critically evaluating political candidates’ policies and candidate claims beyond rhetoric.

It is important to clarify that conservatives and Trump do not fear all education. The kind of education conservatives favor includes rigorous, parent-directed education focused on core academics, practical skills, and traditional Christian values delivered through expanded school choice options and homeschooling. They also favor universal education savings accounts (ESAs) and vouchers that let public funds follow students to private schools, charters, or homeschooling. In general, they favor policies that empower parents over government bureaucracies. This reflects the belief that families, not the state, best direct children’s upbringing.

The reality behind these public beliefs is fear of secular, liberal-dominated curricula that push ideological agendas like DEI, gender theory, and revisionist narratives in public and higher education. Conservative parents effectively shield their children exposure from influences they will eventually encounter when they enter the real world where they will sooner or later be exposed to all the liberal/progressive influences and education that their parent fear.