Matt Johnson via Wikimedia Commons

NEW YORK — Former Vice President Mike Pence delivered a sharp critique of American higher education at the Buckley Institute’s ninth annual Disinvitation Dinner in New York City on Friday night, warning that elite universities risk losing federal funding if they tolerate antisemitism and unruly anti-Israel protests.

However, in an interview with the News following the event, Pence said that Yale is a model for other institutions of higher education in its acceptance of “diverse viewpoints.”

Pence — in a conversation with Washington Free Beacon Editor-in-Chief Eliana Johnson ’06 before an audience of roughly 200 attendees — said he “strongly supports” the withholding of federal funds from colleges and universities that fail to adequately address allegedly antisemitic behavior on campus.

“There’s no place in America for antisemitism, there’s no place on any American campus,” Pence said, citing recent protests at Columbia University as evidence of policies that have failed.

The Buckley Institute, an independent organization that promotes free speech at Yale and often hosts conservative speakers, honored Pence for having faced multiple disinvitation efforts over the years, including at Wisconsin Lutheran College in 2020 and Stanford University in 2022. 

The dinner celebrates students, known as Buckley fellows, who, the institute’s founder and Executive Director Lauren Noble ’11 said, “challenge the Yale orthodoxy and engage with perspectives outside of the campus mainstream.” It took place at The Pierre, a hotel in New York, with about 50 Yale undergraduates, who traveled from campus after final exams period ended, in attendance.

“When we hosted the inaugural Disinvitation Dinner in 2015, some warned that we might eventually run out of potential honorees,” Noble stated in her opening remarks. “But over the past decade, campus activists have graciously ensured that’s not going to happen.”

Throughout the evening, the conversation focused repeatedly on the question of whether federal resources should continue to flow to institutions that have been accused of failing to uphold free inquiry or protect Jewish students amid protests against Israel’s war in Gaza.

As of now, the Trump administration has singled out seven universities, not including Yale, for funding cuts or warnings that their funding is in jeopardy. Pence praised the Trump administration’s approach and specifically attacked Harvard.

When asked by Johnson whether he supported revoking Harvard’s tax-exempt status — an idea that Trump has endorsed — Pence expressed hesitation, warning that such a move could create a dangerous precedent.

“I have concerns about that,” he said. “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. If we establish the precedent of taking away tax-exempt status from certain institutions that reflect discriminatory practices or antipathy toward right-wing views, we might find ourselves in an America where subsequent administrations think the same.”

Instead, Pence advocated targeting federal funding directly, stating that the American people have a right to decide where taxpayer dollars are directed.

Though the conversation centered on higher education, Pence used the platform to touch on other issues dominating political debate in the early months of his former boss’s second term.

Pence praised President Donald Trump’s “commanding” leadership of the Republican Party but said he felt it was his duty to call out ways the administration was departing from conservative values, such as tariffs that depart from traditional Republican economic principles.

“I’m going to continue to be a voice for traditional Reagan conservative Republicans,” Pence said. “And I will say to you with confidence, I believe that still represents the overwhelming majority of the people that ever vote Republican.”

When asked by Johnson about his time working under Trump, Pence described their relationship as professional and productive — “never a cross word between us until those final days.” Pence broke with Trump’s wishes by refusing to upend the 2020 election results, triggering chants of “hang Mike Pence” during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol.

In an interview with the News, Pence praised Yale’s campus climate and reflected on his family’s connection to the University.

He noted the “exceptional” experience his daughter had at Yale Law School and further praised Yale as a place that respects diverse viewpoints, which he believes is the direction that higher education should follow.

“Democracy depends on heavy doses of civility,” Pence told the News. “I really believe that with all my heart.”

Pence concluded the evening with a direct message to the Buckley fellows in the room, many of whom had met with him privately before the dinner. He encouraged them to continue letting their voices be heard.

Pence served as the 48th vice president of the United States from 2017 to 2021 under President Donald Trump.