‘Brain drain’: Trump halts student visa interviews, checking social media for MAGA ideological compliance

The United States is respected around the world for its higher education. Institutions like Harvard, Princeton, MIT, Stanford, and Yale attract the best and brightest minds from around the world, many of whom permanently settle in the country and make huge strides in tech, business and culture. Other countries would kill to have this jewel in their crown – and all are dumbfounded that Donald Trump is hellbent on destroying it.

As part of his ongoing war on academia, Trump’s US State Department has officially ordered all US embassies and consulates worldwide to cease processing any new student visa applications. New rules are on the way for advanced “social media vetting”, which will entail poring over every applicant’s online activity to identify signs of non-compliance with the MAGA ideology.

The US State Department has instructed US embassies around the world to pause new student visa appointments as it develops guidance to expand “social media screening and vetting” to all applicants for student visas, according to a diplomatic cable seen by CNN. pic.twitter.com/tBwoeEHcZh

— Larry Madowo (@LarryMadowo) May 27, 2025

Indications are that social media accounts will be analyzed for any suspiciously anti-Israel comments or pro-Palestinian sentiments, with any evidence that would-be students have any sympathy for starving and brutalized civilians grounds for denying them a student visa.

Beyond that, we have to assume that any explicit criticism of Trump himself or his allies will be a reason to prevent them from studying in American universities. We also suspect anyone considered to be fostering beliefs supportive of the trans community will be excluded from entry, as would anyone with links to socialist groups.

McCarthyism on steroids

What the Trump administration wants isn’t independent thinkers coming from around the world to enrich the country with new ideas, they want obedient little MAGA drones with pre-formed ideas ready to parrot whatever nonsense has already been infected their brains.

The effects of this will be catastrophic. Thousands of students who would go on to generate billions of dollars of economic value will now look elsewhere to study, with China unable to believe its luck as it poaches them from the United States. Meanwhile, starved of the tuition fees that overseas students supply, America’s top educational establishments will wither and atrophy as they’re clogged up with MAGA zombies.

This awful policy will have consequences long beyond the Trump presidency. International students have been given the biggest red flag about studying in America. The message is clear: academic freedom is over, the range of thought acceptable is very narrow, and severe punishment awaits anyone who steps out of line. And, if this is now here for international students, can it be far behind for domestic ones?