Air Force Academy Cancels Lecture After Discovering Speaker Criticized Trump

Officials at the U.S. Air Force Academy have called off a planned lecture by University of Utah professor Paisley Rekdal following the discovery of her previous social media comments that criticized former President Donald Trump.

The lecture, a segment of the esteemed Jannetta Lecture Series, is scheduled for September and will explore the theme of war memorialization, drawing inspiration from Rekdal’s book, The Broken Country, and her poetry. Superintendent Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind informed series donor and academy alumnus David Jannetta that the school deemed her comments regarding Trump as “not appropriate” for a military environment.

Jannetta, who initiated funding for the lecture series in 2008 to invite prominent writers and artists to the academy, expressed that he was “taken aback” by the decision and indicated a potential withdrawal of support. “I refuse to endorse a lecture series that requires the author to undergo a political evaluation,” he stated.

The academy announced that the decision was made to uphold its commitment to neutrality and emphasized that the lecture series remains an important initiative. Authorities have stated that they are evaluating the process for selecting speakers to guarantee uniformity in the future.

Rekdal reported that a faculty member notified her about the cancellation, and she was subsequently informed in public that academy leaders had conducted an online search of her background. In a social media post, she noted she was not surprised, pointing to broader trends of institutions canceling invited speakers over political concerns.

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, an organization monitoring free speech occurrences in academic settings, has reported a notable increase in the number of canceled lectures across the country, with an average of “one every two to three days” on various campuses, according to Sean Stevens, the group’s chief research adviser.

The Jannetta Lecture Series has welcomed influential figures in the past, such as Roxana Robinson, author of Sparta, who engaged cadets in a thought-provoking discussion on the ethics of war. Jannetta emphasized that the challenging conversations were central to the program: “The more cadets are pushed, the stronger leaders they will become.”

Rekdal’s lecture would have delved into the psychological legacies of the Vietnam War, examining the role of memorials in shaping public memory. She has family ties to the military and has written extensively on the lasting impacts of war.

Jannetta expressed his intention to offer a personal apology to Rekdal. “A richer understanding of our past comes from listening to a diverse range of voices,” she stated.

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