President Donald Trump will sign an executive order on Thursday requiring U.S. colleges to certify that they protect free speech on their campuses or risk losing federal research funding, White House officials said.

Trump initially proposed the idea during a March 2 speech to conservative activists, highlighting the case of Hayden Williams, an activist who was punched in the face while recruiting for the group Turning Point USA at the University of California, Berkeley. At the time, Trump said that Williams "took a hard punch in the face for all of us."

The order tells federal agencies to work with Office of Management and Budget to ensure that colleges receiving research grants "promote free inquiry, including through compliance with all applicable federal laws, regulations and policies." White House officials say it will apply to more than $35 billion in grants.

Public universities pursuing federal funding would have to certify that they comply with the First Amendment, which already applies to them. Private universities, which have more flexibility in limiting speech, would need to commit to their own institutional rules.

How the government will enforce the order and what type of violation could trigger a loss of funding are still unclear. White House officials declined to provide specific examples and said implementation details will be finalized in coming months. In the Feb. 19 case at Berkeley, neither Williams nor the man arrested for the attack was affiliated with the university.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-to-order-colleges-to-back-free-speech-or-lose-funding/ar-BBV466G