In the last few years, political conservatives have self-righteously proclaimed themselves to be fervent champions of free speech on college and university campuses. In response to the regrettable efforts of some leftist students and community members to exclude, intimidate, and silence conservative speakers ranging from Milo Yiannopoulos to Richard Spencer to Ann Coulter to Charles Murray, conservative journalists, foundations, politicians, professors, and students have joyously wrapped themselves in the flag of academic freedom and fiercely condemned those students and community members who, they insist, are undermining our nation’s profound commitment to freedom of speech.

Let me be clear from the outset: I agree wholeheartedly that the students and community members who have embraced censorship, disruption and even violence in order to deny invited speakers whose views they oppose an opportunity to speak are deeply in the wrong. Such conduct is fundamentally incompatible with the core principles of our democracy and with the central precepts of academic freedom.

But I am a bit puzzled by contemporary conservatives who suddenly and quite vigorously defend the principle of free expression. I say “suddenly” because throughout American history it has been political conservatives who have consistently been the opponents of free speech and academic freedom. That they now energetically embrace what they have always rejected inevitably lends itself to more than a bit of skepticism.

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