Michael Mann was named the Ivy League school’s inaugural vice provost for climate science last year
R: Donald Trump (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Michael Mann, a climate professor and senior administrator at the University of Pennsylvania, appeared to threaten President Donald Trump on Thursday evening, writing on social media that “we’re in second amendment territory” if the president doesn’t comply with a federal court injunction.
“If Trump doesn’t comply, we’re in second amendment territory,” Mann wrote on Bluesky. Mann—whom the University of Pennsylvania named as its inaugural vice provost for climate science, policy, and action in late 2024—later doubled down and defended his comments.
“The second amendment refers to the right of the people to rise up and defend democracy,” he added in a follow-up post Friday morning. “To argue this is a threat against Trump is very dishonest.”
Mann’s comments came in response to a report that a federal judge blocked Trump’s plan to dismantle the Department of Education. Trump issued an executive order in March directing the Education Department to close, arguing that states are better equipped to handle the agency’s main functions.
Mann’s apparent threat could attract the attention of federal law enforcement officials, who have been quick to investigate similar public threats against the president. The Secret Service, for example, is investigating former FBI director James Comey over his recent social media post depicting seashells spelling “86 47,” which some interpreted as a call to eliminate the president, though Comey denied that interpretation.
The University of Pennsylvania did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesman for FBI director Kash Patel did not respond to a request for comment.
Mann’s social media posts, meanwhile, come as tensions between the Trump administration and academia are already high. The administration in recent months has stripped billions of dollars in federal funding from universities, including the University of Pennsylvania and other Ivy League schools, over their failed response to anti-Semitism on campus, actions harboring pro-Hamas attitudes, and DEI initiatives.
The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights froze $175 million in funding for the University of Pennsylvania last month over its decision to allow a biological male to compete on the women’s swim team, which the office said denied women equal opportunities. In response, the university’s president blasted the administration and said the loss of funding “will be felt by society.”
And Mann’s comments come as he has faced legal setbacks. A Washington, D.C., court has ordered the famed climate scientist to pay more than $1 million to cover litigation costs for the Competitive Enterprise Institute and National Review, two entities he has accused of libel.
“Everything you need to know about the integrity of Michael Mann’s purported science research is illustrated by the Washington, D.C., court finding Mann engaged in ‘stunning’ misrepresentations to the court regarding his defamation case,” said James Taylor, the president of the Heartland Institute, a conservative think tank.
“If you would like to know just how credible the climate alarmism movement is, just assess the ethics and honesty of its foremost talking head, Michael Mann,” he continued.
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