Florida's governor and legislature have mounted a multipronged assault on the intellectual autonomy of Florida's public colleges and universities. Florida is not alone, and Governor DeSantis' political success is already a model for other red-state governors to follow. Higher education leaders must find compelling ways to argue that the pursuit of knowledge must not be subordinated to the dictates of church or state; additionally, they should note that poor stewardship of public institutions is not only destructive of democracy but may also pose challenges for the continued accreditation of institutions of higher education.