President Trump loomed large in discussions among college leaders and the press at a dinner in New York Tuesday night.

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NEW YORK—Nine months into Donald Trump’s second term, in a year marked by unprecedented federal intervention in higher education, college presidents are treading carefully, with few exceptions .

At an annual press dinner in New York City on Tuesday night, presidents from a mix of public and private institutions fielded questions on topics including college costs, artificial intelligence and public perception of higher ed. But those questions served largely as appetizers; Trump and his administration’s federal actions featured as the main course.

While the dinner, hosted annually by Arizona State University president Michael Crow, was domin

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