Harvard Stands Up And Rejects Trump's Extortion

Under the pretense of fighting antisemitism, the Trump administration threatened to pull billions of dollars in research funding from Harvard. The Ivy League school didn't blink.

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The Trump administration has been on an extortion bender. Trump’s White House has extorted free legal services from powerful law firms with threatening executive orders, and they have either stripped or threatened to strip research funding from universities under the pretense of fighting antisemitism on college campuses.

One of the primary targets of the Trump administration has been Harvard.

The Trump White House wants to control what is taught, who can be hired, and who can be admitted to the schools that they are targeting.

On Monday, Harvard said no.

Alan M. Garber, the president of Harvard University, wrote in a published letter:

Late Friday night, the administration issued an updated and expanded list of demands, warning that Harvard must comply if we intend to “maintain [our] financial relationship with the federal government.” It makes clear that the intention is not to work with us to address antisemitism in a cooperative and constructive manner. Although some of the demands outlined by the government are aimed at combating antisemitism, the majority represent direct governmental regulation of the “intellectual conditions” at Harvard.

I encourage you to read the letter to gain a fuller understanding of the unprecedented demands being made by the federal government to control the Harvard community. They include requirements to “audit” the viewpoints of our student body, faculty, staff, and to “reduc[e] the power” of certain students, faculty, and administrators targeted because of their ideological views. We have informed the administration through our legal counsel that we will not accept their proposed agreement. The University will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.

The administration’s prescription goes beyond the power of the federal government. It violates Harvard’s First Amendment rights and exceeds the statutory limits of the government’s authority under Title VI. And it threatens our values as a private institution devoted to the pursuit, production, and dissemination of knowledge. No government—regardless of which party is in power—should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue.

Harvard didn’t cave to fear. They didn’t bend the knee and kiss Trump’s ring as so many others have. The university said no. We won’t surrender. We won’t allow Donald Trump to take us over.

This is what standing up for constitutional rights and freedom looks like.

The Trump administration is extorting Harvard. “That’s some nice looking federal funding you have there. It would be a shame if anything happened to it.”

If all of our institutions that have power would stand up and say no instead of caving to Trump, it would be easier to defeat.

When a corporation, law firm, or university caves to Trump, it makes it more difficult for democracy to win.

Harvard did the right thing. Here’s hoping that others follow their lead.

What do you think about Harvard telling Trump no? Share your thoughts in the comments below.