Obama touts Harvard's rejection of Trump's 'ham-handed' demands
Former President Obama on Monday touted Harvard University’s rejection of what he called “ham-handed” demands from President Trump’s administration.
“Harvard has set an example for other higher-ed institutions – rejecting an unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom, while taking concrete steps to make sure all students at Harvard can benefit from an environment of intellectual inquiry, rigorous debate and mutual respect,” Obama said in a post on social platform X.
“Let’s hope other institutions follow suit,” the former president, who graduated from Harvard Law School in 1991, added in the post.
Last week, the Trump administration demanded that Harvard change multiple policies — including those around protesting and diversity, equity and inclusion programs — so that it can hold on to its federal funding. On Monday, the school shot down the demands.
“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 President Alan Garber said in a Monday message to the Harvard community.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) also offered praise to Harvard in a post Monday on X.
“Congratulations to Harvard for refusing to relinquish its constitutional rights to Trump’s authoritarianism. Other universities should follow their lead. And instead of doing pro bono work for Trump, cowardly law firms should be defending those who believe in the rule of law,” Sanders said in his post.
On Tuesday, Trump escalated the feud when he floated taking away the university’s tax-exempt status.
“Perhaps Harvard should lose its Tax Exempt Status and be Taxed as a Political Entity if it keeps pushing political, ideological, and terrorist inspired/supporting ‘Sickness?'” Trump said on his Truth Social platform. “Remember, Tax Exempt Status is totally contingent on acting in the PUBLIC INTEREST!”
In an emailed statement to The Hill, White House spokesperson Harrison Fields said the president “is working to Make Higher Education Great Again by ending unchecked anti-Semitism and ensuring federal taxpayer dollars do not fund Harvard’s support of dangerous racial discrimination or racially motivated violence.”
“Harvard or any institution that wishes to violate Title VI is, by law, not eligible for federal funding,” Fields added.