In a further escalation of his campaign against prestigious universities, US President Donald Trump attacked Harvard on Wednesday, claiming it should not be granted government funding.
In stark contrast to other universities that have given in to pressure from the White House, Harvard, which Trump referred to as a “JOKE” that “teaches hate and stupidity,” has come to represent opposition to his attempts to place elite universities under broad government control.
Trump posted on Truth Social, saying, “Harvard can no longer be considered even a decent place of learning and should not be considered on any list of the World’s Great Universities or Colleges.” “Harvard should no longer receive federal funds because it is a joke that promotes hate and stupidity.”
Two of the university’s well-known hires, former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, were criticized by the US President.
“They hired two of the worst and most incompetent mayors in our nation’s history—Bill D. from New York and Lori L. from Chicago—to ‘teach’ municipal management and government at absurdly high salaries and fees,” Trump wrote.
Additionally, Trump charged that the organization was recruiting “woke, Radical Left” people to join its ranks. Additionally, the Republican said they were unqualified and encouraged students to fail. “Almost all woke, radical left, idiots, and ‘birdbrains’ who can only teach FAILURE to students and so-called ‘future leaders’ have been hired by Harvard,” Trump claimed.
“When it got so bad that they just could not take it anymore, they moved this grossly inept woman into another position, teaching, rather than firing her ON THE SPOT,” he added, alluding to the recent plagiarism scandal involving the former president of Harvard.
The president’s comments come after a string of actions against the university, which included blocking $2.2 billion in government funds and threatening to remove its nonprofit, tax-exempt status. In addition to calling for the university to crack down on antisemitism and alleged civil rights violations, such as closing its diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, Trump has called for significant changes to the institution’s governance, including how it selects teachers and admits students.
“The university will not negotiate over its independence or its constitutional rights,” Harvard President Alan Garber retorted on Tuesday.
Citing large-scale demonstrations against Israel’s war in Gaza last year, some of which featured pro-Palestinian slogans, the Trump administration has justified its attack on higher education as a response to what it says is pervasive anti-Semitism on campuses.
Additionally, the White House has threatened to withhold funds to hundreds of institutions for their racially discriminatory hiring and admissions practices, tying federal support to adherence to diversity rules.
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