What’s hiding behind the “conflict” declared by Donald Trump towards Harvard and different prestigious universities?

President Donald Trump declared conflict on the richest and most prestigious universities of america They usually have threatened them to take away subsidies if they don’t match gender insurance policies, range and involvement that protects their authorities and in addition towards anti -Semitism. Amidst robust controversies, some gave up, however Harvard was planted and Tuesday obtained a millionaire sentence: the oldest and most third college within the nation, the cradle of greater than 100 Nobel prizes, stated he wouldn’t give up to extortion and Trump wouldn’t solely elevate greater than $ 2,000 in federal funds but additionally threatened all tax scores.

The strain has come for months. Already from her election marketing campaign, Magati had between eyebrow and eyebrow in universities Grouped in Ivy League (which unites Harvard, Columbia, Brown, Dartmouth, Cornell, Pennsylvania, Princeton and Yale) and different nice establishments which might be recognized among the many finest on the planet, and criticized them of their political actions as a result of they think about them facilities of Eliism and tradition ” It’s a speech that turns robust in essentially the most conservative Trumpist voters.

However from the terrorist assault of October 7, Hamas towards Israel and the proportional manifestations that adopted in some camps, Trump capitalized the anger of sure sectors portraying sure universities as allies of extremism. “Universities that tolerate anti -Semitism don’t even deserve a penny of presidency,” he stated within the marketing campaign.

When he took the presidency in January, Trump press the accelerator completely and used the state portfolio Attempt to make universities near the Conservative ideology of the White Home that remove range, equality and inclusion applications (Dei) and in addition take anti -Semitism measures, which some consultants considered a restrict towards free expression.

In some instances he managed it: in trade for Trump to not take away $ 400 million within the federal funds that Colombia arrived for instance Modify scholar admission, permit the presence on the campus of dozens of safety brokers With powers to cease “promoters”, or to evaluate the provide of regional research, particularly these associated to the Center East and Israel.

The brand new panorama utterly modified life within the campus. Academics are afraid to precise themselves freely in lessons, many now not write within the press or speak to journalists and College students are additionally afraid of being betrayed by their ideas. Furthermore, some worldwide lecturers and college students have been arrested at airports accused of selling anti -Semitism and have returned to their respective international locations if they’d photographs on protests on their social networks.

David Pozen, a regulation professor at Columbia College, informed him Clear that “Assaults on Finance and College Freedoms have been made a defining attribute of authoritarian regimes everywhere in the world. Regardless of the pace and dimension of President Trump’s efforts to dismantle larger training have been surprising to many individuals within the sector. After many years to get pleasure from a mutually helpful cooperation with the federal authorities, college leaders have had issue orienting, as their most important sponsor has turned towards them. “

“Fast Financing Chopping as Request for extortion They don’t have any precedents within the historical past of US larger training“, He added. And, in contrast to Harvard,” different establishments are taking part in comparable predictive beliefs, closing range workplaces and local weather initiatives, abandoning insurance policies aimed toward transgender involvement and taking power measures towards teachers of the East. “

On this unprecedented context within the historical past of america, Harvard determined to remain in Trump’s calls for and now open for a robust confrontation that goes past cash. For the college, It’s a wider battle to set boundaries in authorities energy and keep independence And freedom of expression and thought, flags which have all the time protected and are supported by the Supreme Courtroom, which assure autonomy for universities.

Trump needs Harvard to place an finish to the officer insurance policies and battle anti -Semitism. However with some greater than controversial necessities: Report back to Federal Authorities College students who’re “hostile” to American valuess (with out clarifying what these values ​​are); Make it possible for every division has “range of views” and rent a authorities -approved exterior entity to audit departments and applications that promote anti -Semitic harassment and in addition query historic classes on racism.

The college attorneys responded on Monday: “The college is not going to give their independence or quit their constitutional rights,” they stated. “Neither Harvard and another personal college may be allowed to be managed by the Federal Authorities”they added.

Harvard President Alan Garber addressed a unprecedented letter to professors and college students: The College “is not going to quit his independence or the rights assured by the Structure”. “No authorities – independently of the ruling social gathering – ought to dictate what personal universities can educate, Who can settle for and rent, and which areas of research and analysis can comply with. “

The Trump Schooling Division responded instantly By freezing $ 2.2 billion in grants For a number of years and the termination of perennial contracts for $ 60 million, claiming the “unacceptable” termination of research on protests and “insupportable harassment of Jewish college students”.

This Tuesday the climb continued with further threats from Trump that, in a method just like his tariff coverage, appears to cost day-after-day once they face it: “He should lose his fiscal exclusion standing and be taxed as a political entity,” the president wrote on his social reality community. Non-public College has an inheritance of greater than $ 50,000 million and enjoys a federal exception and one other from the state of Massachusetts.

Trump additionally “needs to see Harvard apologize. And Harvard ought to apologize for flagrant anti -Memism“On his campus, White Home spokesman Caroline Leavitt added.

This stress impacts the educational neighborhood and past. Former President Barack Obama, who has been a scholar of Columbia and Harvard, praised the Boston -based College on Tuesday. “Harvard has set an instance to different larger training establishments, rejecting an unlawful and clumsy try and suppress tutorial freedomWhereas taking measures to make sure that college students can profit from an mental analysis, rigorous debate and mutual respect. “” We hope others comply with their instance, “he added.

Professor Pozen De Columbia warns that “to guard themselves and your complete training system, college leaders should compromise, collectively and instantly, to problem unlawful calls for that threaten tutorial freedom and college administration” and suggests universities to affix the calls for that create strange issues.