Harvard Professor: What President Trump Is Demanding of Universities ‘Is Nothing Short of Authoritarian’

Dean Professor thanks so ░░░░░░░░ for being here with ░░░░░░░░ I do want to ░░░░░░░░ with some news we ░░░░░░░░ just getting which is ░░░░░░░░ your your president of ░░░░░░░░ university Harvard Alan Garber ░░░░░░░░ just minutes ago that ░░░░░░░░ school will not comply ░░░░░░░░ the Trump Administration s ░░░░░░░░ He said quote The ░░░░░░░░ will not negotiate over ░░░░░░░░ independence or its constitutional ░░░░░░░░ I just want to ░░░░░░░░ from you Where does ░░░░░░░░ leave your lawsuit and ░░░░░░░░ are your thoughts on ░░░░░░░░ BOWIE Yes I m ░░░░░░░░ grateful for President Garber ░░░░░░░░ exercising such leadership here ░░░░░░░░ what the president of ░░░░░░░░ United States is demanding ░░░░░░░░ universities is nothing short ░░░░░░░░ authoritarian There s a ░░░░░░░░ on the building of ░░░░░░░░ Department of Justice Where ░░░░░░░░ ends tyranny begins And ░░░░░░░░ frankly is the only ░░░░░░░░ to describe what the ░░░░░░░░ Administration is doing with ░░░░░░░░ to universities He s ░░░░░░░░ to block funding millions ░░░░░░░░ of dollars to university ░░░░░░░░ to medical research without ░░░░░░░░ legal authority He is ░░░░░░░░ the First Amendment rights ░░░░░░░░ universities and faculty by ░░░░░░░░ that if universities want ░░░░░░░░ keep this money they ░░░░░░░░ to suppress our speech ░░░░░░░░ change what we teach ░░░░░░░░ how we study And ░░░░░░░░ s doing all of ░░░░░░░░ and issuing all of ░░░░░░░░ demands in defiance of ░░░░░░░░ kind of legal limit ░░░░░░░░ would prohibit him from ░░░░░░░░ these sorts of demands ░░░░░░░░ our lawsuit is contesting ░░░░░░░░ legality of all of ░░░░░░░░ We re trying to ░░░░░░░░ the First Amendment in ░░░░░░░░ context And we re ░░░░░░░░ grateful that President Garber ░░░░░░░░ to have gotten the ░░░░░░░░ message that there s ░░░░░░░░ no complying and no ░░░░░░░░ with an authoritarian authoritarian ░░░░░░░░ like this Dean The ░░░░░░░░ Administration says it s ░░░░░░░░ all of this in ░░░░░░░░ effort to combat anti ░░░░░░░░ on campus And they ░░░░░░░░ alleged that Harvard didn ░░░░░░░░ do enough to combat ░░░░░░░░ Semitism and protect Jewish ░░░░░░░░ Do you think Harvard ░░░░░░░░ enough and have proper ░░░░░░░░ been made BOWIE Yes ░░░░░░░░ think the best way ░░░░░░░░ describing what the administration ░░░░░░░░ doing is it s ░░░░░░░░ So this task force ░░░░░░░░ itself the Joint Task ░░░░░░░░ to Combat anti Semitism ░░░░░░░░ the law that governs ░░░░░░░░ rights the Civil Rights ░░░░░░░░ of 1964 includes procedures ░░░░░░░░ how to investigate discrimination ░░░░░░░░ ensure that discrimination is ░░░░░░░░ from recipients of federal ░░░░░░░░ I think it s ░░░░░░░░ university s responsibility to ░░░░░░░░ that all students feel ░░░░░░░░ and protected The Civil ░░░░░░░░ Act demands that any ░░░░░░░░ of federal funding try ░░░░░░░░ eliminate all discrimination And ░░░░░░░░ the Trump Administration is ░░░░░░░░ that law completely That ░░░░░░░░ does not permit the ░░░░░░░░ to simply take billions ░░░░░░░░ dollars away from Boston ░░░░░░░░ Children s Hospital It ░░░░░░░░ t permit the president ░░░░░░░░ the United States to ░░░░░░░░ as it most recently ░░░░░░░░ that Harvard should reduce ░░░░░░░░ power of the faculty ░░░░░░░░ eliminate all DEI programs ░░░░░░░░ really if you look ░░░░░░░░ what the task force ░░░░░░░░ demanding not just of ░░░░░░░░ but of Columbia University ░░░░░░░░ Princeton or the University ░░░░░░░░ Pennsylvania the main thing ░░░░░░░░ unites this attack on ░░░░░░░░ is that the Trump ░░░░░░░░ does not like universities ░░░░░░░░ does not like our ░░░░░░░░ It s trying to ░░░░░░░░ money away because of ░░░░░░░░ regarding transgender athletes or ░░░░░░░░ its research on climate ░░░░░░░░ is causing anxiety So ░░░░░░░░ Semitism is really just ░░░░░░░░ pretext for what is ░░░░░░░░ an authoritarian attack on ░░░░░░░░ education.”