Trump Escalates His War on the Ivy League

The Trump Administration has launched several more salvos in its all-out assault on Ivy League colleges.

The government is targeting Harvard University because it rejected Washington’s demands to control its admissions, hiring and curriculum — in other words, to run the institution. This is a vicious, unprecedented attack on academic freedom.

The goal?

The regime has two main goals: Dictating the rules for the 60 universities on its enemies list and cowing them into submission. Like Viktor Orban, Hungary’s autocratic leader, President Donald Trump wants to bring these institutions under government control, so they cannot be centers of dissent and opposition.

Using Harvard as an example to scare other institutions, the government has cut off even more funding — without any pretense of due process — and unleashed a barrage of “investigations” into its practices.

As President Trump requested, illegally, the IRS is considering revoking Harvard’s tax-exempt status. We are witnessing a massive deployment of federal power to bring a private university to heel — or perhaps to destroy it.

Congressional Republicans have also jumped into the fray. Their tax bill would impose a punitive levy on elite (liberal) colleges, while slashing income tax rates for rich Americans.

They would impose a tax of 14%-21% on the investment income of universities that have large endowments. The Republicans are singling out these universities. No other non-profit institutions pay taxes on their investment income.

Using antisemitism as a cudgel

The pretexts for these draconian measures are that top universities are tolerating antisemitism and pursuing woke, DEI initiatives. These charges are Orwellian smokescreens.

The universities are trying sincerely to deal with antisemitic, and anti-Muslim, behavior. They have made good-faith efforts, over many years, to broaden the racial composition of their student bodies.

These were legal measures under previous administrations. The Trump regime has unilaterally declared that diversity initiatives are unlawful, based on the President’s executive orders — not any court rulings or acts of Congress.

Taxing universities’ endowment income is not just unfair. It could force them to reduce their financial aid programs, which enable bright lower-income students to attend college.

Harvard task force report

Harvard has acknowledged that numerous antisemitic incidents have unfortunately taken place on its campus.

After conducting hundreds of interviews, a Harvard task force published a 300-page report on antisemitic incidents and a 200-page report on anti-Muslim episodes. Since the 2010s, the task force observed, the campus has become much more polarized about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for several reasons:

· Harsh measures taken by the Israeli government in Gaza and the West Bank

· A more diverse student body, with an increase in Muslim students and a decline in Jewish students

· More aggressive stances by pro-Palestinian groups

· A less tolerant atmosphere in general

A breakdown in civil discourse

These developments have led to a breakdown in civil discourse, shunning of individuals who are Jewish or Israeli and intemperate attacks on Israel’s legitimacy as a state, the task force said.

A reasonable observer might conclude that the university is taking a hard look at the issues and trying to find solutions. But the Trump Administration has ignored that effort, because it is acting in bad faith.

The government’s barrage of press releases insinuates that Harvard discriminates against Jewish Americans. But the university does not appear to discriminate against Jewish Americans in its administration or admissions.

Large shifts in student demographics

Alan Garber, Harvard’s recently installed president, is Jewish. Four out of Harvard’s last six presidents, including Garber, have been Jewish.

Almost 10% of its undergraduate students are Jewish, and over 50% of graduate students are Jewish, based on numbers collected by the Hillel Society (Harvard itself does not gather information on its students’ religious affiliation).

Five decades ago, American Jews represented about 20% of Harvard undergraduates. Some critics claim that the decline in Jewish enrollment to 10% indicates a less welcoming attitude at Harvard. But in fact, the decrease reflects the dramatic changes in the racial composition of a class.

Fifty years ago, the student body was about 80% white and 12% Black — with a small percentage of Asian Americans. The demographics have changed dramatically since then.

For the Harvard class of 2028, the breakdown is 14% Black, 37% Asian American, 16% Hispanic and 33% white.

Jewish representation

Fifty years ago, American Jews were 25% of white students. Now, they are about 30%. That is impressive for a group that represents 2.4% of all Americans.

Relative to other colleges and the general population, Harvard seems roughly in line regarding Black students and somewhat underweight in Hispanic students.

Harvard appears heavily overweighted in Asian Americans (37% versus 6% for other colleges and the U.S. population) and underweighted in whites (33% versus 43% for colleges and 53% for the country).

These figures, drawn from various sources, are intended to provide an approximate comparison. About 18% of Harvard undergrads are international students, which may affect the comparability, too.

Antisemitic — or pro-Palestinian?

The federal Government has also targeted Columbia University’s administration for its allegedly antisemitic practices (as opposed to some students’ behavior).

However, 22.5% of Columbia undergrads are Jewish, according to the Hillel Society, which is the highest percentage in the Ivy League. And 15% of grad students are Jewish. Columbia, unlike other Ivies, called in the police twice to arrest pro-Palestinian demonstrators who were being disruptive.

Harvard, Columbia and other elite universities are trying to maintain a balance, allowing pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian students equal opportunity to express their views — if they are not disruptive or violent.

Many Americans, including many Jewish Americans, oppose the Netanyahu government’s reckless attacks on civilians in Gaza and its appropriations of Palestinian land in the West Bank.

Anti-Netanyahu = antisemitic

However, the Trump administration seems to consider any criticism of the Netanyahu government’s actions, or expressions of support for Palestinian rights, as antisemitic.

The government has detained and tried to deport Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia grad student, and Rümeysa Öztürk, a PhD student at Tufts, simply because they were espousing pro-Palestinian views.

The government has not alleged that Khalil was disruptive at Columbia — in fact, he was serving as a negotiator. Ozturk’s “offense” was that a year ago she co-signed an editorial in Tufts’ student newspaper that advocated for Palestinian rights. The government is trampling on their rights to freedom of speech.

Here is another indication that the government is acting in bad faith: Donald Trump’s hypocrisy on this issue. In 2022, Trump invited two outspoken antisemites, Nick Fuentes and Kanye West (now known as Ye), to dinner at Mar-a-Lago. The President should be known by the company he keeps.

Why conservatives hate elite universities

Conservatives have bitterly criticized the United States’ top universities for decades, but in recent years they have taken steps to punish them.

In Trump’s first administration, Congress imposed a 1.4% tax on universities’ income from their endowments. Now they want to up the ante.

There are probably numerous reasons for conservatives’ hatred of universities and their desire to weaken or cripple them. Here are some possible factors.

Republican grievances

The faculty and the students at elite institutions are overwhelmingly liberal or progressive — so conservatives are a distinct minority.

Conservatives often feel unwelcome or even shunned in liberal institutions. That violates the tradition of a free exchange of views in an academic setting — and it probably became worse because of some excesses in the DEI movement.

Most college graduates now vote for Democratic presidential candidates. Many Democrats take a condescending attitude toward conservatives. The combination of these trends reinforces conservatives’ resentment of the “elites.”

College-educated Americans have fared much better economically over the last 50 years than working-class and lower-middle class voters. This creates even more resentment.

The Republican Party has become increasingly anti-science and anti-intellectual over the last 20 years. Hell hath no fury like conservatives who feel scorned, it seems.

Why college students reject conservatism

Despite some legitimate complaints about their treatment, conservatives should look in the mirror and ask themselves why most college students and college graduates vote Democratic.

Fifty years ago, most students and faculty members at top universities held liberal views, and conservatives were a small minority. That has not changed over several decades.

However, it was possible in the past to have a cordial discussion with conservatives. They mostly wanted a smaller government and lower taxes. Reasonable people could debate those issues and agree to disagree.

The Republican Party moving to the right

What has changed? Over the last two decades, the Republican Party has moved sharply to the right. Most conservatives now:

· Deny climate change and its dangers

· Want to eliminate any access to abortion

· Oppose reasonable measures to control gun violence

· Seek to roll back the gains of the civil rights movement

· Suppress voters, particularly minorities, through gerrymandering, voter purges and other techniques

· Demonize immigrants and small, vulnerable groups such as transgender people

Republicans’ attacks on healthcare

Republicans also tried repeatedly to repeal the Affordable Care Act, cut back Medicaid coverage and deprive millions of Americans of health insurance.

Many conservatives also want to impose their narrow view of Christianity on the country and end the separation of church and state.

Is it surprising that most college-educated Americans reject these policies and disdain conservatives?

A harsh tax on endowments

Conservatives have criticized universities for years because they do not spend “enough” of their endowments.

Educational institutions usually target spending an amount equal to 5%-6% of their endowment each year. That is prudent, because they typically generate investment returns in that range over an investment cycle.

Using Harvard as an example, the university relies on its investment income for almost 40% of its revenues. Thanks to its large ($52 billion endowment), the university offers a generous financial aid program:

· 55% of its undergrads receive some financial assistance

· Students receive grants, not loans

· 25% pay no tuition

· 20% are the first in their family to attend college

From bad to worse

If Congress imposes a 21% tax on Harvard’s investment income, that will reduce its revenues by about $500 million. The university is already under intense financial pressure because the Trump regime has abruptly, and illegally, canceled billions of dollars in research grants.

Consequently, Harvard may have to reduce financial aid and rely more on tuition. That turn of events would make it harder for bright students from lower-income families to attend the university.

Republicans are pursuing many vindictive, bone-headed policies right now. Undermining — or crippling — Ivy League institutions is one of the dumbest.