Saqib Majid
Trump accuses Harvard of hiring former mayors and demands that federal funding be cut off.
In a scathing attack on Harvard University on Wednesday, former President Donald Trump criticized the school for hiring former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. Trump called the Ivy League university a “joke” and demanded that it be cut off from federal funding, claiming that its hiring decisions demonstrate a concerning ideological tilt and lack of academic integrity.
Trump attacked Harvard’s recent hiring of de Blasio and Lightfoot as teaching fellows in a vehement post on Truth Social, expressing his anger at what he perceives to be the university’s embrace of left-wing ideology. He ridiculed the notion of both former mayors teaching students about public administration and municipal governance, accusing them of providing disastrous leadership for their towns.
Trump said, “Everyone knows Harvard has lost its way.” “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.”
Trump called Lightfoot and de Blasio “Radical Left fools” who left their towns in ruins. He maintained that their teaching positions at Harvard could only encourage “failure,” and he charged that the university often employed “woke” and inept people with strong political opinions.
“Cities were left in rubble by these Leftist jerks. Trump went on, “Harvard is now teeming with radical birdbrains who propagate ignorance and hatred.” “They can only infect students who are meant to be the leaders of tomorrow with failure.”
De Blasio was hired by Harvard in 2022, not long after his time as New York City’s mayor came to an end. With an emphasis on public service and leadership, he was named a teaching fellow at the T.H. School. Likewise, Lightfoot, who served as Chicago’s leader from 2019 to 2023, became a teaching fellow at Harvard’s public health school in the fall of 2023.
Although there was some debate surrounding both appointments, university administrators justified the choices by pointing to the former mayors’ vast experience running big, complicated towns and negotiating public policy during emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic.
But according to Trump, their performance in office makes them obviously ineligible. He asserted that their shortcomings led to an increase in crime, economic instability, and public unhappiness in two of the biggest cities in America. He contends that one of the most prominent colleges in the country is now rewarding them for their efforts.
Trump wrote, “Harvard used to mean something.” It’s a joke now. They have abandoned greatness and merit in favor of woke craziness. They ought to be taken off of any ranking of the best institutions in the world because of this.
The former president criticized Harvard for more than just its employment policies. Hours after the federal government made a significant pronouncement, his post announced that more than $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in federal contracts that had previously been awarded to the school would be frozen. The action came after Harvard and the Trump administration were at odds over antisemitism and school governance.
Administration representatives wrote to Harvard last Friday, requesting a number of changes. The university’s student disciplinary procedures, admissions standards, and an audit of the campus’s diversity and inclusion initiatives were among the main demands. Additionally, the letter demanded that Harvard cut off its connections with specific student groups that were allegedly encouraging antisemitic discourse.
Harvard President Alan Garber made a forceful reaction on Monday, claiming that the university will not cooperate with what he described as political overreach, despite growing federal pressure.
In a statement, Garber declared, “The University will not cede its independence or its constitutional rights.” “No government should dictate what private universities can teach, who they can admit and hire, or what subjects they can study and research, regardless of which party is in power.”
The administration’s funding freeze and Trump’s outburst point to a growing conflict between conservative political figures and prestigious universities. Harvard has come to represent what Trump and his followers perceive as a perilous change in American education, one that is controlled by political correctness and left-wing philosophy.
Trump wrote, “A lot of people are teaching at Harvard, including these Leftist jerks.” “As a result, Harvard is no longer even a respectable educational institution.”
Some contend that Trump’s attacks raise significant issues about the future of American higher education, particularly with regard to academic freedom, ideological diversity, and accountability for publicly funded institutions, while others have characterized them as politically motivated and based in culture war rhetoric.
Given the legal and constitutional protections pertaining to educational institutions, Trump’s proposal to withdraw Harvard’s government money is unlikely to succeed without strong political support. However, continuing research projects, student assistance programs, and collaborations between Harvard and federal agencies may all be significantly impacted by the funding freeze.
Trump’s Truth Social post has not yet received a public response from Harvard. Trump’s claim that the university is irredeemable seems to be squarely at odds with the university’s reaffirmation of its dedication to unfettered inquiry and the importance of varied viewpoints in education.
The ongoing controversy is indicative of a larger national discussion concerning the function of politics in education and striking a balance between institutional autonomy and public responsibility.