Harvard Right to Stand Up To Trump Says Larry Summers

Former Harvard University President Larry Summers is speaking out against President Donald Trump's deepening attacks on the school. Summers says Harvard was right to respond vigorously when the White House froze federal funding this week. “This is part of a broad and sweeping effort to suppress institutions that challenge the presidential administration," Summers told Bloomberg's David Westin on "Wall Street Week." The Trump administration says Harvard has been mishandling antisemitism on campus.

Former Harvard University President Larry Summers assailed President Donald Trump over his deepening attacks on the school, slamming a “wildly extralegal” federal funding freeze earlier this week and warning of government “tyranny.” 

“This is not an isolated thing, what’s being done to Harvard,” Summers said in an interview Wednesday with Bloomberg Television. “This is part of a broad and sweeping effort to suppress institutions that challenge the presidential administration.”

Trump is in an escalating standoff with Harvard after the government froze $2.2 billion in federal grants for the school this week. The president went on to threaten Harvard’s tax-exempt status and on Wednesday accused the school of hiring “radical left” faculty. Saying Harvard “can no longer be considered even a decent place of learning,” the president said it should no longer receive federal funds. 

The Trump administration, which has accused Harvard of mishandling antisemitism on campus, stepped up its demands last week by calling for changes to admissions and hiring practices, among other requirements. Harvard President Alan Garber rejected the terms this week, saying they made clear that the government’s intention “is not to work with us to address antisemitism.”

While Summers said Harvard still needs to do more to combat prejudice against Jews and expand intellectual diversity, he applauded the institution’s effort to stand up to Trump. 

“Universities have made some very serious mistakes, and yes, they should be pressured and pressured with escalating strength to change that,” said Summers, a paid contributor to Bloomberg TV. “But for the president of the United States to be calling for changing the tax status of his adversaries, this is new and I believe authoritarian and a real question about our democracy.”

A former US Treasury secretary, Summers said he hoped Harvard would find ways to maintain important research in the face of the federal funding cut, warning of long-term damage from a protracted battle between universities and the Trump administration. 

“If the US government goes to war with our great universities, it means a sharp reduction in the kind of scientific progress that has caused the United States to be the envy of the world,” he said. “It means the end of efforts at cures to diseases like cancer and diabetes. It means a substantial risk to our national security, because one of our great national assets has been our capacity for innovation.”

Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard is the oldest and richest US university. It boasts a $53 billion endowment. 

“Harvard should not go interjecting itself into politics,” Summers said. But “if an institution like Harvard cannot resist tyranny when applied to it,” he said, “then who can?”

--------
Watch Bloomberg Radio LIVE on YouTube
Weekdays 7am-6pm ET


Subscribe to our Podcasts:


Listen on Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with the Bloomberg Business app:

Visit our YouTube channels:

[goof]

I love the phone throw... :>) Good work!

[Pallasathena-hvkp]

The whole “panel, ” idea is freaking creepy and gives off North Korea vibes.

[mikaylapenland]

I think the only colleges that should 1st is gone, Trump University and the big one is the electoral college

[CLUBtwoFIFTEEN]

Lawrence Summers has assessed the Harvard situation clearly and fairly.

[huntingtonjimmy]

We need some big and great man to speak out for America sick!

[lovsply]

SUDDENLY LARRY HAS NUTS TO STAND UP FOR HARVARD…. WOW!

[NicholsonNeisler-fzgi]

Summers lives in a fantasy land bubble

[JanMike]

So proud of you, Harvard! Stand up to Donald and his Brown shirts. There is no tolerance in the US for tyrants

[intuneorange]

Larry Summers is just giving us a heads up about DJT
he didnt call him trumpolini, but I do.

[angie]

EVERYONE needs to internalize the phrase "FSCK what trump wants!!" He's a bully. He is NOT a leader.

[gregoryallen]

Donnie, G R O W A BRAIN. A stiff neck spine and juevos rancheros just ain’t
cuttin’ it, bud.

[Htruman-uz]

Trump's stupidity runs rampant as usual. He always throws the baby out with the bath water and then wants the baby to apologize.

[yvonneplant]

Summers was president of Harvard for about 5 minutes.😅

[updown.]

His phone bit it, that was not caught and sounds like it hit the floor :)

[SkyGlitchGalaxy]

Harvard is a £50 Billion hedge fund and a famous college.
The hedge fund part should be taxed as a hedge fund.

[MarleneRogers]

Than Harvard can continue with there practice but you will not be getting the funding from the American tax payer money and we support Trump 💯

[anna-tnmg]

Sorry, President, my alma mater is medieval, I know a lot about the history of universities and I can assure you universities are not created for goose stepping of front of invited Nazis (Harvard's past) and chanting Allahu Akbar (Harvard of today)
While you and presumably Bloomberg don't have any problem with genuine horror Jewish students have experienced it doesn't mean that the nation must continue to support it.
dr anna

[BillMitchell-wj]

Go away Larry. You are no longer needed.

[CharlesTrotter-kf]

No university should get tax dollars,