As Harvard University finds itself at the center of a national showdown over campus speech and civil rights, Barack Obama has entered the fray, offering a firm endorsement of the university’s resistance to White House demands.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Biden-era guidelines Trump seeks to undo focused on inclusive hiring, student activism, and freedom of association. In contrast, Trump’s new directive aims to roll back those protections under the guise of “neutrality,” but critics—including Obama—argue it’s a political purge targeting progressive institutions.
“Authoritarians don’t start with tanks—they start with universities,” Obama said in a recent podcast. “Harvard has set an example. Now others must follow.”
The crisis has energized both student activists and legal watchdogs. A group of professors has launched a nationwide petition urging academic institutions not to cave to political threats. Meanwhile, Harvard’s legal team is preparing for what could become a historic Supreme Court showdown.
The administration’s demands included dismantling diversity programs, banning face masks used by pro-Palestinian protesters, and revising admissions and hiring practices to be strictly merit-based. Harvard’s refusal to comply with these demands led to the funding freeze.
Obama condemned the funding freeze as an unlawful attempt to suppress dissent and enforce ideological conformity. He praised Harvard for standing firm in defense of academic freedom and encouraged other universities to follow its example.
