Harvard is not backing down. But Victor Davis Hanson says this isn’t about education anymore. To Trump’s team, it’s no…

Harvard is not backing down. But Victor Davis Hanson says this isn’t about education anymore. To Trump’s team, it’s no different than sending endless cash overseas—elite universities soaked in taxpayer money, then weaponized against the people footing the bill. This was never a right. It was a privilege. And that privilege is about to be revoked. 🧵 THREAD

Victor Davis Hanson unpacked why Donald Trump has taken aim at Harvard University—and made clear that this is no impulsive move. It’s a calculated stand, rooted in a long list of grievances. “Recently, Donald Trump has escalated his struggle with Harvard University,” Hanson began, setting the stage. At the center of the clash is Harvard’s response to a 2022 Supreme Court ruling that struck down affirmative action in college admissions. The Court ordered schools like Harvard and UNC to stop giving preference in admissions, hiring, and promotion based on race or gender. But Hanson argued Harvard simply sidestepped the ruling. “They were by court order to stop giving preference... what we would call DEI,” he said. “Harvard has been skirting that, and I think the data is pretty clear... there’s no question they’ve been doing it.” That was just the beginning. Hanson pointed to other long-standing issues: undisclosed foreign money, often from countries like Communist China and Qatar, and campus practices that seem increasingly radical. “There have been, in the past, graduations and dorms that have a racial basis—almost a segregation element to them,” he said. And when it comes to speech? Hanson claimed Harvard hasn’t exactly protected the First Amendment. “You can make the argument that they don’t fully honor the First Amendment when you have guest speakers,” he noted, describing how students are often allowed—if not outright encouraged—to shut down viewpoints they don’t agree with. Then came the most explosive accusation: a growing climate of antisemitism. Hanson recalled two Harvard students who assaulted a Jewish peer—one was later given a $65,000 honorarium through the law school, the other honored as a graduation marshal at the Divinity School. “That sent the wrong message,” he said.

Given all this, Hanson said it’s no surprise Trump decided to draw a line in the sand. And with Harvard’s $53 billion endowment, Trump made it clear—he doesn’t think taxpayers should be footing any part of their bill. “There was a lot of cause for Donald Trump to suggest, ‘I don’t need this. The country doesn’t need this,’” Hanson said. But Trump didn’t just stop at funding. He also took issue with Harvard’s hiring practices, calling out the ideological echo chamber in faculty ranks. “He said, ‘Why are you hiring people from only one point of view?’—which I think is indisputable,” Hanson noted. That’s when the backlash began. Harvard and its allies tried to fight back—not just with legal arguments, but by recruiting prominent center-right figures to push back on Trump’s approach. Hanson said even some of his colleagues at the Hoover Institution were asked to weigh in. “Essentially, they’re saying: yes, Harvard’s violating the law, yes, they’re overcharging for research grants... but now Trump’s getting into micromanaging, and that’s wrong,” he explained. It raised a key question: Is Trump simply flexing federal power—or is he pulling funding from institutions that no longer serve the public interest?

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That question, Hanson argued, goes to the heart of the Trump administration’s philosophy. And to understand it, you have to look at how they view funding—whether it's for immigrants, universities, or foreign governments. “They are saying this is analogous to immigration,” Hanson said. “When somebody is a guest and applies to come here on a visa, that’s an invitation. We don’t have to give reasons why we say no.” In the same way, federal funding to private universities isn’t owed. It’s optional. “What the federal government does with its money vis-a-vis private education is kind of like an invitation,” he continued. “Sometimes we don’t want to do it. Maybe we say we don’t like Harvard—we like Fresno State.” Especially when Harvard has a massive endowment and remains a private institution. “Some colleges like Hillsdale don’t take any money,” he said. “So the administration’s argument isn’t about micromanaging—it’s about choosing not to subsidize a system that no longer reflects national values.” And the logic doesn’t stop at education. “It’s kind of like foreign aid,” Hanson added. “Maybe Denmark wants aid. Maybe Ghana does. We look at it and say, ‘You want aid? Then here are our conditions.’ We don’t owe anyone a detailed explanation for turning down a gift.”

Hanson closed with what he believes is the Trump administration’s guiding principle in this battle: If you want the money, play by the rules. If not, no hard feelings. “I think that’s what the Trump administration is doing,” he said. “Harvard, here’s some money. We don’t really care if you want it or not. But if you do want it, we’d suggest you broaden your curriculum, offer both points of view, and try hiring more conservatives to balance things out.” And if Harvard chooses to pass?“ We’ll just give the money to trade schools,” Hanson said. “Simple as that.” In other words: if you want to live in an ivory tower—don’t expect Uncle Sam to pay the rent.

Watch the full episode of the @DailySignal with @VDHanson here:

Daily Signal@DailySignal · May 29, 2025

Victor Davis Hanson: Harvard, You’re Entitled to Nothing Sorry, Harvard, but we’re not going to give you billions of taxpayer dollars, no questions asked. The Trump administration is set to eliminate its remaining government contracts with Harvard University, totally over $100 million, reports the New York Times. This comes off the heels of the administration’s commitment to also prevent the once prestigious university from enrolling foreign student. The federal government does not have an obligation to blindly give a private university billions of dollars of taxpayer money, just like immigration officials are not forced to automatically give visas to foreign nationals, argues @VDHanson on today’s edition of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words:” “I think the argument from the administration that maybe our right-wing friends are missing is not that the Trump administration doesn't have a right to go in and micromanage. They're just saying, ‘I don't really wanna give Harvard any money. They've got $53 billion. They're private. They're not public institutions. But you know, if they ask us and they want money, then we have to look at why we would give it to them.’ “And it's kind of like Mr. Smith coming from Korea or Mr. Jones coming from Sweden. We look at them and we don't really think they add to the Americans. So, we don't have an invitation.’” 👉Don’t miss out on Victor’s latest videos by subscribing to The Daily Signal today. You’ll be notified every time a new piece of content drops: youtube.com/dailysignal?su… 👉If you can’t get enough of Victor Davis Hanson from The Daily Signal, subscribe to his official YouTube channel: youtube.com/@victordavisha… 👉He’s also the host of “The Victor Davis Hanson Show,” available wherever you prefer to watch or listen. Links to the show and exclusive content are available on his website: victorhanson.com The Daily Signal cannot continue to tell stories, like this one, without the support of our viewers: secured.dailysignal.com 00:00 Trump's Escalating Conflict with Harvard 01:12 Harvard's Legal and Ethical Controversies 01:51 Foreign Influence and Segregation Issues 02:43 Antisemitism and Rewarding Misconduct 03:05 Trump's Broader Critique of Harvard 04:01 Federal Funding and Institutional Autonomy 05:23 The Administration's Stance on Funding 06:55 Conclusion and Call to Action

@DailySignal @VDHanson Thanks for reading. Follow me for more stories that matter. —> @VigilantFox Looking for something else to read? The U.S. economy is a ticking time bomb—and Senator Ron Johnson isn’t sure how much time we’ve got left.

The Vigilant Fox 🦊@VigilantFox · May 29, 2025

The U.S. economy is a ticking time bomb—and Senator Ron Johnson isn’t sure how much time we’ve got left. Why is your car insurance insane? Why is your grocery bill breaking the bank? It all traces back to one thing: reckless government spending. America is drowning in $37 trillion in debt, and Senator Johnson says we’re nearing the point of no return. This is the warning D.C. insiders pray never goes public. 🧵 THREAD