The attack level from the Donald Trump administration against Harvard University is increasing. Following the suspension of $9 billion (approximately 12.4 trillion won) in government subsidies and the blockage of foreign student registrations, social media verification has now begun for Harvard student visa applicants. What is the reason behind the Trump administration's intense pressure on Harvard compared to other prestigious American universities?
◇Laissez-faire on the spread of anti-Semitism
Since the surprise attack on Israel by the Palestinian armed group Hamas in October 2023, anti-Semitism movements have spread across U.S. college campuses. Ivy League universities, in particular, became embroiled in controversy for not responding decisively to anti-Semitism on campuses from late 2023 to early 2024, resulting in several university presidents resigning. Harvard's first Black president, Claudine Gay, faced resignation pressure after claiming during a U.S. congressional hearing that the spread of anti-Semitism was "freedom of expression" before stepping down in January of last year. Harvard, caught in backlash due to Gay's ambiguous position, began receiving inquiries from the U.S. House of Representatives regarding anti-Semitism starting in December 2023.
However, anti-Semitism protests continued at Harvard. This led President Trump, who pledged to eliminate anti-Semitism on campus during the election process, to target Harvard specifically. Bill Ackman, a Harvard alumnus and a hedge fund magnate, commented on the Trump administration removing tax benefits for Harvard saying, "Harvard has become a political advocacy organization for a particular party over time. When a university transforms from an academic institution into a political advocacy group, it no longer qualifies for non-profit status." He also led the movement against Gay's resignation.
◇Defiance against the Trump administration
Among prestigious American universities where anti-Semitism protests were active, Harvard took the strongest stance against the Trump administration. After the administration's campaign to "control universities" began, newly appointed president Allan Garber publicly criticized, "Just because someone is president does not mean they can dictate what private universities should teach or not teach." Garber, who is also Jewish, has maintained that claims of anti-Semitism should not be prohibited on campus.
Despite demands for policy changes from the Trump administration, Harvard strongly resisted. Columbia University, where anti-Semitism protests were fiercest, accepted the Trump administration's reform demands after the federal government canceled $400 million in subsidies last March. Columbia announced measures such as establishing a security team with arrest authority on campus and appointing a vice president to specifically oversee the Middle Eastern studies department. The New York Times noted, "The universities expressed frustration and concerns regarding the government measures, but did not take significant public action. Harvard opted for a different strategy. It rejected the federal government's proposal and filed a lawsuit against the government."
◇Longstanding ties with China
Harvard University has maintained close relations with China for a long time. Reuters reported in an article titled 'Once an advantage, Harvard's relationship with China is now a political burden,' stating, "Harvard has established various relations with China, including research collaborations and China-related academic centers, which have brought substantial donations, influence on international issues, and global prestige to Harvard."
According to Reuters, Harvard allowed personnel from the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC), a paramilitary organization in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, to receive public health training at Harvard despite the U.S. sanctions due to human rights violations against the Uighurs. This relationship continued until 2024. Additionally, Charles Lieber, a pioneer in the field of nanoscience, was convicted in court for failing to report income related to China's Thousand Talents Program in 2021 and retired from Harvard. Lieber moved to Tsinghua University this year.
The Trump administration's claim of widespread influence operations by the Chinese Communist Party on the Harvard campus was also influenced by the high proportion of Chinese international students. According to NBC News, over a quarter of approximately 25,000 Harvard students are from overseas, with 20% being from China. The Wall Street Journal mentioned the presence of high-ranking Chinese government officials, including former Vice Chairman of the State Li Yuanchao, who graduated from the Harvard Kennedy School, reporting that the Kennedy School is often referred to as the "Party School" for Chinese Communist Party members.
◇Hotbed of progressive movements
American conservatives, including Republicans, have perceived university campuses as breeding grounds for progressive indoctrination. According to the BBC, various forms of progressive movements, represented by political correctness in the 1990s, the anti-capitalist movement associated with the 2000 Occupy Wall Street protests, and the recent "Black Lives Matter" movement along with anti-Israel protests, have emerged on campuses. Charlie Kirk, the founder of the conservative group Turning Point USA, stated in a recent Fox News interview, "Universities are no longer places for the pursuit of knowledge; they are places that forcibly inject a leftist worldview."
The Trump administration, which sought to reshape universities with a conservative stance, found Harvard, the oldest and most prestigious university, to be a suitable target. The New York Times reported, "The root of the administration's hostility cannot be explained solely by the turmoil associated with the war in Israel. Conservatives have felt discomfort regarding elite universities' affirmative action admission policies, high tuition fees, opinions of progressive professors, and the spread of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs on campus," adding that "the Trump administration has increasingly raised grievances against Harvard while also addressing various issues that the conservative side has raised in academia."
Jason Johnson, a political scientist at Morgan State University in Maryland, told The Guardian, "The goal of the Trump administration is to threaten and dismantle U.S. higher education institutions because their authoritarian tendencies face resistance primarily from universities. The administration believes that if they bankrupt, humiliate, weaken, or at least force Harvard to kneel, all other institutions in the U.S. will follow suit. That is the reason for their actions."