President Trump has criticized the US District Court judges appointed by Obama who are overseeing the legal challenges from Harvard related to the freezing of $2.2 billion in federal grants.
Harvard is contesting a move by the Trump administration to halt its practices concerning international student admissions. This is aimed at stopping elite universities from using merit-based employment practices, as well as its screening and enrollment practices, especially regarding students who might support “terrorism and anti-optics.”
Following a debate on Monday, Trump targeted US District Judge Allison Burrows from Massachusetts.
“The Harvard case was just heard in Massachusetts before an Obama-appointed judge. She was a complete disaster, and I had a sense of that even before hearing her ruling,” Trump shared on social media.
He continued, saying, “She consistently takes over various Harvard cases, which spells an automatic ‘loss’ for our nation! Harvard is not only sitting on a wealth of resources but also has anti-Semitic, anti-Christian, and anti-American sentiments.”
Trump later claimed that much of Harvard’s funding could negatively impact educational institutions across the country.
“Most of this funding originates from the US, and it harms all schools and universities. We can’t allow this unfair situation to continue,” Trump remarked.
He suggested that Burrows would side with Harvard and assured that the federal government would appeal any decisions made.
He emphasized concerns about the handling of cases, stating, “How did this judge, who’s clearly biased against Trump, manage these cases? We will appeal and win as soon as she makes a ruling. The government should also stop providing Harvard with billions.”
He concluded by expressing dedication to maintaining equity in educational funding, insisting that the Trump administration will persist until a victory is achieved.
Reports indicate that Judge Burrows seemed inclined to favor Harvard during the proceedings on Monday, with CNN noting that she questioned Justice Department attorney Michael Berchik about the funding cuts to Harvard.
Burrows remarked, “You’re not simply withdrawing grants from labs that might be anti-Semitic; you’re cutting funds in a way that can damage Americans and the Jewish community.”
Additionally, Berchik noted that anti-Semitism “permeates” Harvard and emphasized that taxpayer money should not support such views.
