Hillsdale University, a conservative Michigan agency that doesn’t accept federal funds, is trolling Harvard University to try to fight the Trump administration over policy changes related to federal grants.
As reported by Breitbart News, the government is calling for changes to Harvard’s policy and governance as part of its efforts to combat anti-Semitism and to remove radical ideology from campuses around the country. The administration is threatening about $9 billion, particularly with federal grants to Harvard. Harvard is pushing back at describing the Trump administration’s approach as an infringement of academic freedom.
Hillsdale waived federal funds decades ago after resisting government efforts to require the government to identify students by race. Hillsdale fought the legal battle that the federal money-receiving agency had all the way to the Supreme Court, which found that it could not violate federal education policies – and lost. Hillsdale responded by rejecting federal money. This was costly in the short term, but it benefited it in the long term, as it enhanced its reputation for intellectual integrity, political independence and academic excellence.
When Harvard administrators issued an angry statement against the government, Hillsdale commented on the X.
Several agencies have been targeted so far by the Trump administration. Rather than fighting the administration, Columbia University has decided to comply with the administration’s demands and keep federal grants at a risk of $400 million.
Joel B. Pollack is a senior editor at Breitbart News; Breitbart News Sunday Sirius XM Patriot will be available Sundays from 7pm to 10pm (4pm to 7pm). He is the author of Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Daysyou can pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author Trump’s Virtue: Lessons and Legacy of President Donald TrumpIt is now available on Audible. He is the winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter @joelpollak.
