Harvard President Says Trump’s Attacks Are ‘Perplexing’ | EUROtoday

Harvard President Alan Garber mentioned the federal funding cuts the Trump administration has ordered for the college do little to advance Donald Trump’s purported objective of preventing antisemitism, calling the strategy “perplexing.”

In an interview with NPR’s “Morning Edition” launched Monday, Garber argued that the choice to focus on Harvard will damage Americans.

“What is perplexing is the measures that they have taken to address these [issues] … don’t even hit the same people that they believe are causing the problems,” Garber mentioned.

“Why cut off research funding?” he requested. “Sure, it hurts Harvard, but it hurts the country because after all, the research funding is not a gift. The research funding is given to universities and other research institutions to carry out work — research work — that the federal government designates as high-priority work. It is work that they want done.”

Harvard has been some of the outstanding targets of the administration in terms of increased training. The White House has already frozen billions in federal contracts and grants for Harvard, however is now reportedly planning to finish all remaining contracts with the Ivy League faculty, based on a letter first reported by The New York Times.

This follows unprecedented motion by the Department of Homeland Security final week to revoke Harvard’s capacity to enroll worldwide college students, which make up over a fourth of its pupil physique and signify a giant supply of revenue for the varsity. The motion was blocked by the courts after Harvard sued.

Garber urged his fellow college leaders to face “firm” as administration officers have warned that different faculties may very well be subsequent on its goal listing.

“I would say that we need to be firm in our commitments to what we stand for,” Garber mentioned. “And what we stand for — I believe I speak for other universities — is education, pursuit of the truth, helping to educate people for better futures.”

“In the end, we’re about producing and disseminating knowledge and serving our nation and our world,” he added.