ARGUING YES
Emeritus Professor of Law at Harvard Law School
ARGUING NO
President Emeritus of Harvard University; Former Secretary of the Treasury
MODERATOR
Host and Moderator-in-Chief
This week:
- New episode: Is the Trump administration justified in its actions against Harvard?
- A closer look at the federal grants that are in jeopardy
- Your Sunday reading list
The Trump administration’s war on Harvard is intensifying.
This week alone, the administration threatened Harvard’s accreditation and has issued a subpoena regarding international students’ records. Previously, the Trump administration froze over $2 billion in federal grants, slashed an additional $450 million, and threatened to revoke its tax-exempt status. The accusations are multifaceted: claims of campus antisemitism, “anti-Americanism,” coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party, and an unchecked culture of diversity programs.
Harvard is pushing back. The university has already filed lawsuits in response, challenging the administration’s actions as politically motivated and an infringement on its academic freedom. The court cases are ongoing, with the outcome potentially reshaping the future of higher education in America.
In this episode of Open to Debate, we bring together two of Harvard’s most distinguished voices —former Harvard President Lawrence Summers and Law Professor Emeritus Alan Dershowitz — to unpack this crucial question: Did Harvard fail to address these pressing issues, or is this just a politically charged attack on free speech and academic freedom?
It’s a thought-provoking topic that veers from a few clashes to a surprising degree of common ground – something a little bit different than a regular Open to Debate episode, where debaters are clearly on opposing sides. This happened in part because the story is moving so quickly.
The result is a timely and nuanced discussion about free speech, anti-semitism, meritocracy, the evolving culture of elite universities, and the threat of government interference.
Take a listen. As always, let us know what you think.
More soon,
Lia Matthow
Chief Content Officer
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