[Trump vs. Harvard] ② Why Trump Is Targeting Elite Harvard... "Higher Education Could Collapse"

Attacking Harvard to Rally Supporters... A Microcosm of the Ideological War
Vance Says Hungary's Expulsion of Elite University Was "Effective"
Shaken Higher Education and Innovation... Concerns Even Among Republicans

Editor's NotePresident Donald Trump is shaking up American society by targeting Harvard University, widely regarded as the world's top institution. Citing the spread of anti-Semitism on college campuses, he has drastically reduced federal funding for major universities and taken the extreme step of revoking foreign student enrollment eligibility at Harvard. While the stated justification is the eradication of anti-Semitism, critics argue that there is a political motive to brand Harvard as a symbol of left-wing privilege and to wage a "culture war" against the progressive camp. As university campuses?symbols of American higher education and global talent hubs?are now being pushed to the frontlines of ideological conflict, concerns are rising internally that academic freedom and the nation's competitiveness are under threat. In response, Asia Economy will examine the clash between President Trump and elite American universities in a three-part series, exploring its political and social implications.

President Trump's attacks on Harvard are intensifying by the day. On the surface, he claims that anti-Semitism is rampant, that there are too many foreign students, and that the university is linked to China. The hostility is so intense that some speculate it may be because President Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, was rejected by Harvard. However, behind the concerns over anti-Semitism and national security, there are deeper reasons: resentment among Republican supporters toward elitism and an ideological battle with progressives.

Attacking Harvard: A Safe Political Choice and an Ideological War

As of 2024, 59% of American voters do not have a college education. President Trump's core base consists of white, working-class voters with lower educational attainment. Many in this group have little objection to attacks on elite universities.

Yahoo Finance analyzed that targeting elite universities is a politically safe move for President Trump. The outlet noted, "The Democratic Party's neglect of the working class is precisely what helped Trump win the presidency twice," and pointed out, "America has failed to adequately prepare young people approaching college age to pursue rewarding careers if they have the right skills and focus."

Furthermore, some interpret President Trump's attacks on elite universities as a microcosm of his ideological war with progressives. President Trump believes that Ivy League schools perpetuate the Democratic Party's DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) policies and ideology. In particular, Harvard, as a symbolic bastion of the American elite, is being attacked on the front lines. The BBC reported that many conservatives have long felt their views are marginalized in university classrooms, viewing elite universities as hotbeds of so-called "wokeness." Examples include anti-war movements in the 1960s, political correctness in the 1990s, the Occupy Wall Street and anti-capitalist movements in the 2000s, and more recently, the Black Lives Matter movement and anti-Israel protests.

Charlie Kirk, founder of the conservative group Turning Point USA, criticized in a Fox News interview last month, "Universities are not places for the pursuit of knowledge, but places where a left-wing worldview is aggressively promoted."

Political scientist Jason Johnson, associate professor at Morgan State University, said, "Their goal is to threaten and undermine America's higher education institutions," adding, "because most resistance to their authoritarian tendencies will come from there."

Harvard University campus located in Boston, USA. Photo by AFP

Hungary Expelled Elite University in Anti-Elitist War...Vance Calls It "Effective"

In fact, in Hungary, "Europe's Trump"?Prime Minister Viktor Orban?declared war on the liberalism and elitism of universities, targeting and expelling Central European University (CEU). CEU has since relocated from Hungary to Austria. Michael Ignatieff, former president of CEU, noted similarities between Prime Minister Orban's attack on CEU and President Trump's attack on Harvard, warning, "President Trump's assault on Harvard will not be limited to Ivy League schools. The battles to come will be a fundamental test for the U.S. Constitution and democracy itself."

Ignatieff also said that CEU's expulsion inspired many conservatives, mentioning Vice President J.D. Vance's interview last year. At the time, then-Senator Vance said, "The most effective example of conservatives dealing with university dominance is Prime Minister Orban's approach," adding, "That approach should serve as a model for us. It's not about eliminating universities but about making them choose between survival and providing less biased education."

In a 2022 interview with Vanity Fair, Vice President Vance also said, "I believe we need to take control of left-wing institutions," adding, "We need something like a Baath Party de-Baathification program (removing officials from Saddam Hussein's Baath Party) and a de-woke-ification program."

A protest against the Donald Trump administration's education policy held in New York, USA, on April 17. Photo by EPA

Will Higher Education Collapse? Concerns Even Among Some Republicans

However, there are concerns that such conflicts could lead to the collapse of higher education as a whole. In particular, President Trump's plan announced on May 26 to halt $3 billion (about 4 trillion won) in subsidies to Harvard and redirect the funds to vocational schools has raised concerns that it could undermine the university's international competitiveness and erode public trust. The British daily The Guardian reported that while attacks on Harvard may benefit some of President Trump's supporters, most people recognize?and worry about?the fact that this is an attempt by the government to control higher education.

According to a poll released on June 9 by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 56% of Americans support maintaining federal funding for universities. The Associated Press explained, "This poll shows a gap between the Trump administration's targeting of universities and the American public's view of universities as central to scientific research and technological innovation."

There are also concerns within the Republican Party. Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska told congressional news outlet The Hill, "Harvard failed to protect Jewish American students, but I am concerned about the government's response," adding, "When the administration appears to be declaring war on domestic institutions, people become sensitive. We are not a dictatorship."