This is getting out of hand

Boston Globe

30-05-2025

So while some President Trump-supported reforms, and humility, at the nation's oldest, wealthiest, and most prestigious university might be warranted, the question of 'at what cost' should also be front and center, for conservatives as well as liberals.
Advertisement
We're not talking here simply about some of the more limited demands from the Trump administration, such as ending diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, hiring additional conservative faculty, or instituting policies to better police antisemitism.
Get The Gavel
A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr.
Enter Email
Sign Up
We're talking about drastic threats to cut off
We've reached a point, that is, where the Trump administration's pressure tactics are on the verge of causing long-standing damage to a great American institution, one that produces world-changing science, medicine, and literature, as well as business and political leaders — including conservatives.
Advertisement
One would hope, then, that some of those Harvard-trained conservatives have begun asking themselves whether all of this has gone too far. And if they are asking themselves that question, is it not time to start conveying their concerns to the White House?
None of this would require public admissions of regret or performative social media posts. Indeed, such public actions could provoke a doubling-down from our stubborn president. But there is a MAGA political infrastructure, and it seems as pliable to private lobbying as any White House of the past, and perhaps more so.
Maybe this is a step too far for some members of Trump's inner circle, including Steve Bannon (
But what about Ken Griffin, a conservative hedge fund billionaire who has been a sharp critic of Harvard's leftward tilt — but has also given the university
Might they play a role in calling a truce to this massively counterproductive war?
Advertisement
Harvard clearly has a role to play in this. Recent reporting suggests that while the university was making quiet attempts earlier this year to negotiate, those
Like any great power conflict, peace talks usually start with secret overtures through intermediaries. If Harvard hasn't reached out to those intermediaries, we hope it does, and soon.
To resolve this battle with the least damage to the country, to a higher education system that is the envy of the world, and to Harvard itself, the university will clearly have to make some concessions.
That should not be impossible, because not everything Trump is demanding is unreasonable: reining in at least some DEI programs; implementing stronger protections for Jewish students; bringing greater ideological diversity into its faculty. It also seems entirely possible that the university would benefit from weaning itself from some federal dollars.
Harvard's only red lines should be its academic freedom and independence — meaning the Trump administration would have to step back from some of its demands, like micromanaging hiring.
To those who would dismiss these ideas as liberal pablum, consider this: The Wall Street Journal's
Advertisement
Even
We agree. The president ran on pledges to strengthen America's industrial base and shrink its trade deficit, to control its borders, and to eliminate 'wokeness' from the federal bureaucracy. Permanently wounding one of the world's great universities, one that is also a magnet for international talent and a critical engine for the country's economy, wasn't particularly high on that agenda.
It's time to talk about ending this fight and getting on with more pressing issues. Who is willing to be the university's shuttle diplomat?
Editorials represent the views of the Boston Globe Editorial Board. Follow us