And it raised new questions about whether some of were more interested in preserving the #power of the government’s threat against #Harvard as a message to other #universities than in reaching a settlement….

While the interactions between Dr. Garber & McMahon plunged the sensitive talks into deeper turmoil, they also highlighted the unpredictability of the #Trump admin.

#law #FirstAmendment #AcademicFreedom #education #SevenMountainMandate

Whatever the case, it was the latest twist in the long-running dispute between #Harvard & the #Trump admin, which has shaped up to be the marquee battle in the admin’s effort to exert more influence over #colleges & #universities it views as too liberal.

The episode also underscored the emerging role played by people inside the admin who want to extract more concessions from Harvard.

#Trump #law #FirstAmendment #AcademicFreedom #education #SevenMountainMandate

Dr. Garber wrote back to clarify #Harvard’s position. But, in response, the admin doubled down, introducing terms that were so far-reaching that #university officials saw them as nonstarters.

It was unclear whether McMahon’s interpretation of Harvard’s proposal resulted from a miscommunication or from a deliberate effort to force the university into a year-end deal after months of faltering negotiations.

#Trump #law #FirstAmendment #AcademicFreedom #education #SevenMountainMandate

Dr. Garber felt he had made clear in recent negotiations that the university would not agree to pay the federal government to settle a monthslong battle with the #Trump admin over its perceived antisemitism on campus & other matters.

But Ms. McMahon’s Saturday message said the opposite. In it, she thanked Dr. Garber for what she portrayed as his commitment to sending $200 million to the government as part of a deal.

#law #FirstAmendment #AcademicFreedom #education #SevenMountainMandate

The letter landed like a thud on Saturday in the inbox of #Harvard University’s president, Alan M. Garber.

The message, from Linda McMahon, Trump’s “education” secretary, conveyed an understanding of an emerging deal between Harvard & the White House that flew in the face of the terms the #university had been insisting on.

#law #Constitution #FirstAmendment #AcademicFreedom #education #SevenMountainMandate #dictatorship #authoritarianism #autocracy #MafiaState #RevengePolitics #Trump

In Private Letters, #Harvard & #Trump Admin Escalate Duel

It is the latest twist in the marquee battle of the administration’s campaign to rein in #colleges & #universities it views as too liberal.

#law #Constitution #FirstAmendment #AcademicFreedom #education #SevenMountainMandate #dictatorship #authoritarianism #autocracy #MafiaState #RevengePolitics
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/24/us/trump-harvard-letters-deal.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share