The Guardian - Jerry Nadler, the most senior Jewish member of the House of Representatives, has accused Donald Trump of being a “would-be dictator” who is cynically exploiting the fight against antisemitism as a ruse to stamp his will on top-flight universities.
In an interview with the Guardian, the New York congressman lashed out against the president for using genuine dangers confronting American Jews as a guise to justify his attacks on Columbia, Harvard and other universities. “Trump obviously doesn’t give a damn about antisemitism, this is just an expression of his authoritarianism,” he said.
Nadler’s broadside came as the Trump administration is stepping up its attack on Ivy League and other universities in an unprecedented challenge to academic independence. This week $210m in research grants to Princeton University were suspended by the energy and defense departments and NASA, under the mantle of a federal investigation into “antisemitic harassment”.
Days earlier, the Trump administration announced it would review $9bn in federal contracts and grants to Harvard University. Another $500m of federal funds to Brown University are reportedly under threat.
The latest assaults on the Ivy League follow the cancellation of $400m in federal money to Columbia University in New York. At least 60 other universities have been warned by the administration that they face similar punishment.
No comments:
Post a Comment