Latest / Uncensored Objection / [Audio Version] Harvard Sues Trump Admin After It Tries to Silence What POTUS Can’t Outsmart]
Transcript
- 0:07I'm Mitch Jackson,
- 0:08and this is the audio edition of Uncensored Objection.
- 0:13You'll find the full text of this issue,
- 0:15dated May 23,
- 0:172025,
- 0:17at mitchthelawyer.substack.com.
- 0:24SPEAKER_00: Today's post is titled,
- 0:26Harvard Sues Trump Admin After It Tries to Silence What POTUS
- 0:32Can't Outsmart.
- 0:35SPEAKER_00: An unprecedented and alarming overreach.
- 0:39SPEAKER_00: Imagine waking up to find the U.S.
- 0:41government has effectively banned Harvard University from
- 0:45enrolling any international students.
- 0:48As a lawyer and as an American,
- 0:50I am deeply alarmed by this unprecedented move.
- 0:55The Trump administration has yanked Harvard's certification to
- 0:58host foreign
- 0:59SPEAKER_00: students,
- 1:00a draconian step that forces current international students to
- 1:04transfer out or face
- 1:07SPEAKER_00: losing their legal status.
- 1:09SPEAKER_00: In plain terms,
- 1:11Washington is telling thousands of bright young people you're
- 1:15no longer welcome at
- 1:16SPEAKER_00: one of America's top universities simply because of where you come from.
- 1:21SPEAKER_00: This heavy-handed action isn't just about Harvard or its students.
- 1:26It strikes at the core of academic freedom,
- 1:29the rule of law,
- 1:30and the values of an open society.
- 1:34SPEAKER_00: For all the reasons shared in this article,
- 1:37SPEAKER_00: Harvard filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Friday,
- 1:42SPEAKER_00: May 23rd,
- 1:43SPEAKER_00: 2025.
- 1:43SPEAKER_00: There's a link to the lawsuit in the written article on my substack.
- 1:48SPEAKER_00: The Trump administration's bogus claims.
- 1:52Why would a presidential administration target a private
- 1:56university in such an extreme way?
- 1:59The Trump administration claims it has good reasons citing
- 2:02everything from national
- 2:04SPEAKER_00: security to campus safety and even ideology.
- 2:08Homeland Security officials argue that Harvard's campus has
- 2:13become unsafe,
- 2:14saying the university allowed anti-American pro-terrorist
- 2:18protest that harassed
- 2:20SPEAKER_00: Jewish students.
- 2:22They point to recent tensions on campus over the
- 2:25Israeli-Palestine conflict,
- 2:27SPEAKER_00: accusing Harvard of tolerating anti-Semitism and violence.
- 2:32Administration spokespeople also insist that there are national
- 2:36security concerns,
- 2:37SPEAKER_00: even alleging that Harvard has ties to the Chinese Communist Party,
- 2:41including claims that it hosted members of a Chinese
- 2:44paramilitary group involved in
- 2:47SPEAKER_00: human rights abuses.
- 2:49SPEAKER_00: And on top of that,
- 2:50SPEAKER_00: federal officials blast Harvard's commitment to diversity,
- 2:55SPEAKER_00: equity,
- 2:56SPEAKER_00: and inclusion,
- 2:57SPEAKER_00: DEI,
- 2:59SPEAKER_00: suggesting that these programs are racist or otherwise problematic.
- 3:04SPEAKER_00: In short,
- 3:05SPEAKER_00: the government's argument is that Harvard has been misbehaving so badly,
- 3:09SPEAKER_00: coddling extremists and endangering students,
- 3:12that it's undermining American values and that the government's
- 3:16extraordinary
- 3:17SPEAKER_00: intervention is justified.
- 3:20SPEAKER_00: Now, on the surface, these claims sound dire.
- 3:23SPEAKER_00: No one wants campuses overrun by violence or hate.
- 3:27SPEAKER_00: No one wants foreign spies infiltrating our institutions.
- 3:30And of course,
- 3:32everyone should condemn genuine anti-Semitism or discrimination
- 3:37of any kind.
- 3:38SPEAKER_00: But do these accusations hold water?
- 3:41SPEAKER_00: And even if Harvard has problems,
- 3:43does that justify the federal government essentially
- 3:46blackmailing a private
- 3:47SPEAKER_00: university into ideological submission?
- 3:52SPEAKER_00: When we examine the facts,
- 3:53SPEAKER_00: it becomes clear that the administration's case is built on exaggeration,
- 3:57SPEAKER_00: misdirection,
- 3:58SPEAKER_00: and a dangerous disregard for the law.
- 4:02SPEAKER_00: International students are not the enemy.
- 4:07SPEAKER_00: Let's start with the national security and crime arguments.
- 4:10The administration would have us believe Harvard's
- 4:12international students as a
- 4:14SPEAKER_00: group are a menace,
- 4:16SPEAKER_00: potential spies,
- 4:18SPEAKER_00: criminals,
- 4:19SPEAKER_00: or agitators.
- 4:20SPEAKER_00: This is a classic fear-mongering tactic that doesn't square with reality.
- 4:25SPEAKER_00: Harvard has welcomed students from around the globe for centuries.
- 4:30SPEAKER_00: The vast majority of these students are young scholars, not criminals.
- 4:34SPEAKER_00: They've come to learn and to contribute.
- 4:36SPEAKER_00: If a few individuals break the law or threaten safety,
- 4:40SPEAKER_00: regardless of their nationality,
- 4:42SPEAKER_00: the solution is to hold those individuals accountable,
- 4:45SPEAKER_00: not to punish an entire category of people.
- 4:49We don't shut down an entire airport because one passenger is
- 4:53caught misbehaving.
- 4:55And we shouldn't shut down a university's foreign student
- 4:58program because of
- 5:00SPEAKER_00: isolated incidents or unproven suspicions.
- 5:04The claim that Harvard is somehow a hotbed of espionage or
- 5:08terrorist training is
- 5:09SPEAKER_00: especially outlandish.
- 5:11SPEAKER_00: And yes,
- 5:12SPEAKER_00: students from countries like China study at Harvard,
- 5:15SPEAKER_00: as they do at many other US universities.
- 5:19SPEAKER_00: and some might later work in their home governments.
- 5:22But Harvard is not secretly training foreign militaries or
- 5:25plotting against America.
- 5:27There's zero evidence that the institution itself is colluding
- 5:30with hostile powers.
- 5:33If anything,
- 5:33America's openness in education has been a strength,
- 5:38not a weakness.
- 5:39By educating the world's brightest,
- 5:41we built goodwill and influenced many future world leaders.
- 5:46SPEAKER_00: Branding every international student as a security threat is a cynical
- 5:51SPEAKER_00: generalization that flies in the face of decades of positive outcomes.
- 5:56It's scapegoating,
- 5:58plain and simple,
- 6:00and it's particularly galling coming from a U.S.
- 6:04SPEAKER_00: administration.
- 6:06Our country has long been proud of attracting talent from
- 6:09around the world.
- 6:10Turning that proud tradition into a paranoid witch hunt harms
- 6:14America's reputation
- 6:16SPEAKER_00: and future far more than a few exchange students ever could.
- 6:22SPEAKER_00: Anti-Semitism as a pretext, not a policy.
- 6:26Now let's talk about the anti-Semitism issue because it's
- 6:30important and emotionally charged.
- 6:33SPEAKER_00: In recent months,
- 6:34SPEAKER_00: like many campuses,
- 6:35Harvard saw heated protests and debates over the war between
- 6:40Israel and Hamas.
- 6:42Some student demonstrations and statements were indeed
- 6:45offensive to Jewish students and alumni.
- 6:48Anti-Semitism is a real problem in society that absolutely must
- 6:52be confronted.
- 6:54SPEAKER_00: On that, I think we can all agree.
- 6:56SPEAKER_00: But the Trump administration's response is completely wrong-headed.
- 7:00Instead of working to protect Jewish students through lawful
- 7:03means like enforcing
- 7:04SPEAKER_00: anti-discrimination laws or supporting campus dialogues,
- 7:08SPEAKER_00: they've chosen to wield a sledgehammer against Harvard as a whole.
- 7:14Revoking Harvard's ability to enroll international students
- 7:17does nothing direct to
- 7:19SPEAKER_00: compound anti-Semitism.
- 7:21It looks more like retaliation punishing the university's
- 7:25leadership for not
- 7:26SPEAKER_00: cracking down in any way Washington wanted.
- 7:30If certain student groups said or did hateful things,
- 7:34address those specifically.
- 7:36Don't throw thousands of unrelated students out of the country
- 7:41as collateral damage.
- 7:43SPEAKER_00: Ironically,
- 7:44by using Jewish students' safety as a rationale for this broad
- 7:49attack on Harvard,
- 7:51SPEAKER_00: the administration is politicizing the fight against anti-Semitism.
- 7:55They're leveraging a legitimate concern as a convenient pretext
- 7:59to justify an
- 8:01SPEAKER_00: illegitimate power grab.
- 8:03SPEAKER_00: That should anger all of us who truly care about combating hate.
- 8:08Such a heavy-handed move creates backlash and division rather
- 8:12than education and understanding.
- 8:15It's using Jewish students as pawns in a political game rather
- 8:19than actually
- 8:20SPEAKER_00: ensuring they feel safe and supported.
- 8:23SPEAKER_00: Harvard,
- 8:24SPEAKER_00: for its part,
- 8:25SPEAKER_00: was already taking steps to address anti-Semitism on campus,
- 8:29SPEAKER_00: commissioning studies,
- 8:31SPEAKER_00: engaging with student groups,
- 8:32SPEAKER_00: and yes,
- 8:33facing tough conversations about the line between free speech
- 8:37and hate speech.
- 8:39SPEAKER_00: These are not easy issues,
- 8:40SPEAKER_00: but they are best handled by educators and communities,
- 8:45SPEAKER_00: not federal agents cutting off visas.
- 8:48SPEAKER_00: By intervening in this extreme way,
- 8:50the government short-circuited the university's own processes
- 8:54and essentially said,
- 8:55SPEAKER_00: do it our way or we will destroy your community.
- 8:59SPEAKER_00: That's not how you solve prejudice or protect anyone.
- 9:02That's how you breed resentment and fear,
- 9:06targeting diversity and independence.
- 9:10SPEAKER_00: And what about the attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs?
- 9:15The Trump administration's ultimatum to Harvard included
- 9:18demands to eliminate DEI
- 9:20SPEAKER_00: initiatives,
- 9:21SPEAKER_00: claiming these programs are part of the problem.
- 9:24Harvard is known for being a liberal,
- 9:27global institution that doesn't toe any party line.
- 9:31Many Harvard students and faculty have been outspoken critics
- 9:34of President Trump's
- 9:35SPEAKER_00: policies over the years.
- 9:38The university's leadership did not rush to implement the
- 9:40edicts from Washington.
- 9:42SPEAKER_00: In fact,
- 9:43Harvard's president and governing board flatly refused demands
- 9:46to overhaul their
- 9:47SPEAKER_00: admissions and governance to fit the administration's dick case.
- 9:52SPEAKER_00: And that is their right.
- 9:54SPEAKER_00: Harvard is a private institution with its own charter and mission.
- 9:58It has constitutional rights to academic freedom and to decide
- 10:02its own values.
- 10:04SPEAKER_00: The federal government does not get to micromanage Harvard's curriculum,
- 10:09SPEAKER_00: hiring,
- 10:10SPEAKER_00: or which student clubs it recognizes.
- 10:13SPEAKER_00: By trying to do so,
- 10:15SPEAKER_00: by saying,
- 10:16eliminate programs we don't like or will wreck your funding and
- 10:20student body,
- 10:21the administration is breaching a fundamental American
- 10:24principle that private
- 10:26SPEAKER_00: institutions,
- 10:27SPEAKER_00: especially universities,
- 10:29SPEAKER_00: should be free from excessive government control,
- 10:32SPEAKER_00: particularly control driven by political ideology.
- 10:36SPEAKER_00: From a legal perspective, this raises serious red flags.
- 10:40SPEAKER_00: The First Amendment of the U.S.
- 10:41Constitution restricts the government from punishing private
- 10:45entities for speech or
- 10:47SPEAKER_00: forcing them to adopt certain views.
- 10:50SPEAKER_00: Yet here we are,
- 10:51and we have the government effectively punishing Harvard
- 10:54because it dislikes the
- 10:55viewpoints expressed on campus and the university's approach to
- 11:00diversity.
- 11:01SPEAKER_00: This is a blatant abuse of power.
- 11:03SPEAKER_00: It's the kind of thing that,
- 11:04SPEAKER_00: if allowed to stand,
- 11:06would mean no institution can ever feel safe disagreeing with
- 11:11those in power.
- 11:13Now this isn't the first time Trump's administration has tried
- 11:15to bulldoze Harvard
- 11:17SPEAKER_00: into submission.
- 11:18SPEAKER_00: Earlier in 2025,
- 11:20SPEAKER_00: the White House issued a direct threat,
- 11:22SPEAKER_00: comply with sweeping demands,
- 11:25SPEAKER_00: including dismantling DEI programs,
- 11:28SPEAKER_00: disbanding certain student organizations,
- 11:30SPEAKER_00: and handing over internal records,
- 11:33SPEAKER_00: or lose billions in federal support.
- 11:38SPEAKER_00: The threat was clear.
- 11:40SPEAKER_00: Fall in line or face financial destruction.
- 11:45SPEAKER_00: When Harvard refused to play along,
- 11:47SPEAKER_00: the administration made good on its threat,
- 11:49SPEAKER_00: freezing $2.3 billion in federal research funding and then revoking the
- 11:55SPEAKER_00: university's ability to enroll international students.
- 11:58SPEAKER_00: It was a political chokehold masquerading as policy.
- 12:03SPEAKER_00: Harvard, to his credit, didn't back down.
- 12:06SPEAKER_00: It didn't fold.
- 12:08SPEAKER_00: It sued.
- 12:09SPEAKER_00: And Harvard didn't just come to court empty-handed.
- 12:13SPEAKER_00: The university brought in legal firepower from both sides of the aisle,
- 12:17SPEAKER_00: led by William Burke,
- 12:19SPEAKER_00: a former White House lawyer for George W.
- 12:21SPEAKER_00: Bush,
- 12:22SPEAKER_00: and Robert Kerr,
- 12:24SPEAKER_00: a former U.S.
- 12:24SPEAKER_00: attorney and special counsel with deep prosecutorial experience.
- 12:30SPEAKER_00: These aren't just top-tier litigators.
- 12:33SPEAKER_00: They're attorneys who've gone toe-to-toe with Trump's warbit before.
- 12:38SPEAKER_00: In fact,
- 12:39Burke had just been advising the Trump Organization until the
- 12:43moment he took on
- 12:44SPEAKER_00: Harvard's case.
- 12:46Trump was so enraged by Burke's involvement that he publicly
- 12:50attacked him and the
- 12:51SPEAKER_00: Trump Organization cut ties.
- 12:54Now that tells you everything you need to know about how
- 12:56personal this fight has become.
- 12:58SPEAKER_00: Harvard didn't just refuse to ask how high when Trump said jump.
- 13:03SPEAKER_00: It called the bluff,
- 13:05SPEAKER_00: exposed the abuse of power,
- 13:07SPEAKER_00: and chose to defend the Constitution instead of cower to a bully.
- 13:13SPEAKER_00: A Political Power Play Masquerading as Policy
- 13:17SPEAKER_00: When you put all the pieces together,
- 13:19SPEAKER_00: it becomes clear that this isn't about safety or law at all.
- 13:23SPEAKER_00: It's about politics and control.
- 13:26The move to bar international students and the laundry list of
- 13:29demands foisted on
- 13:31SPEAKER_00: Harvard read like an authoritarian wish list.
- 13:35SPEAKER_00: The message from the Trump administration is loud and clear.
- 13:40SPEAKER_00: Fall in line with our ideology or we will make your life hell.
- 13:44This is a political attack aimed at forcing ideological
- 13:48compliance from an
- 13:49SPEAKER_00: independent private university.
- 13:51It's not a good faith policy decision made after careful study
- 13:55or genuine concern
- 13:56SPEAKER_00: for student welfare.
- 13:58SPEAKER_00: If it were,
- 13:58the administration would be working cooperatively with
- 14:01universities to address
- 14:02SPEAKER_00: problems,
- 14:03SPEAKER_00: not ambushing them with sudden edits and punitive orders.
- 14:08SPEAKER_00: Consider the timing and context.
- 14:11SPEAKER_00: This action doesn't happen in a vacuum.
- 14:14It follows months of public feuding with elite universities
- 14:17over campus protests
- 14:19SPEAKER_00: and woke policies.
- 14:21It also follows the administration's pattern of labeling any
- 14:25institution it doesn't
- 14:26SPEAKER_00: like as fundamentally un-American.
- 14:30SPEAKER_00: It's an open secret that certain officials,
- 14:32SPEAKER_00: and perhaps President Trump himself,
- 14:35see places like Harvard as hotbeds of opposition and places
- 14:39that need to be taught
- 14:40SPEAKER_00: a lesson.
- 14:41SPEAKER_00: By going after Harvard so aggressively,
- 14:43SPEAKER_00: the administration aims to chill dissent,
- 14:46SPEAKER_00: not just at Harvard,
- 14:47SPEAKER_00: but everywhere.
- 14:49SPEAKER_00: The intent is to send a national message.
- 14:51SPEAKER_00: No matter how prestigious or powerful you think you are,
- 14:55SPEAKER_00: you're not beyond the reach of our retribution.
- 14:57SPEAKER_00: It's hard to read this as anything but ideological retaliation.
- 15:03We've seen this kind of tactic in other countries where
- 15:05democracy is backsliding.
- 15:08SPEAKER_00: Authoritarian leaders often start by attacking universities and cultural
- 15:12SPEAKER_00: institutions because those are places where independent thought thrives.
- 15:17SPEAKER_00: They manufacture a pretext,
- 15:19SPEAKER_00: say national security or moral crisis,
- 15:23SPEAKER_00: and then swoop in to seize control or scare others into self-censorship.
- 15:29That's exactly what we're seeing here and is chilling to
- 15:31witness in the United States.
- 15:34SPEAKER_00: No matter what your personal politics are,
- 15:36we should all be able to recognize the difference between
- 15:38genuine governance and
- 15:39SPEAKER_00: using government power to bully opponents.
- 15:42SPEAKER_00: This is the latter and it's unacceptable.
- 15:47SPEAKER_00: A Broader Campaign Against Higher Education and Legal Voices
- 15:52SPEAKER_00: Harvard is not the only target.
- 15:54This action is part of a broader campaign of authoritarian
- 15:57overreach that should
- 15:59SPEAKER_00: have every American concerned.
- 16:01SPEAKER_00: In recent weeks,
- 16:02we've also seen the Trump administration strong arm other
- 16:05universities and even law
- 16:06SPEAKER_00: firms in similar ways.
- 16:09SPEAKER_00: Columbia University, for example, was faced with a stark ultimatum.
- 16:13SPEAKER_00: Implement a series of policy changes dictated by Washington,
- 16:17including placing an entire academic department under special
- 16:21oversight or lose
- 16:23SPEAKER_00: billions in federal funding.
- 16:25SPEAKER_00: Faced with the prospect of financial ruin,
- 16:28Columbia's leadership felt they had no choice but to submit to
- 16:32some of these
- 16:32SPEAKER_00: outrageous demands.
- 16:34SPEAKER_00: The result?
- 16:35A chilling precedent where the government dictates how a
- 16:38university teaches and who
- 16:40SPEAKER_00: it hires,
- 16:41SPEAKER_00: all under threat of punishment.
- 16:44SPEAKER_00: It's not only colleges.
- 16:46SPEAKER_00: Big law firms have also found themselves in the crosshairs.
- 16:49In a move that shocks the conscience of anyone who values the
- 16:52rule of law,
- 16:53Trump orders sanctions against certain major law firms that he
- 16:56deems politically
- 16:58SPEAKER_00: unfriendly.
- 16:59firms that have represented causes or clients contrary to the
- 17:02administration's
- 17:03views or that have a robust diversity hiring programs suddenly
- 17:08facing threats,
- 17:09SPEAKER_00: loss of government contracts,
- 17:11SPEAKER_00: intrusive investigations,
- 17:13SPEAKER_00: and even backlisting of their attorneys from federal work.
- 17:17SPEAKER_00: Under this pressure,
- 17:17some of the country's top firms quietly made deals with the
- 17:21administration,
- 17:22pledging to redirect their resources toward causes the White
- 17:26House favors and
- 17:27SPEAKER_00: scaling back initiatives,
- 17:29SPEAKER_00: like some diversity programs,
- 17:31SPEAKER_00: that drew officials' ire.
- 17:33SPEAKER_00: As a lawyer, I find this both infuriating and terrifying.
- 17:37SPEAKER_00: I think you should too.
- 17:38So much so that I was a signatory on two amicus briefs
- 17:41supporting firms fighting
- 17:43SPEAKER_00: against Trump's executive orders.
- 17:46Lawyers are supposed to be free to advocate for clients and
- 17:49principals without fear
- 17:50SPEAKER_00: of government retaliation.
- 17:52that independence of the legal profession is a pillar of our
- 17:55justice system.
- 17:57SPEAKER_00: But this administration is effectively saying,
- 17:59SPEAKER_00: represent views we like,
- 18:01SPEAKER_00: not ones we don't,
- 18:02SPEAKER_00: or we will punish you.
- 18:05SPEAKER_00: This is a direct assault on the rule of law,
- 18:08just as the actions against universities are an assault on
- 18:12academic freedom.
- 18:13SPEAKER_00: When you connect the dots, the pattern is unmistakable.
- 18:17SPEAKER_00: From campuses to courtrooms,
- 18:18the Trump administration is pressuring independent institutions
- 18:22to conform or be
- 18:24SPEAKER_00: crushed.
- 18:25SPEAKER_00: The tools vary,
- 18:26SPEAKER_00: cutting off visas here,
- 18:27SPEAKER_00: yanking funds there,
- 18:29SPEAKER_00: launching investigations,
- 18:31SPEAKER_00: issuing executive orders,
- 18:33SPEAKER_00: but the motive's the same.
- 18:35SPEAKER_00: consolidating power, and silencing opposition.
- 18:39This is not normal governance and it has no place in the United
- 18:42States of America.
- 18:45SPEAKER_00: If they can do this to Harvard, they can do it to you.
- 18:49Some readers might be thinking,
- 18:50well,
- 18:51Harvard is rich and elitist,
- 18:53so why should I even care?
- 18:56SPEAKER_00: Here's why.
- 18:57If the government can do this to Harvard,
- 19:00it can do it to absolutely anyone.
- 19:04SPEAKER_00: Harvard,
- 19:05SPEAKER_00: for all its ivory tower reputation,
- 19:07SPEAKER_00: is still a private organization operating under the rule of law.
- 19:11SPEAKER_00: Even if Harvard can be targeted and strong-armed in this way,
- 19:15what's to stop the government from coming after a public state
- 19:19college or local
- 19:20SPEAKER_00: business or a non-profit community group?
- 19:24The answer is nothing unless we draw a line and say that this
- 19:28is unacceptable.
- 19:30SPEAKER_00: Today, the pretext is anti-Semitism on campus and foreign student visas.
- 19:34SPEAKER_00: Tomorrow,
- 19:35it could be something else that becomes the excuse to intrude
- 19:38on your school or
- 19:39SPEAKER_00: your company.
- 19:40SPEAKER_00: Think about it.
- 19:41Could a future administration ban a particular community
- 19:44college from teaching
- 19:45certain subjects because it claims national security or some
- 19:49kind of moral panic?
- 19:52Could they pressure a corporation by revoking licenses or
- 19:55contracts because the CEO
- 19:57SPEAKER_00: supported the wrong candidate or the wrong social cause?
- 20:02SPEAKER_00: Once the door is open, it can swing both ways and hit anyone.
- 20:07It's not hard to imagine a scenario down the road where a
- 20:10liberal administration,
- 20:11SPEAKER_00: citing this precedent,
- 20:13SPEAKER_00: tries to punish a conservative institution in a similar manner.
- 20:17SPEAKER_00: The point is,
- 20:19SPEAKER_00: no matter your politics,
- 20:20you don't want the federal government turning into an
- 20:23ideological enforcer.
- 20:25That's a road that leads straight away from democracy and
- 20:28toward an authoritarian state.
- 20:32Everyday Americans might not feel an immediate impact from
- 20:35Harvard's foreign
- 20:36SPEAKER_00: students being sent away.
- 20:38SPEAKER_00: But we will feel the effects if this mentality spreads.
- 20:41We'll feel it in a country that is less free,
- 20:44less innovative,
- 20:46and more fearful.
- 20:47SPEAKER_00: Students will think twice about speaking their minds,
- 20:50SPEAKER_00: or they'll only say what those in power want to hear.
- 20:54Schools will hesitate to invite certain speakers or teach
- 20:57certain topics worried
- 20:59SPEAKER_00: about federal retaliation.
- 21:01Employers might shy away from fair hiring initiatives or pro
- 21:05bono work that could
- 21:07SPEAKER_00: put a target on their backs.
- 21:08SPEAKER_00: In other words,
- 21:09the chilling effect will touch the lives of regular people who
- 21:13just want to learn,
- 21:15SPEAKER_00: work,
- 21:15SPEAKER_00: and live without Big Brother looming over their shoulder.
- 21:20SPEAKER_00: Defending Democracy and Academic Freedom We are at a pivotal moment.
- 21:27This attempt to bar international students from Harvard might
- 21:31seem like a niche
- 21:32SPEAKER_00: issue affecting one campus,
- 21:34SPEAKER_00: but it's actually a bellwether for the health of our democracy.
- 21:38SPEAKER_00: If we allow this kind of overreach to go in challenge,
- 21:40SPEAKER_00: we normalize the idea that the government can bully any institution into
- 21:45SPEAKER_00: compliance.
- 21:47This is not the America our founders envisioned,
- 21:50nor is it a country most of us want to live in.
- 21:54As a lawyer,
- 21:54I have faith that our legal system can and will check some of
- 21:59these excesses.
- 22:00SPEAKER_00: Indeed,
- 22:01SPEAKER_00: Harvard has already gone to court to fight back,
- 22:04SPEAKER_00: and I'm confident the law is on its side.
- 22:07Courts have historically been protective of academic freedom
- 22:10and skeptical of
- 22:11SPEAKER_00: executive power grabs.
- 22:13SPEAKER_00: But court battles take time, and the outcome's not guaranteed.
- 22:16SPEAKER_00: What's needed right now is public outcry.
- 22:19We the people,
- 22:20we must make it crystal clear that we won't stand for this.
- 22:25SPEAKER_00: Alumni,
- 22:26SPEAKER_00: students,
- 22:27SPEAKER_00: faculty,
- 22:28SPEAKER_00: business leaders,
- 22:30SPEAKER_00: and everyday citizens alike should raise their voices.
- 22:34Speak up in defense of institutions' right to be free from
- 22:38political intimidation.
- 22:40Let your elected representatives know that this behavior by the
- 22:44executive branch is
- 22:45SPEAKER_00: beyond pale.
- 22:47SPEAKER_00: Support organizations that are challenging these actions legally.
- 22:52SPEAKER_00: Most importantly, stay informed and do not become numb to these tactics.
- 22:58Authoritarian shifts often happen gradually under the guise of
- 23:03protecting the
- 23:04SPEAKER_00: public from some alleged threat.
- 23:07SPEAKER_00: It's our job as citizens to see through that and demand accountability.
- 23:12SPEAKER_00: Today, it's international students at Harvard.
- 23:16SPEAKER_00: Tomorrow, it could be your own community's rights on the line.
- 23:20In the end,
- 23:21this is about more than Harvard,
- 23:23more than universities or law firms.
- 23:26SPEAKER_00: It's about what kind of country we want to be.
- 23:30SPEAKER_00: I believe in an America where universities can welcome bright minds from
- 23:34SPEAKER_00: everywhere,
- 23:35SPEAKER_00: where dissent and debate are not only tolerated but cherished,
- 23:40and where no leader can trample on freedom without pushback
- 23:44from the people.
- 23:47The attempt to bar Harvard from enrolling international
- 23:49students is a stark test of
- 23:52SPEAKER_00: those values.
- 23:54SPEAKER_00: We must rise to the occasion and push back for the sake of our students,
- 23:58SPEAKER_00: our democracy,
- 24:00SPEAKER_00: and our future.
- 24:03SPEAKER_00: Thanks for listening to this edition of Uncensored Objection.
- 24:07SPEAKER_00: If you want to support the work,
- 24:09SPEAKER_00: whether with a free or premium subscription,
- 24:12SPEAKER_00: or if you'd like the next issue delivered straight to your inbox,
- 24:15SPEAKER_00: whether it's audio or text,
- 24:17just head over to my Substack at mitchthelawyer.substack.com
- 24:22forward slash
- 24:23SPEAKER_00: subscribe.
- 24:24SPEAKER_00: You can also find the subscription link at the bottom of any post.
- 24:29SPEAKER_00: And if today's episode struck a chord,
- 24:31a quick rating or review on your podcast platform helps more
- 24:36than you know.