Trump Turns Up Pressure, But Educators Fight Back

Warning to Harvard: Give Data or Lose Foreign Students; States Resist Threats to Cut Funding over DEI

Author

Matt Davis
April 18, 2025

Good morning! Two stories grace the front page this morning, under the headline about Trump turning up the pressure on educators: Trump Threatens to Block Harvard From Enrolling International Students and A Legal Battle Over Trump’s Threats to Public School Funding Has Begun.

There’s also a nice image of Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland trying to gain access to the prison in El Salvador where the wrongly deported man, Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, is being held.

In the first, we hear that…

The Trump administration has threatened to block Harvard University from enrolling international students unless the school hands over detailed records about the student body, in another escalation of the federal government’s fight against higher education.

Homeland security secretary Kristi Noem wants “relevant information” on each student visa holder at Harvard who has been involved in “known illegal” or “dangerous” activity. She has also requested information on the coursework of student visa holders, to verify that they have taken enough classes to “maintain nonimmigrant student status.” She also contends that the university has created a hostile environment for Jewish students by failing to condemn anti-semitism.

Let’s remember the Trump administration’s communications strategy again:

So that’s: Attack, attack, attack; admit nothing, deny everything; and no matter how beaten you are, claim victory.

Now…

This latest step from Trump comes after Harvard refused Trump’s demands to make sweeping changes to its admissions and hiring policies earlier this week. Mr. Trump has also threatened the university’s tax-exempt status.

While Trump has generally been a jerk to many universities, a demand to audit the student body’s ideological views is a step further. The demand comes as hundreds of international students across the country have seen their visas revoked over recent weeks.

A Harvard spokeswoman said the university stands by its refusal to surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.

About 25% of Harvard’s 25,000 students are foreign, including many of its best squash players, which is what I’m really concerned about, in addition to violating the constitution and trying to bring about a police state.

Fortunately Harvard doesn’t rely on its wealthy foreign students for money. To be honest the package it’s offering sounds outstanding.

“The financial aid package was recently increased to cover the full cost of attendance for students from families with annual incomes of $200,000 and below. The package — the exact same for domestic and international undergraduates — includes not only the annual tuition, but also housing, food and health insurance for students whose families make less than $100,000 each year.

For these students, Harvard even throws in money for a winter coat.”

It doesn’t sound like they’re sweating it, and the fact that Trump pivoted yesterday to attack Fed Chair Jerome Powell while dispatching a peon to have another crack at Harvard suggests to me that he’s aware he’s lost this battle. My favorite tweet yesterday said most Americans can’t believe they’re on Harvard’s side about anything, but the administration has really handed the university an open goal.

Incidentally, I’m interested. What do you think?

The Trump administration

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I’m firmly in the second camp after the last few weeks. Indeed as I survey the headlines since January I’m dumbfounded by how bad Donald Trump and his team have been at “running” the “country.” If you voted for him, I’m interested. How do you feel? Well, 98% of Trump voters remain convinced according to a poll on CNN yesterday. So, there’s that.

The other story on the front page is about how the Trump administration wants to withhold money from low-income students. They’ve demanded that states end DEI programs in public schools or risk seeing the money pulled.

The Trump administration is relying on a novel interpretation of civil rights law, arguing that the Supreme Court’s decision in 2023 overturning affirmative action in college admissions also applies to K-12 public schools. Federal officials say the ruling “sets forth a framework” for the use of race in education generally. And they say it requires banning curriculum and programs that are targeted toward specific racial groups, or that center on concepts such as structural racism, the idea that racial discrimination is pervasive in the economy, law and other institutions.

That certainly is a novel interpretation of civil rights law. Let’s call it civil whites law?!

The story goes in and out on the lawsuits, and closes, quoting the superintendent of Los Angeles Public Schools saying “we are morally compelled and legally required to protect their rights,” referring to the vulnerability of many children enrolled in public education.

Thanks for letting me read the newspaper so that you don’t have to.

Say, is there a story on the front page that might make me feel better?

Sure. There’s a review of Black artist Rashid Johnson’s new show at the Guggenheim museum. Also: Today is the day we commemorate the death of Jesus!

Rashid Johnson Finds His Promised Land at the Guggenheim

The artist’s first major museum survey fills Frank Lloyd Wright’s spiral with a rich mix of media, a view of the polymathic flux of a 25-year career, and a sense of healing.

Matt Davis lives in Manhattan with his wife and kid.

Standard disclaimer: I read the top story in the New York Times every morning so that you don’t have to. If you were forwarded this, you can subscribe here. I’m also doing a five-minute video version of this, each weekday morning at around 9 a.m. (depending on how long it takes me to read the newspaper). If you’d like to follow me on LinkedIn (you can always watch the recording later). If you subscribe to my Youtube channel it’ll also send you a notification when I’m “going live.”