[Text/Observer Network, Zhang Jingjuan] The confrontation between US President Trump and Harvard University-led institutions has become increasingly intense in recent days.

According to The Guardian of the UK, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey publicly criticized Trump on Sunday, stating that his attacks on Harvard University and other schools are having harmful ripple effects, affecting research laboratories and hospitals associated with universities.

The Democratic governor criticized on CBS's "Face the Nation" program that the impact on Harvard University is damaging "America's competitiveness," as some researchers are leaving the United States to seek opportunities elsewhere. She said that after decades of investment in science and innovation, the U.S. is giving away its knowledge assets.

Talking about the series of actions targeting universities, Healey stated: "This is bad for patients, bad for science, and severely undermines America's competitiveness. A state cannot make up for the losses caused by federal funding cuts."

"I recently visited Boston Children's Hospital, which treats the most severe cases nationwide. Trump's actions have directly led to funding cuts at Boston Children's Hospital and other medical institutions because these hospitals are part of the teaching hospital system," she added, "Cutting funds for universities triggers major ripple effects, leading to layoffs of scientists and doctors and halting clinical trials for cancer treatments."

Healey said as governor, she hopes Massachusetts and the U.S. have a bright future, but "Trump's actions are essentially inviting countries like China to take our scientists and researchers. This is terrible, especially considering the damage it causes to the economy. I am working every day to reduce the cost of living for residents in my state, cut taxes, and build more housing, while Trump is making all our lives more expensive and difficult."

Screenshot of Massachusetts Governor Healey

After the outbreak of the Gaza conflict on October 7 last year, protests erupted on campuses of well-known universities such as Harvard and Columbia University. Protesting students expressed support for Palestine and opposition to Israel's war actions.

After re-entering the White House, Trump began "settling accounts" with American universities dominated by liberal voices, pressuring them to "self-censor" through cuts in federal funding.

As the "main force" of the nationwide university support movement for Palestine, Columbia University was among the first to be targeted by Trump's "Anti-Semitism Task Force." After being specifically targeted, Columbia University made "obvious concessions."

Local time on May 13, 2024, Cambridge, Massachusetts, ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, pro-Palestinian demonstrators set up protest camps on the Harvard University campus. IC Photo

Earlier this month, the Trump administration sent a letter to Harvard University demanding extensive management and leadership reforms, implementing an "merit-based" admission and hiring policy, and reviewing the "viewpoint diversity" of its research institutions, faculty, and leadership. During this period, Harvard University needed to share all recruitment and admission data with the Trump administration. In addition, the Trump administration also required Harvard to ban students from wearing masks.

After Harvard University rejected the above "rectification" demands last week (April 14), the Trump administration announced on the same day the freezing of approximately $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in project contract payments to the school.

On the 15th, Trump issued another threat to revoke Harvard University's tax-exempt status and demanded an apology. The Trump administration stated that it targeted Harvard because Harvard did not do enough to combat anti-Semitism. On the 16th, the Department of Homeland Security threatened to cancel Harvard University's qualifications to admit international students.

According to insiders, the Trump administration was very angry with Harvard University and planned to cut another $1 billion in funding.

This government-school standoff has recently seen a turn. According to a report by The New York Times on the 19th, the rectification email sent by the US government to Harvard University on the 11th was actually "sent in error" and was "unauthorized" before being sent. Senior Policy Strategist for the White House, May Melman, even "passed the buck" to Harvard, saying that after receiving the email, the relevant departments of the government were not verified.

Regarding this statement, the school expressed doubt, pointing out that the email was signed by three federal officials, used an official email template, and was sent from the electronic mailbox of a senior federal official. "Even if the requirements contained are excessive, we have never doubted its seriousness or authenticity," the school said.

A Harvard spokesperson also wrote in a statement, "Even assuming that the government now wishes to withdraw its series of 'astonishing' intrusive demands, its recent actions clearly indicate that it indeed wants to make such demands, and action speaks louder than words."

This article is an exclusive article by the Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7495774786501575222/

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