Rep. Elise Stefanik, a Republican New York State Rep., challenged CNBC host Andrew Ross Sorkin’s proposal on Wednesday that the freeze on the federal fund on anti-Semitism at Harvard is a violation of free speech.
President Donald Trump’s administration is set to freeze $2.2 billion in funding to Ivy League College, refusing to refusal to adhere to their list of demands, including eliminating anti-Semitism efforts and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. In “Squawk Box,” Sorkin argued that the administration’s actions against Harvard were hampered by university speeches, urging Stefanik to say that many elite universities “do not stand up to American values.”
“This was a critical issue in this last election cycle, so I want to push it back. People pay attention to higher EDs, billions of people are going to these institutions, and they’re very worried about not standing up to American values,” Stefanik said.
“Let me hear about talking about America’s values. I think one of the things that make America great is the many people who came out of these universities, including Harvard, who did amazing things in this country.
in letter According to Harvard University, the Department of Education said universities must be determined to abide by federal civil rights laws and encourage “intellectual creativity and academic rigor” to continue receiving federal funding. Harvard President Alan Gerber refused to comply with the demands, saying the university would “not waive independence” or “constitutional rights” in response to the letter. (Related: “You’ve been *kicked”: CNN’s Scott Jennings flips the table to panelists accusing Trump of politicizing education)
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Citing the letter, Stefanik said the distant ideology and anti-Semitism currently being pushed out to students are inconsistent with Harvard’s goal of academic excellence, along with several academic integrity scandals.
“The only time these schools have testified about protecting your free speech, once again, these schools are the lowest in terms of free speech protection,” Stefanik said. “I experienced myself when I was removed from the Harvard Committee for giving a speech on behalf of my constituent members on the House floor on issues of election integrity, which I want to stand up to free speech when I call for the massacre of Jews.
Harvard University faced intense scrutiny over the anti-Semitism that occurred during the national anti-Israel protests in April 2024. In a tense parliamentary exchange in December 2023, Stefanik was unable to get a clear answer from Harvard President Claudingay.
Over 30 Harvard student organizations signed a letter on October 7, 2023, denounced Israel’s “colonial occupation.”
“You don’t think at some level you’re in a business that’s trying to enforce anything about your speech?” Sorkin asked.
“No, it’s about what the administration laid out. It’s protecting Jewish students on campus. It’s about protecting civil rights and they don’t, so why should Harvard support over $9 billion?” Stefanik said. “The president is absolutely right to freeze these federal funds, Congress is right, and you know what’s interesting, Andrew? This isn’t just Republicans who believe this, there are a lot of Democrats.”
New York lawmakers said Ivy League University is still failing to deal with anti-Semitism and hold anti-Semitics accountable for attacking Jewish students on campus. Stefanik graduation He won Harvard University honors in 2006.
In the segment of “Squawk Box” on Tuesday, Joe Kernen told Sorkin that politics only protects free speech when it fits their agenda, and pointed to a curb of reports on President Joe Biden’s communications regarding Hunter Biden’s laptop and the former President Joe Biden administration’s “false” and “false” social media platforms.
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