Josh Hammer

Well, I'll tell you who I don't think is going to surrender. I don't think that Donald Trump is going to surrender because this is a politically winning fight. I mean, let's hold the policy, the law aside for a second, Charlie, just focusing on the brute politics of this. What an amazing political operation, an amazing political move by Donald Trump and his whole administration.

I mean, they're literally making an enemy of one of the least popular institutions in America. Higher education in general is not very popular. Harvard University is definitely not popular. They are making the Democratic Party, which once upon a time, purported to be the bastion of the working class in this country, the old white working class there.

I mean, they're literally making an enemy of one of the least popular institutions in America. Higher education in general is not very popular. Harvard University is definitely not popular. They are making the Democratic Party, which once upon a time, purported to be the bastion of the working class in this country, the old white working class there.

They are making these people bend over backwards to defend Harvard University, to tell people earning $30,000, $40,000, $50,000 a year, scraping paycheck to paycheck to get by. They're putting the Democrats in a position to tell these folks, these hardworking men and women, that your taxpayer dollars should go fund these ivory tower socialist Marxist Jew-hating, America-hating lunatics.

They are making these people bend over backwards to defend Harvard University, to tell people earning $30,000, $40,000, $50,000 a year, scraping paycheck to paycheck to get by. They're putting the Democrats in a position to tell these folks, these hardworking men and women, that your taxpayer dollars should go fund these ivory tower socialist Marxist Jew-hating, America-hating lunatics.

on the Charles River in Boston. It's a brilliant, brilliant political move. So for that reason, among others, I simply don't see the Trump administration giving in here. I think that Harvard ultimately is going to be forced to blink first.

on the Charles River in Boston. It's a brilliant, brilliant political move. So for that reason, among others, I simply don't see the Trump administration giving in here. I think that Harvard ultimately is going to be forced to blink first.

Yeah, so this is a perfect issue for the MAGA America First Nationals Populist Coalition. I mean, it is a truly pitch perfect issue. I mean, Donald Trump has been talking for years. Senator Tom Cotton has actually proposed legislation about taxing the Ivy League endowments at a much higher rate. By the way, Charlie, Harvard's endowment is taxed at a 1.4% rate, 1.4%.

Yeah, so this is a perfect issue for the MAGA America First Nationals Populist Coalition. I mean, it is a truly pitch perfect issue. I mean, Donald Trump has been talking for years. Senator Tom Cotton has actually proposed legislation about taxing the Ivy League endowments at a much higher rate. By the way, Charlie, Harvard's endowment is taxed at a 1.4% rate, 1.4%.

I mean, are you kidding me right now? So Senator Cotton, Donald Trump, J.D. Vance, many others have spoken for years about trying to tax these endowments and try to redistribute them to trade schools, electrician schools, plumbing schools there. It's not just good politics. It's also good public policy.

I mean, are you kidding me right now? So Senator Cotton, Donald Trump, J.D. Vance, many others have spoken for years about trying to tax these endowments and try to redistribute them to trade schools, electrician schools, plumbing schools there. It's not just good politics. It's also good public policy.

It is a beautiful Venn diagram overlap sweet spot here where it really kind of checks all the boxes. But I remember it was back during the campaign, back when Barack Obama was still on the campaign trail as a Kamala Harris surrogate. And this is when kind of the anti-Harvard rhetoric started picking up from the Trump-Vance side of the ledger.

It is a beautiful Venn diagram overlap sweet spot here where it really kind of checks all the boxes. But I remember it was back during the campaign, back when Barack Obama was still on the campaign trail as a Kamala Harris surrogate. And this is when kind of the anti-Harvard rhetoric started picking up from the Trump-Vance side of the ledger.

And Barack Obama, who was a Harvard Law graduate, started defending Harvard University. I mean, could you imagine better politics for the Republican Party and the MAGA coalition enforcing Barack Obama? freaking Obama to defend Harvard University. I mean, it's amazing. I mean, this is probably a 95 to 5 issue. This is probably up there with deporting Mahmoud Khalil.

And Barack Obama, who was a Harvard Law graduate, started defending Harvard University. I mean, could you imagine better politics for the Republican Party and the MAGA coalition enforcing Barack Obama? freaking Obama to defend Harvard University. I mean, it's amazing. I mean, this is probably a 95 to 5 issue. This is probably up there with deporting Mahmoud Khalil.

Charlie, this country is 30 plus trillion dollars in debt. OK, and at some point you have to start trying to make sure that this money is serving the common good. That is the only reason that higher ed ever gets favorable tax treatment.

Charlie, this country is 30 plus trillion dollars in debt. OK, and at some point you have to start trying to make sure that this money is serving the common good. That is the only reason that higher ed ever gets favorable tax treatment.

All this fiscal taxpayer largesse in the first place is that we once upon a time thought that they produce sound citizens inculcated in the good virtues to conduce to the common good. They dropped the end of the bargain. If Harvard wants to stop discriminating against Americans, against white people, Asians, Mormons, Jews, all of the above, if they want to stop doing that, great.

All this fiscal taxpayer largesse in the first place is that we once upon a time thought that they produce sound citizens inculcated in the good virtues to conduce to the common good. They dropped the end of the bargain. If Harvard wants to stop discriminating against Americans, against white people, Asians, Mormons, Jews, all of the above, if they want to stop doing that, great.

Then we can have that conversation. But unless and until that happens there, I say Donald Trump should raise them to the ground and salt the ashes. Very good. Josh Hammer, please plug your stuff so our audience can follow you. Yeah, you bet. So my show is The Josh Hammer Show. I'm on X, Josh underscore Hammer.