Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said Tuesday on Newsmax that the Trump administration's scrutiny of Harvard University is not about free speech but civil rights.
McMahon defended the Trump administration's decision to freeze federal funding to Harvard University, saying the issue centers on civil rights violations — not the First Amendment.
"This isn't about free speech," McMahon said during an appearance on "The Record With Greta Van Susteren." "What upset us about the investigations were really about civil rights. It was antisemitism on campus. It was student safety."
McMahon confirmed that approximately $2 billion in federal funds have been held up, though she said the university has been pledged nearly $9 billion through various grants.
"There's a lot of money that goes to these universities," she said. "And one of the things the president has said is, 'Look, these universities aren't abiding by what we think are the right things to do.'"
McMahon said the decision to freeze Harvard's funding came after failed negotiations.
"We sat with them. We sent them a letter. I spoke to the president of Harvard," she said. "Then it was pretty hard line. They didn't come back to negotiate at all."
She clarified that the freeze does not put Harvard's operations at risk.
"They do have money to operate, that is for sure. But we'd like to continue negotiations."
Asked about the difference in treatment between elite and public universities, McMahon pointed to the national attention elite institutions receive.
"[W]hen you have the president of one of these elite universities sitting before Congress and they can't decide whether or not they can condemn genocide, those are the things that really turn off the people in the country."
McMahon described incidents of antisemitic behavior on campuses, including students locked in libraries while others shouted slogans like "death to Israel" and "death to the USA." She said such events have led the public to question the use of federal dollars at these institutions.
Regarding what universities can do to combat antisemitism, McMahon said it starts with immediate action against protests that cross into hate speech.
"We've asked them to look at the students they're bringing in: Are they pro-Hamas when they bring them in or have other terrorist activities? We've asked them to take a look also at the faculty they're hiring: What is their background, and are they bringing in a lot of this antisemitic thought process?"
McMahon said the administration is not targeting free expression.
"Let me be clear" We're not talking about First Amendment rights at all," she said. "What I'm talking about are civil rights violations and safety for these students who are on campus. And the president just said he's not going to allow it in terms of those universities that are receiving federal dollars.
"And he's being very firm about that," she added.
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Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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