Tax attorney and wealth strategist Rebecca Walser told Newsmax on Thursday that President Donald Trump may be the first president in history with the "impetus and nerve" to question the tax status of liberal universities receiving federal financial support.
She told "Carl Higbie FRONTLINE" that the approach is unique.
"I think that this is the first president that has had the impetus and nerve, if you will, to say, 'Hey, you know, you're getting a lot of federal government support at least in the way of tax-free taxes. And if you're going to be a political entity, if you're going to actually espouse at political viewpoints and actually diminish, you know other viewpoints, it's not balanced, you know.'
"These safe spaces, these places have now where you can't discuss anything because nothing is safe. It's a really interesting take to attack the tax status by basically saying, 'You're no longer an educational institution; you're a political entity with political speech,'" Walser said.
President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on Wednesday: "Everyone knows that Harvard has 'lost its way.' ... Harvard can no longer be considered even a decent place of learning, and should not be considered on any list of the World's Great Universities or Colleges. Harvard is a JOKE, teaches Hate and Stupidity, and should no longer receive Federal Funds. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"
His post followed an announcement from the administration that $ 2.2 billion in scheduled federal grants to Harvard were going to be withheld after the university balked at compliance with administration requirements on admissions, curriculum, and hiring.
Walser said it's hard to find fault with the president's approach.
"So I think that there are so many parts of our society ... that systemically have just been leveraged by the people that are wanting to push, you know, public resources for their causes, and I would say it's definitely on the left.
"And we have a president now that actually has the nerve to stand up and say, 'I'm not gonna stand for this. You're not going to get federal tax benefits if you're not going to be a pure educational institution,'" she said.
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Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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