Trump vs Universities: A New McCarthyism?
- Universities are facing increasing pressure from the Trump administration, sparking protests and raising concerns about academic freedom.
- Harvard has filed two lawsuits against the administration, alleging violations of due process and free speech protections.
- Meanwhile, at MIT, students are protesting the university's ties with Israel.
Trump Administration’s Attacks on Academic Freedom Draw McCarthyism Comparisons
Updated June 01, 2025
Universities are facing increasing pressure from the Trump administration, sparking protests and raising concerns about academic freedom. Harvard University, in particular, has become a focal point, with the administration directing federal agencies to review contracts after already canceling nearly $3 billion in research grants and moving to restrict international student enrollment.
Harvard has filed two lawsuits against the administration, alleging violations of due process and free speech protections. The suits argue that the administration’s actions target the university’s staff, curriculum, and enrollment policies.
Meanwhile, at MIT, students are protesting the university’s ties with Israel. Megha Vemuri, then MIT class president, addressed the graduating class, highlighting the undergraduate body and Graduate Student Union’s vote to cut ties with the Israeli military. She praised students for protesting despite facing “threats, intimidation and suppression” from university officials.
The current climate has drawn comparisons to the McCarthy era. Jelani Cobb, dean of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, wrote in The New yorker about the periodic sieges on academic freedom in the United States. He consulted historian Ellen Schrecker, author of No Ivory Tower: McCarthyism and the Universities, who stated that the current situation is “worse” than McCarthyism.
Megha Vemuri said: “The MIT community that I no would never tolerate a genocide… We are watching Israel try to wipe Palestine off the face of the Earth, and it is a shame that MIT is a part of it.”
Abraham Verghese said: “A part of what makes America great… is that it allows an immigrant like me to blossom here, just as generations of other immigrants and their children have flourished and contributed in every walk of life, working to keep America great.”
Schrecker, speaking on Democracy Now!, elaborated on the differences between the McCarthy era and today. She noted that while McCarthyism primarily targeted individual professors for their political activities, the current repression attacks everything happening on American campuses.
Schrecker also pointed out that the state’s increased