logo
Opinion - Trump picked a fight against Harvard and he's already losing

Opinion - Trump picked a fight against Harvard and he's already losing

Yahoo14-05-2025

President Trump and his minions are operating on the assumption that Americans harbor substantial animosity toward colleges and universities. Their premise is importantly wrong.
Our institutions of higher learning are not perfect, and the public doesn't see them as faultless, but most Americans recognize their immense value and oppose Trump's attacks on them.
In an AP/NORC poll earlier this month, 14 points more disapproved than approved of Trump's performance on 'issues related to colleges and universities.' Most Americans dislike what Trump is doing to these institutions.
The rest of the data in that poll makes clear why: College costs are a real issue for the public, with 58 percent at least very concerned about tuition prices. In contrast, 'liberal bias' is not particularly salient. Just 36 percent claim to be concerned about ideological prejudice in colleges. A similar number, 32 percent, professes a complete lack of concern around liberal bias.
Conservatives have been lambasting the liberalism of colleges and universities at least since William F. Buckley skyrocketed to fame for publishing 'God and Man at Yale' in 1951.
It was less true when Buckley wrote and less true 20 years later when Seymour Martin Lipset and Everett Carl Ladd first surveyed the nation's professoriate, uncovering a liberal plurality, but not quite a majority — 46 percent described themselves as liberal, 27 percent as moderate, and 28 percent as conservative.
In this century, the 2024 FIRE Faculty Survey interviewed 6,269 faculty across 55 four-year U.S. colleges and universities and found 64 percent identified as liberals, 19 percent moderate and 18 percent conservative.
Different schools present somewhat different profiles, ranging from Harvard among the most liberal (73 percent), to Bringham Young University and University of Texas, Dallas where conservatives slightly outnumber liberals.
A survey of Harvard faculty by the student newspaper found a similar 77 percent calling themselves liberal or very liberal, 20 percent moderate and just 3 percent conservative. At Duke, a Chronicle of Higher Education poll revealed 62 percent of the faculty to be liberals, 24 percent moderate and 14 percent conservatives.
Such liberal unanimity understandably makes some people uncomfortable. Just 27 percent of Americans think universities in general do a good job of providing 'a respectful and inclusive environment'for conservatives.
Interestingly, students themselves are less clear. According to a Gallup survey of students then enrolled in a four-year college, 74 percent of Democrats and 73 percent of Republicans believe their school did a good job promoting free speech.
Nonetheless, in a country where liberals constitute a distinct minority, the professoriate does not reflect our ideological diversity and apparently never has.
Politically though, it's key that voters don't really care so much about liberal bias, oppose the Trump approach in principle and see enormous value in these institutions.
An earlier AP/NORC poll found that only 30 percent would allow state governments to restrict what is taught at state universities funded by those same governments. Sixty-eight percent would prohibit state government from exercising that level of control over their own universities. Allowing the federal government to interfere with private universities is likely to be even less popular.
At the same time, voters do perceive socially redeeming value from colleges and universities.
Seventy percent of adults without a college degree told Gallup they regarded a four-year degree as at least 'very valuable,' while 92 percent of college students felt confident a degree would help them get the kind of job they want.
Benefits go beyond personal economic advancement. Nearly two-thirds of American adults believe universities make a positive contribution to scientific and medical research, while 63 percent believe they contribute 'new ideas and innovative technology.'
So, it is no surprise that 62 percent favor 'maintaining federal funding for scientific and medical research' at universities, while a mere 11 percent are opposed. Only 27 percent favor Trump's policy of 'Withholding federal funding unless [universities] comply with requirements related to the president's goals.'
A plurality oppose removing tax exemptions from colleges and universities. This issue may be a bit esoteric as a third have no opinion.
Trump apparently perceives Harvard as an object of particular antipathy given his focus on that institution. But in a Washington Post poll, just 32 percent of Americans took Trump's side in 'trying to take a greater role in Harvard University's hiring of faculty, admission of students, and operation of its academic programs.' Sixty-six percent sided with Harvard which 'says this intrudes on its freedom as a private university.'
Further evidence comes from a YouGov poll which found just 35 percent approve of the 'the Trump administration…trying to take a greater role in Harvard University's hiring of faculty, admission of students, and operation of its academic programs.' Half disapprove.
Historically, Trump has proven politically adept in choosing his antagonists. Perhaps not this time.
Mellman is president of The Mellman Group a consultancy that has helped elect 30 U.S. senators, 12 governors and dozens of House members. Mellman served as pollster to Senate Democratic leaders for over 30 years and is a member of the American Association of Political Consultants' Hall of Fame. He holds degrees from Princeton and Yale.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Trump isn't done with Musk yet, Michael Cohen says
Trump isn't done with Musk yet, Michael Cohen says

The Hill

time18 minutes ago

  • The Hill

Trump isn't done with Musk yet, Michael Cohen says

President Trump's ex-personal attorney Michael Cohen on Saturday said that Trump isn't done with tech billionaire Elon Musk yet, after tensions between the two men became incredibly heated in a public social media spat last week. 'They're going to really go after Elon Musk like nobody has seen, ever, in this country, because they can,' Cohen told MSNBC's Ali Velshi. 'And one thing Elon doesn't understand is this political guerilla warfare that they're going to conduct against him,' he added. On Thursday, a fight between Musk and Trump over the president's 'big, beautiful bill' earlier in the week escalated rapidly on Musk's X platform and Trump's Truth Social platform. The president said the tech billionaire 'just went CRAZY!' and threatened Musk's government contracts. Musk alleged that Trump had ties to convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein on X. The public spat followed the end of Musk's recent service in the Trump administration and an alliance with the president that appeared to start off strong. Musk endorsed Trump in July 2024 in the wake of Trump surviving an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania. Musk's administration service was marked by intense backlash from those on the left and Democrats over actions taken by Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on the federal government. 'He doesn't care about Elon Musk,' Cohen said in his MSNBC appearance, talking about Trump. 'He used Elon Musk for what he needed. Initially it was the money, so that he didn't have to lay out any of his own, and also, more importantly, for his access with X.' The Hill has reached out to the White House and X for comment.

Newsom blasts Trump's arrest threat as ‘unmistakable step toward authoritarianism'
Newsom blasts Trump's arrest threat as ‘unmistakable step toward authoritarianism'

San Francisco Chronicle​

time18 minutes ago

  • San Francisco Chronicle​

Newsom blasts Trump's arrest threat as ‘unmistakable step toward authoritarianism'

President Donald Trump on Monday endorsed the idea of arresting California Gov. Gavin Newsom over the state's resistance to federal immigration enforcement efforts in Los Angeles, intensifying a clash that has already drawn legal challenges and fierce rebukes from Democratic leaders. 'I would do it if I were Tom,' Trump said, referring to Tom Homan, his border czar, who over the weekend suggested that state and local officials, including Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, could face arrest if they interfered with immigration raids. 'I think it's great. Gavin likes the publicity, but I think it would be a great thing,' Trump added. Trump's remarks signal a sharp escalation in the administration's crackdown on sanctuary jurisdictions and a willingness to target political opponents in unprecedented ways. Newsom responded swiftly, calling Trump's words a chilling attack on American democratic norms. 'The President of the United States just called for the arrest of a sitting Governor,' Newsom wrote on X. 'This is a day I hoped I would never see in America. I don't care if you're a Democrat or a Republican this is a line we cannot cross as a nation — this is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism.' Tensions escalated sharply after Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles following days of civil unrest related to Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. The deployment marked the first time a president has federalized a state's National Guard without the governor's consent since 1965. Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced plans to sue Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, alleging the deployment was unlawful. 'Federalizing the California National Guard is an abuse of the President's authority under the law,' Bonta said at a press conference. 'There is no invasion. There is no rebellion.' Meanwhile, David Huerta, president of SEIU California, was charged with felony conspiracy to impede an officer after his arrest during the L.A. protests. Despite the furor, legal experts note that Homan lacks the authority to arrest elected officials, and his role remains advisory. Still, Trump's rhetoric has raised alarms among critics who view his comments as part of a broader pattern of undermining democratic institutions. 'This is a preview of things to come,' Newsom warned in an interview with Brian Taylor Cohen that he shared on social media. 'This isn't about L.A., per se,' the Democratic governor added. 'It's about us today, it's about you, everyone watching tomorrow. This guy is unhinged. Trump is unhinged right now, and this is just another proof point of that.' At a news conference held by lawmakers in Sacramento to discuss the protests in Los Angeles, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Hollister, said Trump's threat to arrest Newsom is a 'direct assault on democracy and an insult to every Californian.'

Musk's feud with Trump reveals one ugly truth about Tesla stock
Musk's feud with Trump reveals one ugly truth about Tesla stock

Yahoo

time19 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Musk's feud with Trump reveals one ugly truth about Tesla stock

You can catch Opening Bid on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. The very public spat that has erupted between Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk and president Donald Trump has sent shares of the EV maker on a wild, wild ride. Shares are off by 15% over the last five sessions as investors fear Trump will take aim at Musk's various lines of business. Musk also being out of Trump's inner circle also runs counter to the bull thesis that circled Tesla's stock post election. But the dustup between the two powerbrokers brings to light a major problem for Tesla's stock as Musk tries to jumpstart a sagging EV business. There is a big disconnect between Tesla's valuation and what's happening underneath the surface. For example, Tesla's stock is up 12% since October 2022 – yet, consensus EPS estimates for 2025, 2026 and 2027 have plunged 77%, 70% and 71% since then according to new research from JP Morgan auto analyst Ryan Brinkman. Further, the stock is valued at a significant premium to the broader market despite Trump likely doing away with EV tax credits soon. The tax credit has been a driver of Tesla's sales and profits. EV subsidies represent about 52% of Tesla's current profits, Brinkman estimates. For full episodes of Opening Bid, listen on your favorite podcast platform or watch on our website. Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid is produced by Langston Sessoms All right. Welcome to a new episode of The Opening Bid Podcast. I'm Yahoo! Finance executive editor, Brian Sozzi. And this is our stock of the day. Let's get a minute on that clock. Uh, of course, we're going to start with the Elon Musk feud with President Trump, continuing to unfold, has quieted down a little bit, but nonetheless, it's something to be following because it has impacted Tesla stock. Uh, shares are down by 15% over the last five sessions. Uh, of course, when the president, uh, won the presidency, there was this thought that Elon would help, uh, you know, his closeness or proximity to the president would help get auto taxis approved, and everybody would be using robots. Now that thesis has unwound, as Musk is clearly not in the Trump inner circle. But this is highlighted, uh, this feud has highlighted really two problems with Tesla stock. First, uh, the valuation of the stock versus reality. Uh, have to give a shout out to Ryan Brinkman at JP Morgan. Uh, he notes that, uh, Tesla stock is up 12% since October 22. Yet, consensus EPS estimates, I mean, these are shocking to clients, for 2025, next year and 2027 have plunged by 77%, 70%, and 71%, respectively. These are huge declines at a time where Tesla stock is still high. And the problem number two, as I mentioned, is in fact the valuation. Tesla stock valued about 140 times forward estimated earnings. Uh, the S&P 500 is about 22 times. And if President Trump rolls back those EV tax credits, like, uh, it is expected because of his big beautiful bill, um, Tesla could lose a lot of profits. Brinkman estimates EV subsidies represent about 52% of Tesla's core profits, uh, and theoretically, all those profits would go up in smoke. That's our stock of the day on The Opening Bid Podcast.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store