Latest news with #Cadwalader
Deccan Herald
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
Harvard fight illustrates Trump's worldview: If he Attacks, it's your fault
In President Donald Trump's telling from the Oval Office on Wednesday (May 28), Harvard University has no one but itself to blame for his administration's swift suffocation of its federal funding. The "last thing" he wants to do is harm the storied jewel of American higher education, he said. But he had no choice. The university was fighting back. "Harvard has got to behave themselves," Trump said. "Harvard is treating our country with great disrespect, and all they're doing is getting in deeper and deeper and deeper. They've got to behave themselves." He went on: "I'm looking out for the country and for Harvard." The president's framing of his administration's aggressive pressure campaign speaks not just to how he sees his efforts to dominate Harvard and what it teaches and who it admits, but also how he views opposition more broadly. It's a constant in Trump's worldview: If he goes after someone or something, it is their fault, not his. They are responsible for his actions. Not him. For Trump, making an example of institutions and people that push back against him has been paramount since he regained the White House. He wants to send a message that no dissent will be tolerated, lest anyone else try. Crushing opponents sends a message to others: that there is a right way to behave, through capitulation, and a wrong way to behave, which is defending oneself. Harvard is a test case for how to deal with the White House, administration officials said. White House spokesperson Harrison Fields was blunt: "Work with the president or double down on stupid." Trump has long viewed conflict as a zero-sum game: He cannot win without someone else losing. That was true before his failed reelection bid in 2020, which thrust him into an even more retributive phase. Four criminal indictments, several lawsuits and a presidential victory later, Trump has been seeking not just a win, but a humiliation of and control over those who oppose him. And any action he takes is framed as a reaction, a situation in which his hand has been forced. Trump's issuing of executive orders that go after major law firms? Those are the fault of the firms themselves, Trump's advisers say, for filing lawsuits against him or prosecuting him or hiring people who have opposed him or criticized him or some of his allies. (The sin of one firm, Cadwalader, Wickersham and Taft, was hard to decipher, beyond that it did not allow one of its partners to take Trump on as a client.) Trump's calls for two former government officials to be investigated? They did that to themselves, according to his aides. One, Miles Taylor, a former homeland security official, anonymously wrote a New York Times opinion article and a book that were critical of Trump. The other, Chris Krebs, a top cybersecurity official, said the 2020 election was secure, undercutting the president's false claim that it was rigged. Artists, too, have only themselves to blame for anything punitive done to them, in Trump's telling. They were the ones who chose to criticize him and his policies. When Bruce Springsteen called Trump "corrupt" and "treasonous" on his European tour, Trump shot back that the musician "ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT until he gets back into the Country, that's just 'standard fare.'" He continued: "Then we'll all see how it goes for him!" When Springsteen declined to keep his mouth shut, Trump called for "major investigations" into the New Jersey rock star, as well as Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey and Bono. White House officials dispute that Trump takes a zero-sum approach to every issue, noting his pause on tariffs, such as the delay in imposing a hefty levy against goods from members of the European Union. And they said that it took time for the standoff with Harvard to escalate. On substance, there are several Republicans and Democrats who share Trump's view that Harvard and other major colleges are long overdue in addressing cultural issues. They welcome a focus on the antisemitism that was on display at some of the campus protests against Israel's response to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack. But the Trump administration's multifront attack -- which has included a blizzard of investigations and the suspension of billions in federal funding -- has gone far beyond what even many critics had sought. In the president's view, there is only one right way for the universities to respond. That's the approach taken by Columbia University, which has been more willing to agree to some of the government's demands. While Columbia is no longer on "the hot seat," Trump said Wednesday, "Harvard wants to fight, they want to show how smart they are, and they're getting their ass kicked."
Time of India
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Harvard fight illustrates Trump's worldview: If he attacks, it's your fault
"They're hurting themselves." In President Donald Trump 's telling from the Oval Office on Wednesday, Harvard University has no one but itself to blame for his administration's swift suffocation of its federal funding. The "last thing" he wants to do is harm the storied jewel of American higher education, he said. But he had no choice. The university was fighting back. "Harvard has got to behave themselves," Trump said. "Harvard is treating our country with great disrespect, and all they're doing is getting in deeper and deeper and deeper. They've got to behave themselves." He went on: "I'm looking out for the country and for Harvard." Live Events The president's framing of his administration's aggressive pressure campaign speaks not just to how he sees his efforts to dominate Harvard and what it teaches and who it admits, but also how he views opposition more broadly. It's a constant in Trump's worldview: If he goes after someone or something, it is their fault, not his. They are responsible for his actions. Not him. For Trump, making an example of institutions and people that push back against him has been paramount since he regained the White House . He wants to send a message that no dissent will be tolerated, lest anyone else try. Crushing opponents sends a message to others: that there is a right way to behave, through capitulation, and a wrong way to behave, which is defending oneself. Harvard is a test case for how to deal with the White House, administration officials said. White House spokesperson Harrison Fields was blunt: "Work with the president or double down on stupid." Trump has long viewed conflict as a zero-sum game: He cannot win without someone else losing. That was true before his failed reelection bid in 2020, which thrust him into an even more retributive phase. Four criminal indictments, several lawsuits and a presidential victory later, Trump has been seeking not just a win, but a humiliation of and control over those who oppose him. And any action he takes is framed as a reaction, a situation in which his hand has been forced. Trump's issuing of executive orders that go after major law firms? Those are the fault of the firms themselves, Trump's advisers say, for filing lawsuits against him or prosecuting him or hiring people who have opposed him or criticized him or some of his allies. (The sin of one firm, Cadwalader, Wickersham and Taft, was hard to decipher, beyond that it did not allow one of its partners to take Trump on as a client.) Trump's calls for two former government officials to be investigated? They did that to themselves, according to his aides. One, Miles Taylor, a former homeland security official, anonymously wrote a New York Times opinion article and a book that were critical of Trump. The other, Chris Krebs, a top cybersecurity official, said the 2020 election was secure, undercutting the president's false claim that it was rigged. Artists, too, have only themselves to blame for anything punitive done to them, in Trump's telling. They were the ones who chose to criticize him and his policies. When Bruce Springsteen called Trump "corrupt" and "treasonous" on his European tour, Trump shot back that the musician "ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT until he gets back into the Country, that's just 'standard fare.'" He continued: "Then we'll all see how it goes for him!" When Springsteen declined to keep his mouth shut, Trump called for "major investigations" into the New Jersey rock star, as well as Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey and Bono. White House officials dispute that Trump takes a zero-sum approach to every issue, noting his pause on tariffs, such as the delay in imposing a hefty levy against goods from members of the European Union. And they said that it took time for the standoff with Harvard to escalate. On substance, there are several Republicans and Democrats who share Trump's view that Harvard and other major colleges are long overdue in addressing cultural issues. They welcome a focus on the antisemitism that was on display at some of the campus protests against Israel's response to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack. But the Trump administration's multifront attack -- which has included a blizzard of investigations and the suspension of billions in federal funding -- has gone far beyond what even many critics had sought. In the president's view, there is only one right way for the universities to respond. That's the approach taken by Columbia University, which has been more willing to agree to some of the government's demands. While Columbia is no longer on "the hot seat," Trump said Wednesday, "Harvard wants to fight, they want to show how smart they are, and they're getting their ass kicked." This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
The Hindu
15-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Rumble hires litigator David Boies in Google antitrust lawsuit ahead of trial
Video sharing platform Rumble is adding famed litigator David Boies to its trial team in a federal lawsuit accusing Alphabet's Google of suppressing online video competition, a court filing showed. Boies will work with a group of attorneys from law firm Cadwalader, including Nicholas Gravante Jr, a former longtime colleague of Boies at his firm Boies Schiller Flexner. Rumble in 2021 sued Google for more than $2 billion in damages in the Oakland, California, federal court, accusing it of monopolising the online video platform market. The lawsuit said Google rigged user searches to give preference to Google's YouTube platform over Rumble. It also accused Google of scheming with device makers to bar Rumble from being preinstalled on some Android phones. Gravante in a statement said he welcomed the chance to work again with Boies "on this most important matter." He called Boies an "incredible addition" to the trial team. Boies, Rumble and Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Google has denied Rumble's claims and asked U.S. District Judge Haywood Gilliam Jr to rule for the company and end the case before trial, which is set for July. Google's legal team includes Williams & Connolly partner John Schmidtlein, who has defended the company in several high-stakes legal fights. Boies came to prominence as a lawyer for the U.S. government in its 1990s landmark antitrust case against Microsoft, and for representing Democrat Al Gore in his unsuccessful U.S. Supreme Court fight with George W. Bush for the presidency in 2000. He is separately representing plaintiffs suing Google for allegedly violating consumer privacy. Gravante practiced at Boies Schiller for more than 20 years and was a leader of the firm before leaving in 2020 for Cadwalader. He and Boies also worked together years earlier at Wall Street firm Cravath. Some of Gravante's clients included former Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg, and Joe Biden's son Hunter in an investor dispute. Cadwalader is one of nine prominent law firms that struck deals with the Trump White House to avoid a punishing executive order that threatened to disrupt business operations. Four other firms that were hit with such orders have sued the administration.
Reuters
14-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Rumble hires litigator David Boies in Google antitrust lawsuit ahead of trial
May 14 (Reuters) - Video sharing platform Rumble is adding famed litigator David Boies to its trial team in a federal lawsuit accusing Alphabet's Google of suppressing online video competition, a court filing showed. Boies will work with a group of attorneys from law firm Cadwalader, including Nicholas Gravante Jr, a former longtime colleague of Boies at his firm Boies Schiller Flexner. Rumble in 2021 sued Google for more than $2 billion in damages in the Oakland, California, federal court, accusing it of monopolizing the online video platform market. The lawsuit, opens new tab said Google rigged user searches to give preference to Google's YouTube platform over Rumble. It also accused Google of scheming with device makers to bar Rumble from being preinstalled on some Android phones. Boies, Rumble and Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Gravante declined to comment. Google has denied Rumble's claims and asked U.S. District Judge Haywood Gilliam Jr to rule for the company and end the case before trial, which is set for July. Google's legal team includes Williams & Connolly partner John Schmidtlein, who has defended the company in several high-stakes legal fights. Boies came to prominence as a lawyer for the U.S. government in its 1990s landmark antitrust case against Microsoft, and for representing Democrat Al Gore in his unsuccessful U.S. Supreme Court fight with George W. Bush for the presidency in 2000. He is separately representing plaintiffs suing Google for allegedly violating consumer privacy. Gravante practiced at Boies Schiller for more than 20 years and was a leader of the firm before leaving in 2020 for Cadwalader. He and Boies also worked together years earlier at Wall Street firm Cravath. Some of Gravante's clients included former Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg, and Joe Biden's son Hunter in an investor dispute. Cadwalader is one of nine prominent law firms that struck deals with the Trump White House to avoid a punishing executive order that threatened to disrupt business operations. Four other firms that were hit with such orders have sued the administration. The case is Rumble v. Google, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, No. 4:21-cv-00229-HSG. For Rumble: Nicholas Gravante, Philip Iovieno and Danielle Tully of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft; David Boies of Boies Schiller Flexner; Robert Dickerson Jr of the Competition & Policy Law Group For Google: John Schmidtlein and Stephen Fuzesi of Williams & Connolly, and David Kramer of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Read more: Google seeks to limit reach of US judge's digital ads ruling Google asks US appeals court to overturn app store verdict Google blasts $217 mln legal fee bid at hearing in US privacy case Google privacy lawsuits pile up after court denies class action
Wall Street Journal
08-05-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
Venerable New York Firm that Struck a Deal with Trump Is Losing Lawyers
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft struck a deal with President Trump last month intended to secure the future of New York's oldest law firm. Instead the pact is backfiring, adding to an exodus of lawyers that has placed the firm on uncertain footing. Cadwalader already was facing troubles, including imminent attorney departures, before its April 11 deal with the White House in which it avoided a punitive executive order by pledging at least $100 million of pro bono work to support the president's priorities. The agreement now is pushing more lawyers to leave, people familiar with the matter said, spurred by anger that the firm capitulated to Trump instead of fighting back against an administration campaign that many in the industry believe to be unconstitutional.
