Harvard Says No | Power Line
I don t blame Harvard for turning down the Trump administration s offer, but nor do I blame the administration for cutting off (or at least scrutinizing) funding of Harvard. Harvard has an endowment of around $53 billion, so it isn t easy to see why it should be operating on the taxpayer s dime. (But see this Axios story suggesting that it will not be easy for the university to make up for the loss of federal funds, largely because most of its endowment is subject to donor restrictions on its use.) Of course Harvard s complaints about the impact of federal support focus on medical research. But how much of the federal money actually goes to support medical research, or other defensible causes, I don t know.
So far, this drama has played out in a wholly predictable way. The administration s demands on Harvard and other institutions are an opening shot in what promises to be a long war.
John Hinderaker.