Harvard University, facing a barrage of criticism and a threat of significant federal funding cuts from the Trump administration, may be preparing to negotiate a settlement despite a public stance of defiance, according to an opinion piece by longtime Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz.
In his piece, Dershowitz, who has been a faculty member at Harvard for over 60 years, challenges the narrative that the university is solely “fighting the Trump administration,” as some mainstream media outlets have portrayed it. He suggests that behind the strong words from Harvard President Alan Garber, the university is signaling a willingness to make a deal.
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President Trump’s recent attacks on Harvard, posted on Truth Social, accused the institution of being a “JOKE” that “teaches Hate and Stupidity,” and threatened to withdraw its tax-exempt status and nearly $2.3 billion in federal funding. These threats stem from a list of grievances, primarily Harvard’s alleged failure to adequately address antisemitism on campus.
While President Garber issued a letter defending Harvard’s academic independence, stating that no government should dictate what universities teach, whom they admit or hire, or what areas of study they pursue, Dershowitz points to a key action that suggests a different strategy.
He notes that Harvard has retained the law firm Ballard Partners, known for its close ties to Trump and its history of brokering complex agreements.
“Don’t tell Harvard’s left-wing professors, but the university seems ready to make a deal with President Trump,” Dershowitz writes. He argues that Garber’s public letter serves to appease the university’s largely liberal faculty, who would likely view any concession to Trump as “academic treason.” Dershowitz draws a parallel to the recent pressure that led to the resignation of Columbia University’s temporary president after she appeared to concede to White House demands.
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Despite the potential internal backlash, Dershowitz believes Garber recognizes the unfavorable prospects of a prolonged legal battle with the Trump administration, which could benefit politically regardless of the legal outcome.
Dershowitz, while largely agreeing with the sentiment of Garber’s letter defending academic freedom, argues that a negotiated compromise is not only realistic but essential. He contends that many of the government’s demands are “quite reasonable and necessary,” highlighting Harvard’s alleged lack of intellectual, ideological, and political diversity.
In a personal anecdote, Dershowitz recounts how, despite being a popular faculty member for decades, he has not been invited to present his centrist pro-Israel views on campus since the October 7th Hamas attack. He also shares that numerous students, including Jewish, Zionist, Christian, and conservative individuals, have expressed feeling silenced on campus.
Dershowitz further criticizes what he sees as inherent ideological biases within certain academic departments and administrative offices like DEI, arguing that these contribute to an “oppressive campus culture.” He notes that Harvard has already settled two lawsuits related to antisemitism on campus, pledging to address biases without admitting wrongdoing.
Drawing a historical comparison, Dershowitz reminds readers of the 1950s when the federal government pressured Southern universities to integrate, suggesting that many who now oppose government intervention in Harvard’s affairs would have supported it in that context.
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Ultimately, Dershowitz concludes that a negotiated settlement between Harvard and the Trump administration could be a step towards reform, particularly in addressing antisemitism and fostering greater intellectual diversity on campus. He emphasizes that for him, this stance is based on “principles, consistency and neutrality.”
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