It’s no secret that Barack Obama isn’t exactly a fan of Donald Trump, but the former president’s latest critique of the current White House occupant is his most scathing yet. Obama, known for his stark political differences with Trump, didn’t hold back during a recent speech at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, where he took aim at his successor’s policies.
“I have deep differences of opinion with my most immediate successor—who’s now president once again,” Obama remarked, acknowledging the stark divide between their ideologies. He went on to highlight what he sees as the erosion of the government’s commitment to strong principles, adding, “There are a host of policies that we could be discussing where I have strong opinions.”
This comment comes amid growing tensions over Trump’s administration’s actions against prestigious institutions like Harvard University. In a dramatic move, the Trump White House froze a staggering $2.3 billion in federal funds to the university after it rejected a series of demands set out by the administration.
The demands, outlined in a letter sent to Harvard last week, were framed as efforts to combat antisemitism on campus. However, the proposals went much further, including changes to hiring, admissions, and teaching policies. Essentially, the administration sought to significantly increase federal oversight, pushing for organizational transparency, the dismantling of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, and the implementation of “merit-based” admissions and hiring policies, among other points.
Harvard swiftly rejected the proposal on April 14, asserting that the White House was trying to control the institution and its broader academic community. In a statement, Harvard President Alan Garber emphasized that while combating antisemitism was important, the administration’s demands amounted to an unconstitutional intrusion into the university’s intellectual autonomy.
Obama, a staunch defender of academic freedom, voiced his support for Harvard on Twitter, praising the institution for standing firm against what he called “an unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom.” He urged other universities to follow Harvard’s lead in rejecting such overreach and upholding the principles of intellectual inquiry, debate, and mutual respect.
In response, the Department of Education accused Harvard of exhibiting an “entitlement mindset” and defending the very institutions it oversees. The letter from the Trump administration also called for reforms on merit-based admissions, a ban on protest masks (which appeared to target pro-Palestinian demonstrations), and other measures aimed at controlling campus dynamics.
While Harvard has acknowledged the need to address antisemitism, it has firmly rejected the notion that these changes should come at the cost of academic freedom and autonomy. The university stressed that combating such issues should not involve assertions of power “unmoored from the law” to dictate how the institution operates.
