Letter from Michael Stein
Leave Harvard Alone
The Trump administration’s relentless targeting of Harvard University is a politically motivated assault on higher education, undermining academic independence and perpetuating anti-intellectualism and ignorance. This hostility reflects a broader disdain for elite education, disingenuously framed as “coastal elitism” to rally a partisan base. In truth, the “war on Harvard” isn’t about anti-Semitism—it’s about scoring cheap political points at academia’s expense.
Recent claims that Harvard fosters instructional bias and leftist indoctrination ignore the university’s long history of producing influential conservative leaders in business, politics, and academia. From Supreme Court justices to CEOs and prominent intellectuals, Harvard has educated generations of right-leaning thinkers who have shaped national discourse. If the institution were truly hostile to conservative thought, would figures like Chief Justice John Roberts, upstate New York’s own Elise Stefanik, or Blackstone Group’s CEO Stephen Schwartzman and co-founder Pete Peterson have emerged from its halls? While it is likely true that the majority of Harvard faculty would skew toward progressive politics, it’s hard to make the leap to claims of “leftist indoctrination” in the face of those listed above and many others.
The real question is not whether conservatives can succeed at Harvard—they clearly have—but why fewer conservatives pursue academic careers in the first place. The answer likely lies in cultural and professional incentives, not institutional exclusion. Academia rewards specialization in theoretical disciplines, while many conservatives gravitate toward more financially rewarding applied fields like law, business, or policy. Additionally, the tenure process’ emphasis on rigorous peer-reviewed scholarship may deter conservative scholars, who often prefer direct pronouncements in the public square, rather than rigorous debate in the ivory tower.
Rather than baselessly maligning universities, critics should encourage young conservatives to enter academia and contribute to intellectual diversity from within. Harvard’s own legacy proves that conservative thought thrives when engaged, not silenced.
Michael Stein
Member, CoopOn Indivisible
