Donald Trump’s attack on Harvard It is reminiscent of historical motifs of leaders who, in order to consolidate their power, systematically targeted the spiritual and academic elite. Through economic suffocation, public depreciation and rhetorical mockery, they attempted to silence the centers of knowledge, to castrate critical thinking and to impose their ideologies as a unique truth.

For such an attack it always needs a reason. The Kerkoporta for the Trump government’s attack on Harvard Historic University opened a serious issue. Donald Trump attacked Harvard – and other top US universities – citing their attitude towards anti -Semitism as part of mobilizations related to Gaza events. But behind Trump’s rhetoric of anti -Semitism and allegedly elite tolerance policy, there is a strategy: to take advantage of the opportunity to present as a “hatred against the Jews” an institution, which has already set it.

For a leader based on elementary level vocabulary, instinct, image and Caps Lock, Harvard is almost enemy. It is his fault that he trains thinking citizens, not followers. In Harvard they teach thought, while Trump prefers the applause, as one can easily see at the moment with a glance at his cabinet, which acts as a “group” that first meets Harry Stiles.

The problem of the US president with Harvard is deeper but deeper. Trump sees the universities of the Ivy League as outstretched outlets of liberal ideology, promoting progressive values, such as minority rights, racial and gender equality, criticism of the police and the state. According to Trub’s rhetoric, this is the hated “Woke Propaganda” – a threat to the traditional (white, Christian, patriotic) America, which must be eliminated and cut from the root.

Trump may ignore that Harvard, who is now trying to deconstruct, is not just a national jewelry, but an elite hatchery, a mechanism for the diffusion of American culture and ideology to future worldwide “A-Players”-from CEOs and Managers. Or does he know it very well? And that’s why he wants to redefine Harvard, impregnating it with his own ideology, which wants to disseminate to the world “organization” as poison?

There is, of course, another way of reading: the fact that Harvard acts as a soft power tool for the US perpetuates a “globalized” America, open to collaborations, multicultural. Trump, on the other hand, represents America of introversion. Instead of seeing Harvard a valuable world channel in Harvard, he sees it as a body of ideological penetration that he does not control.

If, however, we have to make the new “Beef” of Trump’s image, we must move to the world of Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings”. In this scenario, Harvard is the Magician Gaddalf who whispers “You Shall Not Pass” in half -knowledge and political oppression. Trump, again, is someone who shouts “Fake Wizard!” And he is live with Golum on “Truth Social”, wearing “Make America Great Again” hat.

In any case: Harvard was there long before Trump and will continue to be there and long after him.