At Harvard’s commencement this Thursday, President Alan Garber turned Donald Trump’s barbs about foreign students into a moment of unity—and it earned a standing ovation.
🌐 “To the class of 2025… around the world, as it should be.”
In a pointed yet gracious line, Garber addressed graduates:
“To the class of 2025, from down the street, across the country and around the world. Around the world, as it should be.”
The applause that followed spoke louder than any retort, celebrating the global reach of an institution Trump sought to isolate.
🛡️ Legal battles and academic independence
Trump’s administration attempted to decertify Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), claiming the university “fosters violence, antisemitism, and coordinates with the Chinese Communist Party.” A federal judge temporarily blocked DHS’s move, granting Harvard a reprieve.
Garber fired back in a campus-wide message:
“The revocation continues a series of government actions to retaliate against Harvard for our refusal to surrender our academic independence… This unlawful action imperils the futures of thousands of students and scholars.”
Harvard has sued DHS, arguing that the government has no right to control its curriculum, faculty or student body.
📜 Trump’s “radicalized lunatics” demand
On Truth Social, Trump ranted for Harvard’s “foreign student lists,” warning of “how many radicalized lunatics… should not be let back into our Country.” He blamed the judge protecting Harvard as “the absolute best Judge (for them!)” and vowed the government would “WIN!”
Garber’s subtle reference to a global graduating class was a masterstroke—reaffirming Harvard’s role as an international beacon of learning.
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Ed Krassenstein shared the clip and wrote: “BREAKING: At the Harvard Graduation Ceremony moments ago, Harvard President Alan M. Garber just got a standing ovation after taking a subtle shot at President Trump. “To the class of 2025, from down the street, across the country and around the world. AROUND THE WORLD! JUST AS IT SHOULD BE!””
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