The Trump administration’s legal crusade against Harvard over alleged antisemitism has taken a stunning turn. The Boston Globe reported that Michael Velchik, the Department of Justice lawyer leading the case, once wrote a paper from Adolf Hitler’s perspective as a Harvard undergraduate.
In later correspondence, he described “Mein Kampf” as his favorite book of the year and praised Hitler’s propaganda and oratory skills.
That history casts a long shadow over the administration’s claims. Velchik is now the point person arguing that Harvard has shown “wanton indifference” to antisemitism. These baseless claims are being used to justify President Donald Trump’s move to cut off billions in federal research grants to the university. Courts have already ruled those cuts unconstitutional, and the credibility of the government’s case looks even shakier with these revelations.
The irony is hard to miss. A DOJ attorney who once romanticized Hitler is now accusing Harvard of tolerating antisemitism. The episode reveals that Trump’s education wars are about the politics and authoritarian control of American institutions rather than any genuine concern for protecting Jewish students. The administration’s crusade is more about punishment and politics than principle.
By Kevin Coughlin