Only two members of Trump’s cabinet, Defence Secretary Peter B Hegset and Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services Robert F Kennedy Jr studied at Harvard. Notably, there are four Harvard graduates in the US Supreme Court, including Chief Justice John G Roberts, Jr.
US President Donald Trump’s administration and Harvard University are at loggerheads, with the US government threatening actions against the institution for not complying with its demands. Trump has ordered a USD 2.2 billion freeze in funding for the university. He attacked the institution on social media, saying, “Harvard has lost its way.”
The Trump administration has threatened to revoke Harvard University’s eligibility to enrol international students if it fails to submit detailed records of its foreign students’ “illegal and violent activities”.
Amidst the tussle between the Trump administration and Harvard University, one fact that has become the point of traction is that only two of Trump’s 24 Cabinet members are Harvard graduates.
Only two Harvard graduates in Trump Cabinet
According to the Harvard Crimson, Peter B Hegseth, who leads the Department of Defence, and Robert F Kennedy Jr, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, are Harvard graduates.
Earlier, Trump had nominated Elise Stefanik, a Harvard graduate, as the next US ambassador to the United Nations, which is a top foreign policy post. However, her name has been withdrawn.
Vivek Ramaswamy, too, is a Harvard graduate, but he has separated himself from the Department of Government Efficiency.
Imprint of the Ivy League on US judiciary
When it comes to the US Supreme Court judges, four out of nine judges, including the Chief Justice, John G Roberts, Jr, are Harvard graduates. Other Harvard graduate judges include Elena Kagan (Associate Justice), Neil M Gorsuch (Associate Justice), and Ketanji Brown Jackson (Associate Justice).
Out of the remaining five, four are Yale University alumni. The judges are Clarence Thomas (Associate Justice), Samuel A Alito (Associate Justice), Sonia Sotomayor (Associate Justice), and Brett M Kavanaugh (Associate Justice). The ninth judge, Amy Coney Barrett, studied law at Rhodes College.
Least representation from Harvard-like institutions in Trump Admin 2.0
According to a report by the Hindustan Times, Donald Trump’s current dispensation, his second term, has fewer graduates from Harvard than his predecessors.
The Trump Administration 2.0 has the lowest representation from the Ivy League and other elite institutions. The HT report claims that only 20.8 per cent of members attended an Ivy League university. The Ivy League comprises a group of 8 private US universities, including Harvard and Yale.
Department of Homeland Security’s action against Harvard
In the latest development, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem demanded detailed records on Harvard’s foreign student visa holders’ illegal and violent activities by April 30.
The DHS has said failure to submit records will lead to the immediate loss of Student and Exchange Visitor Programme (SEVP) certification.