60 Minutes:
Harvard and the federal government have been in settlement talks for months, and in a statement, the Department of Education told us the Trump administration is actively working toward a deal with Harvard that holds them accountable for egregious civil rights violations and discrimination on campus, while restoring generous taxpayer dollar support to the institution. Harvard, in turn, says it's working to improve existing programs promoting ideological diversity.
Me:
Harvard has not done enough to ensure a wide range of opinions being represented on campus.
60 Minutes:
Harvard psychology professor Steven Pinker has been a member of the faculty for 22 years and has been outspoken about what he says is liberal bias on campus.
Bill Whitaker of 60 Minutes:
In your estimation, where has Harvard gone wrong?
Me:
I think there have been too many incidents in which someone has expressed a controversial opinion and has been shamed or canceled.
Bill Whitaker:
President Trump has described Harvard as "a liberal mess," that it has been hiring almost all "woke, radical, left idiots, and birdbrains." The language is a bit harsh, but does he have a point here?
Me:
Not there, no. I do not agree with that. I think there's a grain of truth in that.
Bill Whitaker:
What's the grain of truth?
Me:
I think there should be more voices on the right at Harvard. I don't want Donald Trump to decide who those people are going to be or how many we should have.
Bill Whitaker:
You do have the president, and you have many of the president’s supporters who say, “We don’t like what they’re doing there at Harvard, so why should my tax dollars go to support its research?”
Me:
Do you want Alzheimer's to be cured? Do you want to have cancer treatments for kids? Do you want treatments for people with paralysis?