Trump Rips Obama-Appointed Judge After She Signals Support For Harvard During Hearing

President Donald Trump said on Monday that he’s expecting Obama-appointed Judge Allison D. Burroughs to rule against his administration in its federal funding fight with Harvard, blasting her as a “total disaster.”

The Trump administration squared off with Harvard in front of Burroughs in a Boston courtroom Monday as both parties seek a final ruling after Harvard sued the federal government over Trump’s funding freeze. Both Harvard and the Trump administration asked Judge Burroughs to rule on the case without going to trial, but Monday’s hearing ended without a decision, The Washington Post reported.

Despite not deciding on the case, the judge appeared favorable to Harvard’s arguments and questioned the Trump administration’s move to strip federal funding from the Ivy League school. During the hearing, Burroughs said that the federal government provided “no documentation, no procedure” to determine if Harvard has “taken enough steps” to combat antisemitism, according to the Associated Press.

“The consequences of that in terms of constitutional law are staggering,” she said. “I don’t think you can justify a contract action based on impermissible suppression of speech. Where do I have that wrong?”

Burroughs previously ruled in favor of Harvard after the Trump administration moved to prohibit the university from enrolling foreign students.

“The Harvard case was just tried in Massachusetts before an Obama appointed Judge. She is a TOTAL DISASTER, which I say even before hearing her Ruling. She has systematically taken over the various Harvard cases, and is an automatic ‘loss’ for the People of our Country!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“How did this Trump-hating Judge get these cases? When she rules against us, we will IMMEDIATELY appeal, and WIN,” he added.

The Trump administration stripped more than $2 billion from Harvard earlier this year, citing anti-Israel sentiment on its campus and the school’s diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. The president added on Monday that it’s “unfair” for billions of dollars to be handed out to Harvard over other American universities, calling Harvard “anti-Semitic, anti-Christian, and anti-America.”

“Harvard has $52 Billion Dollars sitting in the Bank, and yet they are anti-Semitic, anti-Christian, and anti-America,” Trump wrote. “Much of this money comes from the U.S.A., all to the detriment of other Schools, Colleges, and Institutions, and we are not going to allow this unfair situation to happen any longer.”

Steven P. Lehotsky, who argued on behalf of Harvard, said that the Trump administration’s actions violate the First Amendment and pose a threat to other private universities around the country, according to the Post. Lehotsky added that the Trump administration is attempting to control the “inner workings” of Harvard and that funding cuts would deprive the institution of vital research funds.

Lawyers for the Trump administration argued that the federal government has the right to stop handing out federal funding to institutions that show a “deliberate indifference to antisemitism.”