Embedded – The Harvard Plan: And So It Begins…

Podcast: Embedded (NPR)
Date: November 17, 2025
Host: Ilya Marritz (with Kelly McEvers)
Collaborators: Boston Globe, WNYC’s On the Media
Theme:
An in-depth, real-time documentary on the escalating conflict between Donald Trump’s second administration and America’s elite universities—especially Harvard. The episode traces Harvard's journey from complacency to high-stakes resistance, exploring the impact on scientific research, academic freedom, and democracy through the lived experiences of faculty spanning the political spectrum.

Episode Overview

The episode documents the fallout after President Trump’s 2024 reelection, focusing on the aggressive federal campaign against elite universities amid broader political battles. Through personal stories of Harvard professors—liberal and conservative—it follows the mounting tension, hard decisions, and existential questions facing academia and American democracy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Expectations vs. Reality: The 2024 Election Night

[01:29 – 03:47]

• Ryan Enos (Harvard Political Scientist) anticipated a familiar, academic election night—data, predictions, camaraderie.
  • “This is going to be elections being fun again. We're going to sit, we're going to drink beer. We're going to watch election turns come in and play like games.” (Ryan Enos, 01:39)
• Shocks and Models: 2016’s surprise loss, 2020’s pandemic election, then another miss in 2024—Trump wins again.
• Mood Shift: Students and faculty—overwhelmingly liberal—are deflated but initially recall surviving the previous Trump term.
  • “We went through four years of Trump, and it wasn't a big deal. Like, you know, it wasn't great, but, you know, the country got through it.” (Ryan Enos, 03:47)
  • Camilla Naxerova (Harvard Medical School): “Ah, it's all just drama… Nothing's going to happen. It'll be fine.” (Camilla, 04:23)

2. Faith in American Institutions & the Blind Spot

[04:32 – 07:08]

• Camilla Naxerova shares her immigrant’s perspective: Coming from communist Czechoslovakia gives her deep faith in the US’s stability and scientific culture.

  • “As soon as I experienced the American scientific culture... I decided I'm never going back.” (Camilla, 05:08)

• Naïveté in the Harvard community: Many don’t see the threat coming (“if Harvard’s still here next year”—04:43).

• Growing Conservative Media Rhetoric: Only later do faculty realize parts of the conservative media have been openly calling for the radical remaking—or even “destroying”—of liberal institutions like Harvard.

3. A Conservative Insider’s View

[07:22 – 09:54]

• Kit Parker (Bioengineer, Army reservist, Trump voter):
  • Explains his political alignment as rooted in ending the “forever wars.”
    • “I voted for President Trump the first time because I needed him to end the war in Afghanistan and he promised to do that.” (Kit Parker, 08:59)
  • Views campus culture as stifling of debate and intellectual diversity.
    • “Harvard should be like an intellectual cage match.” (Kit Parker, 09:54)
  • Sees value in dialogue with the new administration (“If he talks to Putin and Kim, he'll talk to us.” – Kit Parker, 10:20), but Harvard does not pursue it.

4. The Federal Pressure Campaign Begins

[12:33 – 14:13]

• Federal Task Force on Antisemitism led by Leo Terrell: “We are going to use every federal criminal statute to go after these anti-Semites... We're going to bankrupt these universities.” (Leo Terrell, 13:04)
• 60 colleges receive letters of investigation; federal funds and student visas begin to be revoked.
• For many researchers, the threat to indirect cost funding—which undergirds university research—seems more urgent than antisemitism probes.
  • “Why are we talking about antisemitism? We should be talking about indirect costs. Isn't that the problem that we're facing?” (Camilla, 14:13)

5. First University Targeted: Columbia Falls

[14:22 – 16:03]

• Columbia University faces allegations of failing to curb antisemitism, loses hundreds of millions in research funding regardless of its efforts to appease the government.
• Climate of fear at Harvard and peer institutions: “It was clear that, you know, we might well be next.” (Camilla, 15:07)

6. The Situation Worsens at Harvard

[16:23 – 19:30]

• Organizational Response & Pushback
  • DEI initiatives renamed or scaled back; Middle East studies leadership removed—seen as “complying in advance.”
  • Ryan Enos, traditionally “not a campus politics guy,” now acts: publishes op-eds, meets President Garber.
    • Harvard president Alan Garber listens but is not optimistic about resistance working.
      • “He had some pretty firm reasons about why Harvard probably would be futile for it to push back.” (Ryan Enos, 18:11)
  • Open letter from faculty: Receives 800+ signatures.
    • “We hit send to all the faculty we know and held our breath to see what would happen.” (Ryan Enos, 18:39)
• Government Ultimatum: Massive funding ($8.7b) threatened unless Harvard agrees to government audits and increases conservative presence.

7. The Decisive Stand

[22:34 – 25:27]

• Harvard’s Response: President Garber refuses the ultimatum, becoming the first major university to outright reject the federal list of demands.
  • “The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.” (Alan Garber, read at 24:39)
• Wave of support from other college presidents.
• Mixed Faculty Emotions:
  • “This was the moment we'd been waiting for.” (Ryan Enos, 25:27)
  • “It felt a little bit like a natural disaster... It felt very similar to reading, we've been flooded or there's an earthquake coming.” (Camilla, 25:35)
  • Kit Parker faces a loyalty dilemma: Army officer, conservative, but loyal to Harvard—“This is gonna suck… It's like watching your parents fight.” (Kit Parker, 25:45)

8. Federal Retaliation and Fallout

[27:02 – 34:24]

• Legal Escalation: Harvard sues the US government to restore funding, joined by its professor’s union.
• Federal Retaliation:
  • NIH halts all funding. Labs (like Camilla’s) forced to let people go, lose ability to plan long term.
    • “Would we just have to fire people overnight?” (Camilla, 28:38)
  • Foreign students barred: up to 27% affected; multiple agencies cancel grants.
• Academic Freedom Framed as War:
  • “They’re cutting over $3 billion in vital scientific research. This case is about academic freedom.” (Rally, 32:47)
  • Low participation at protests, indicating both demoralization and unique traits of scientists: “We all probably locked our office doors and just started emailing. We didn't physically emerge.” (Camilla, 33:37)

9. Columbia’s Settlement – Pragmatism vs. Principle

[34:24 – 36:35]

• Columbia’s Deal: Columbia settles, pays $200 million+ for research access and retains academic integrity.
  • “...this is about science. It's about curing cancer...” (Claire Shipman, Columbia President, 35:20)
• Harvard Holds Out: Ryan Enos frames settlements as extortion; fears giving in emboldens government overreach.
  • “That, of course, is absolutely the nature of extortion.” (Ryan Enos, 35:51)
  • “The mugger is not trying to undo democracy...I believe 100% firmly...that is what Donald Trump is trying to do.” (Ryan, 36:02 & 36:35)

10. Personal and Structural Stakes

[36:42 – 43:55]

• Internal Fractures: Kit Parker reflects on Harvard’s culture wars, his own brush with cancellation, and the challenge for conservatives.
  • “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, like, just like, who has. If you're a faculty member and you haven't been investigated in the last 10 years at Harvard, what have you really done?” (Kit, 40:27)
  • He knows only “six” conservative faculty at Harvard (Kit, 41:33).
• Medical School Perspective: Camilla wants a deal to save research and jobs, even for a steep fine:
  • “Without a deal, it's dead.” (Camilla, 42:47)
  • She recounts the personal disillusionment and considers leaving the field or country if nothing changes.

11. A (Temporary) Court Victory

[45:17 – 46:52]

• Judge orders NIH funding restored to Harvard, calling the government’s actions “arbitrary” and a “pretext.”
• New revelations about the government’s lawyer’s questionable history.

12. Looking Forward – Limbo and Endurance

[46:52 – End]

• Ongoing Legal Stalemate: Government expected to appeal, the stalemate may drag on for years. Some speculate Harvard is “waiting out” the Trump administration.

• Compromises and Commitment: Kit sees Harvard’s internal reforms as insufficient:

  • “No one's making that kind of commitment [to academic freedom or ideological viewpoint diversity].” (Kit, 47:15)

• Wider Impact: While some schools accept settlements, none except Harvard have directly sued the government—Harvard is the national bellwether.

• Personal Stakes for Leaders: The fight has become personal for Harvard President Alan Garber, soon to be explored in-depth, especially his relationship and contrast with Dr. Jay Bhattacharya.

  • “This struggle is not academic or even particularly rational. It is a bare knuckle fight for money, prestige and power.” (Ilya Marritz, 49:11)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Harvard should be like an intellectual cage match.” – Kit Parker (09:54)
• "The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights." – Alan Garber’s statement to Harvard community (24:39)
• "But if we can have a similar kind of deal, I think it's worth it, and I would like for there to be a deal." – Camilla Naxerova (44:00)
• "I have identified six [conservative faculty]." – Kit Parker (41:33)
• "That is the nature of extortion." – Ryan Enos (35:51)
• “If you haven't been investigated in the last 10 years at Harvard, what have you really done?” – Kit Parker (40:27)

Key Timestamps

• Election Night at Harvard: 01:29 – 03:47
• Camilla’s Immigrant Perspective: 04:32 – 07:08
• Kit Parker on Conservatism/Harvard: 07:24 – 09:54
• Trump Admin Begins Pressure Campaign: 12:33 – 14:13
• Columbia University Targeted: 14:22 – 16:03
• Harvard Faculty Organize; Gov’t Ultimatum: 16:23 – 19:30
• Harvard Defies Trump Demands: 22:34 – 25:27
• Harvard Files Suit, Funding Cut: 27:02 – 34:24
• Columbia Settlement/Harvard’s Choice: 34:24 – 36:35
• Kit Parker Talks Censorship Experience: 36:42 – 43:55
• Camilla on Scientific Stakes: 43:10 – 44:17
• Court Orders NIH Restoration: 45:17 – 46:52

Tone & Language

• Alternates between deeply personal, emotional accounts and measured, analytic insight.
• The tone shifts from detached anticipation, to shock, to resistance, to exhaustion, with undercurrents of cynicism, idealism, and practical fear.

Conclusion

The episode lands at a moment of intense uncertainty—Harvard alone in the legal fight, research hanging in the balance, professors caught between ideals and survival. It sets up a second episode focused on the personal dimension of the conflict and lingering questions about the future of American higher education.

Next Episode Teaser:
A focus on the personal conflict between Alan Garber and Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, promising a close look at the human struggle behind institutional survival.

For more on The Harvard Plan series, tune into the next episode on Embedded, or read the Boston Globe’s ongoing coverage.