Preempt Exempt Attempt

In it’s latest salvo against Harvard, the Trump administration has demanded its records related to foreign donations. Earlier, “federal officials punished the university by freezing $2.2 billion in federal grants and are threatening to revoke the institution’s tax-exempt status.” Why are the tactics that the administration is deploying against Harvard so important? Because they offer a blueprint (accusations of a foreign interference, cutting off funds, removing tax exempt statuses) of a strategy that many educational institutions, non-profits, and NGOs wil be facing in the near future. Politico: “President Donald Trump on Thursday ramped up his threats to scrutinize the tax-exempt status of groups and colleges he disagrees with, calling out a prominent organization that’s fighting some of his actions in court.” These can all be viewed as preemptive strikes against the groups fighting back in courts, defending the constitution, and leading the resistance.