April 18, 2025 • 8 mins
Mendte in the Morning talks to Rick Klein about the ongoing battle between Harvard University and the Trump administration.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let's get to Rick Kline, ABC News Washington Bureau Chief.
There is so much to talk about this week, including
Harvard University. You know, told the Trump administration it wasn't
going to comply with its demands, and I know Rick
Klin is going to be talking about that. I think Rick,
(00:20):
that this is surprised a lot of people because it
seemed like university after university, especially Columbia University to start
it off, gave in to the demands because they needed
the money. I guess Harvard doesn't need two point two
billion dollars.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Well, they've got an endownment of fifty billion dollars, so
that helps. They also have a lot of people of
what the Harvard Law School might be willing to defend
them in court, but no, I think lots of institutions
of higher learning and editions generally have been very careful
about this moment. We've seen all these big law firms
literally employ lots of lawyers it cave to Trump and
(00:59):
say hey, you know, we'll we'll work for free for
your administration in exchange for less scrutiny of or more
security clearances. I mean, everyone's feeling it out differently. I
think though, Harvard's position does change the conversation a bit
because you have the oldest institution, maybe the most famous,
and the wealthiest institution in the country saying no, we're
not going to do this, and it gives license for
(01:20):
smaller ones to try to do the same. Harvard may
be better equipped to handle it, and we'll see how
it shakes out in terms of what it means for
their services and for their admissions and for their retention.
But I do think it's a big moment when anyone
the size of the heft of Harvard says, you know, thanks,
but no, thanks for telling us how to run our place.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Yeah, well, fifty billion dollars will give you a steel spine.
So I think that they're impregnable. Smaller colleges may not
be able to be able to do this. It'll be
interesting to see if you're right, though, and how this
plays out. Let's talk a little bit about the tariffs.
The Prime Minister of Italy was in She seems she
wants to make a deal. The administration says that over
fifteen countries have called looking to make deals now, although
(02:02):
those countries weren't named. He also said yesterday that China
wants to make a deal. Do you think that this
is all going to work out as he said in
three to four weeks.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Well, there's been no evidence of any deals actually coming
close yet, and you know when that winter, If that happens,
I think it might be a different conversation right so
far as just talk. And Itallly is an interesting case
study because George Maloney is the Trump friendliest leader in
Western Europe is an EU member. There have been this
twenty percent tariff. She said she doesn't like it. But
(02:35):
we don't have a deal for Italy or for the
EU yet either, so I think it's going to be
difficult to get them. I have no doubt that they'll
be able to show some progress. President said yesterday he
doesn't feel like he's particularly in a rush around these
but so far has been a lot of talk initially
saying that they were interested in deals at all. They'd
say they are interested in deals, and then actually bringing
them across the finish line inside this ninety day window
(02:57):
already in the eighties for what's left. Look, maybe they'll
pull it off, but the idea that the markets will
just you know, react in a nice fashion to it,
especially when the president is suggesting that he might fire
the chairman in the Federal Reserve. It doesn't seem like
a prescription for stability. But we'll see.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
We seem like we have no resolution right now in
the kill Maar Abrego Garcia case. And I think that
much of that is because of the Supreme Court. They're
they're ruling with the word facilitate. Is this is a
CNN analyst that use this word now I'm going to
steal it is mushy in that it didn't tell them
(03:38):
exactly what they needed to do. And so when they
say they just are going to provide a plane, they're
actually going they did it very carefully. They said very
carefully what they were going to do. Then they're saying
they have to release them, but will facilitate him coming
back by giving him the flight. Is that going to
be enough?
Speaker 2 (03:58):
It's a great point. I think that you know, if
you call it mushiness, it's intentional mushiness. I think the
three in court is looking to have this diffuse without
a confrontation between the branches. They're basically asking that it
be interpreted liberally enough to just make this all happen
and make it all come to a good resolution. The
issue is the administration doesn't show hasn't given anything in
that other direction, and they're going to be pretty clearly
(04:20):
going to have to be forced every step of the way.
I think the first pictures we saw of bringout Garcia
overnight from Senator Van Holland are telling the fact that
the Salvadorans could produce him and set that up. We're
also told that they staged the photo to make it
look like they were having Margarita's and there were salt
rimmed water glasses. You know, it seems that they're trying
to suggest they control the pr battle and on Brego.
(04:41):
Garcia is still there in somewhere in El Salvador, we
don't know where. The President of al Salvador said, now
that everyone knows that he's healthy, he gets the pleasure
of returning to salvadoran a custody. Obviously, they could produce
him if they wanted to. President and the President Ofvalalvador
were just together in the Oval Office just the other day,
and clearly Trump wasn't going to be pushing him to
do what the Supreme Court has said has to be done.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Yeah, I love that you said that, because it was
the first thing I thought when I saw the picture,
I said, wait a second. All of the prisoners are
in orange. They have to have their heads down as
they walk, and their heads are shaved. This guy looks
like he's a club med. So I don't know what
they were trying to do with that picture, but I
think it was just it ended up adding to the
(05:24):
confusion of the whole thing.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Yeah, I mean they put so you don't see that
shaved head. They had a crisp New Kansas City. She's
had guys from Maryland. He's I think he's a Ravens
fan anyway, but that you know. But but they were
they were trying to make this look a lot different.
This was not at the prison. It looked like they were,
you know, with like the breakfast lounge of a Holiday
and Express or something. It seemed like they were trying
to make this look, you know, a lot, a lot
(05:48):
nicer than his real condition suggests Van Holland returns home today. Actually,
we're gonna we're gonna be interviewing him on Sunday morning
on this week, and you know, we'll see what his
what his full account is of of what what he said.
But this is the first we've seen him since the
since the the deportation.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Yeah, he's playing a little bit of a dangerous game.
I know why he's going, but this could there could
be a lot of backlash if this doesn't go his way.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Oh, no question. Look, there's you know, he's a he's
a he's a constituent. But you know he's you know,
he's a he's a suspected gang member at the least.
We've seen a lot of on savory details come out
about his path. But the point Van Holland has made
is like, look, whether you think the guy is a
saint or not is beside the point. The fact is
it is a fact that he has not been found
guilty of anything. He had a judge's order that he
(06:33):
could not be deforded, that the US Supreme Court has
found unanimously that it was a mistake, and the idea
that that nothing can be done is kind of kind
of an offensive notion to a lot of people who
are interested in due process and interested in how the
law works.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Well, the Van Holland interview is a much as a
must see on this week. What else do you have
coming up?
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Yeah, we're also talking to Tom Holman, the borders are
about the about these policies going forward, and you know,
we saw the presidents say earlier this week he might
be might be thinking of a homegrown of bad guy's
criminals being deported as well. So what he says about that.
And George Sepanopolis guy just got back from Harrisburg where
he had an exclusive interview with Joshapiro, the Governor of Pensylvania,
(07:18):
after that horrific fire bombing or molotov cocktail attack that
happened if the Governor's mansion over pass over last weekend,
and he was his reaction to that, and where we
stand as a as a society. Frankly, after after seeing
another episode of political violence, I'll tell.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
You what I saw the pictures of the governor's mansion
in Harrisburg. And when you see those pictures, they're horrifying.
You didn't realize how close this guy came to an
assassination and the extent of the damage.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
I mean, his whole family was there, They're celebrating the holiday.
In the middle of the night. This fire or roughs
that quite literally could have killed he killed everyone in
that family. It's a stunning breach of security. And again
you know, political violence in a in a real stark way, and.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
It's Josh Shapiro, who knows who knows where he's going,
so it's gonna be a great show. Thanks so much,
Rick Kline, ABC News, Washington Bureau Chief. Have a good weekend.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
Hey, thank you,
Let's get to Rick Kline, ABC News Washington Bureau Chief.
There is so much to talk about this week, including
Harvard University. You know, told the Trump administration it wasn't
going to comply with its demands, and I know Rick
Klin is going to be talking about that. I think Rick,
(00:20):
that this is surprised a lot of people because it
seemed like university after university, especially Columbia University to start
it off, gave in to the demands because they needed
the money. I guess Harvard doesn't need two point two
billion dollars.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Well, they've got an endownment of fifty billion dollars, so
that helps. They also have a lot of people of
what the Harvard Law School might be willing to defend
them in court, but no, I think lots of institutions
of higher learning and editions generally have been very careful
about this moment. We've seen all these big law firms
literally employ lots of lawyers it cave to Trump and
(00:59):
say hey, you know, we'll we'll work for free for
your administration in exchange for less scrutiny of or more
security clearances. I mean, everyone's feeling it out differently. I
think though, Harvard's position does change the conversation a bit
because you have the oldest institution, maybe the most famous,
and the wealthiest institution in the country saying no, we're
not going to do this, and it gives license for
(01:20):
smaller ones to try to do the same. Harvard may
be better equipped to handle it, and we'll see how
it shakes out in terms of what it means for
their services and for their admissions and for their retention.
But I do think it's a big moment when anyone
the size of the heft of Harvard says, you know, thanks,
but no, thanks for telling us how to run our place.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Yeah, well, fifty billion dollars will give you a steel spine.
So I think that they're impregnable. Smaller colleges may not
be able to be able to do this. It'll be
interesting to see if you're right, though, and how this
plays out. Let's talk a little bit about the tariffs.
The Prime Minister of Italy was in She seems she
wants to make a deal. The administration says that over
fifteen countries have called looking to make deals now, although
(02:02):
those countries weren't named. He also said yesterday that China
wants to make a deal. Do you think that this
is all going to work out as he said in
three to four weeks.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Well, there's been no evidence of any deals actually coming
close yet, and you know when that winter, If that happens,
I think it might be a different conversation right so
far as just talk. And Itallly is an interesting case
study because George Maloney is the Trump friendliest leader in
Western Europe is an EU member. There have been this
twenty percent tariff. She said she doesn't like it. But
(02:35):
we don't have a deal for Italy or for the
EU yet either, so I think it's going to be
difficult to get them. I have no doubt that they'll
be able to show some progress. President said yesterday he
doesn't feel like he's particularly in a rush around these
but so far has been a lot of talk initially
saying that they were interested in deals at all. They'd
say they are interested in deals, and then actually bringing
them across the finish line inside this ninety day window
(02:57):
already in the eighties for what's left. Look, maybe they'll
pull it off, but the idea that the markets will
just you know, react in a nice fashion to it,
especially when the president is suggesting that he might fire
the chairman in the Federal Reserve. It doesn't seem like
a prescription for stability. But we'll see.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
We seem like we have no resolution right now in
the kill Maar Abrego Garcia case. And I think that
much of that is because of the Supreme Court. They're
they're ruling with the word facilitate. Is this is a
CNN analyst that use this word now I'm going to
steal it is mushy in that it didn't tell them
(03:38):
exactly what they needed to do. And so when they
say they just are going to provide a plane, they're
actually going they did it very carefully. They said very
carefully what they were going to do. Then they're saying
they have to release them, but will facilitate him coming
back by giving him the flight. Is that going to
be enough?
Speaker 2 (03:58):
It's a great point. I think that you know, if
you call it mushiness, it's intentional mushiness. I think the
three in court is looking to have this diffuse without
a confrontation between the branches. They're basically asking that it
be interpreted liberally enough to just make this all happen
and make it all come to a good resolution. The
issue is the administration doesn't show hasn't given anything in
that other direction, and they're going to be pretty clearly
(04:20):
going to have to be forced every step of the way.
I think the first pictures we saw of bringout Garcia
overnight from Senator Van Holland are telling the fact that
the Salvadorans could produce him and set that up. We're
also told that they staged the photo to make it
look like they were having Margarita's and there were salt
rimmed water glasses. You know, it seems that they're trying
to suggest they control the pr battle and on Brego.
(04:41):
Garcia is still there in somewhere in El Salvador, we
don't know where. The President of al Salvador said, now
that everyone knows that he's healthy, he gets the pleasure
of returning to salvadoran a custody. Obviously, they could produce
him if they wanted to. President and the President Ofvalalvador
were just together in the Oval Office just the other day,
and clearly Trump wasn't going to be pushing him to
do what the Supreme Court has said has to be done.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Yeah, I love that you said that, because it was
the first thing I thought when I saw the picture,
I said, wait a second. All of the prisoners are
in orange. They have to have their heads down as
they walk, and their heads are shaved. This guy looks
like he's a club med. So I don't know what
they were trying to do with that picture, but I
think it was just it ended up adding to the
(05:24):
confusion of the whole thing.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Yeah, I mean they put so you don't see that
shaved head. They had a crisp New Kansas City. She's
had guys from Maryland. He's I think he's a Ravens
fan anyway, but that you know. But but they were
they were trying to make this look a lot different.
This was not at the prison. It looked like they were,
you know, with like the breakfast lounge of a Holiday
and Express or something. It seemed like they were trying
to make this look, you know, a lot, a lot
(05:48):
nicer than his real condition suggests Van Holland returns home today. Actually,
we're gonna we're gonna be interviewing him on Sunday morning
on this week, and you know, we'll see what his
what his full account is of of what what he said.
But this is the first we've seen him since the
since the the deportation.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Yeah, he's playing a little bit of a dangerous game.
I know why he's going, but this could there could
be a lot of backlash if this doesn't go his way.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Oh, no question. Look, there's you know, he's a he's
a he's a constituent. But you know he's you know,
he's a he's a suspected gang member at the least.
We've seen a lot of on savory details come out
about his path. But the point Van Holland has made
is like, look, whether you think the guy is a
saint or not is beside the point. The fact is
it is a fact that he has not been found
guilty of anything. He had a judge's order that he
(06:33):
could not be deforded, that the US Supreme Court has
found unanimously that it was a mistake, and the idea
that that nothing can be done is kind of kind
of an offensive notion to a lot of people who
are interested in due process and interested in how the
law works.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Well, the Van Holland interview is a much as a
must see on this week. What else do you have
coming up?
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Yeah, we're also talking to Tom Holman, the borders are
about the about these policies going forward, and you know,
we saw the presidents say earlier this week he might
be might be thinking of a homegrown of bad guy's
criminals being deported as well. So what he says about that.
And George Sepanopolis guy just got back from Harrisburg where
he had an exclusive interview with Joshapiro, the Governor of Pensylvania,
(07:18):
after that horrific fire bombing or molotov cocktail attack that
happened if the Governor's mansion over pass over last weekend,
and he was his reaction to that, and where we
stand as a as a society. Frankly, after after seeing
another episode of political violence, I'll tell.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
You what I saw the pictures of the governor's mansion
in Harrisburg. And when you see those pictures, they're horrifying.
You didn't realize how close this guy came to an
assassination and the extent of the damage.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
I mean, his whole family was there, They're celebrating the holiday.
In the middle of the night. This fire or roughs
that quite literally could have killed he killed everyone in
that family. It's a stunning breach of security. And again
you know, political violence in a in a real stark way, and.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
It's Josh Shapiro, who knows who knows where he's going,
so it's gonna be a great show. Thanks so much,
Rick Kline, ABC News, Washington Bureau Chief. Have a good weekend.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
Hey, thank you,
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