Why Destroy Harvard?

Political Gabfest

Slate Podcasts

Politics, Government, News

4.5 • 8.3K Ratings

🗓️ 29 May 2025

⏱️ 76 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss this week’s Supreme Court decision that validates Trump’s firing of 2 officials without cause thus stealth-overruling a key check on presidents, the power dynamics around who benefits from Trump’s attempts to destroy Harvard, and the challenges and rewards of male friendship in modern life. Here are this week’s chatters: Emily: Emily Davies for The Washington Post: Trump’s clemency spree extends to ex-gangster, artist, former congressmen; Aaron Blake for CNN: ‘No MAGA left behind’: Trump’s pardons get even more political John: Jason DeParle for The New York Times: How a Generation’s Struggle Led to a Record Surge in Homelessness; Malu Cursino for the BBC: Ancient human fingerprint suggests Neanderthals made art; Cara Tabachnick for CBS News: Last living grandson of 10th U.S. President John Tyler, a link to a bygone era, dies at 96; the Miller Center at the University of Virginia: President John Tyler (1790-1862); Sherwood Forest: More About Sherwood Forest and John Tyler. David: Sarah Zhang for The Atlantic: The ‘Man Eater’ Screwworm Is Coming Listener chatter from Jody Litvak in Los Angeles: The Stamp Thief (trailer video 1:58) For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss WilmerHale’s court win this week, in which Judge Leon struck down the president’s politically-motivated executive order against the law firm as unconstitutional. In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with author Susan Dominus about her new book, The Family Dynamic: A Journey into the Mystery of Sibling Success. Email your chatters, questions, and comments to [email protected]. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Research by Emily Ditto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello and welcome to the Slaked Political Gab Fest.
0:05.8	May 29th, 2025, the Why Destroy Harvard Edition?
0:22.4	I'm David Plotz of Citycast in Washington, D.C.
0:25.5	I am joined, of course, from New Haven, Connecticut via Yale University Law School and
0:31.6	the New York Times Magazine on the byway of the New York Times Magazine, Emily Bazelon,
0:35.9	Emily.
0:36.7	Hey, good morning, guys.
0:38.3	And in a delightful olive slash forest green jumper from CBS Evening News and CBS Evening News Plus
0:46.7	in New York City, John Dickerson. Hello, John.
0:49.9	Hi, I got two things to say. One, jumper is not term used to describe children's clothing, and yet I'm just constantly
0:57.3	think it is.
0:58.1	I think it sometimes is, it's a British word.
1:00.7	Yeah, I think I listen to a lot of British podcasts, and they're always on jumpers.
1:04.2	But I think it's also like a short dress for kids.
1:07.9	Oh.
1:08.5	Oh. But in British parlance, it's like a card it's like a cardigan, right? It's a sweater.
1:12.8	You're not really wearing a jumper. You're wearing at leisure. Yeah, I'm wearing at leisure.
1:16.8	I'm also wearing some trainers if we're going to be speaking in Britishisms. Anyway, the other thing is when Emily says hello, I always want to respond immediately to the poll of her collegiality, but I wait, dear listeners,
1:29.6	because I'm waiting for David to introduce me. So I don't want you to think I'm cold and aloof.
1:34.7	Unlike certain people we were just talking about before the show, she'll be remained nameless.
1:39.6	Don't make me sound like gossip. This week on the Gab Fest, the Supreme Court endorses maximum presidential power in a pair of cases involving previously independent government agencies.
1:52.1	Then why is President Trump trying to destroy Harvard University and who benefits if he does?
	...

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