By Anthony Joseph

Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill “and the Harvard vendetta are alarming signs of misplaced power

In a stunning one-two punch to American progress and principle, the Republican-led House has passed what’s being celebrated in Trump circles as the “Big Beautiful Bill.” It’s anything but.

Pushed through by a single vote, this legislation isn’t just a rehash of Trump’s tax cuts. It’s a Trojan horse that guts the social contract. And as if that weren’t enough, the same Trumpian forces are waging a petty, dangerous war against academic freedom, with Harvard University caught in the crosshairs.

Let’s start with the bill. While Republicans tout it as fiscally responsible, the numbers say otherwise. Extending tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans will add $3 to $4 trillion to the national debt. Meanwhile, the bill slashes Medicaid, rolls back food assistance, and torpedoes Biden-era clean energy policies, all to pay for more tax breaks for the rich.

This is not fiscal conservatism. This is class warfare. Once, Republicans like Harding and Coolidge stood for restraint and responsibility. Now, they push a bill that adds mountains of debt while robbing rural hospitals and struggling families of basic care. Even some Senate Republicans are balking. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, hardly a progressive, openly questioned the bill’s fiscal irresponsibility and devastating cuts to Medicaid, which millions of Trump voters now depend on.

At the same time, Trump’s vendetta against Harvard is another example of authoritarian spite masquerading as policy. After the university rejected White House pressure during a time of political unrest, Trump’s administration moved to block international students from being admitted, a move immediately blocked by the courts. The reason? To punish Harvard for having the audacity to think independently.

Yes, Harvard is flawed. It has faced legitimate criticism on issues from ideological rigidity to its handling of antisemitism. But no serious observer denies its role in driving American innovation, research, and global prestige. Attacking Harvard is like smashing the engine of your car because you don’t like the GPS.It’s absurd. Worse, it’s deliberate sabotage of one of America’s most productive institutions.

These two stories, Trump’s legislative wrecking ball and his cultural war against Harvard, are not isolated. They are united by a disdain for democratic norms, informed debate, and the people who most need protection. The bill punishes the poor and working class to reward billionaires. Its attack on Harvard punishes education and global engagement to score cheap political points.

What’s most dangerous is that these actions are cloaked in populist rhetoric. But the people aren’t winning. Oligarchs are. Multinational donors are. And Trump’s base, the ones who rely on Medicaid, food stamps and rural hospitals, are the ones left to suffer.

This is not just bad policy, it’s moral failure. Democrats must not only oppose these moves; they must make the stakes plain: The fight is not left versus right. It’s democracy versus decay. And the clock is ticking.

Anthony Joseph is the publisher of The Caribbean Camera newspaper. He writes on politics, culture, and the intersection of race and democracy in Canada.

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