On Friday, ABC’s Selina Wang reported for World News Tonight the latest developments between the Trump Administration and Harvard. The latest battle is over Trump’s move to ban the school from enrolling foreign students, but based on Wang’s reports, someone might assume that Harvard is the only university in the country. At the same time, on NBC Nightly News, Andrea Mitchell echoed Harvard's claim that the move was an assault on the First Amendment while providing precious little from the Trump perspective.
Wang began by recapping that, “Today, a federal judge temporarily blocking President Trump's move to ban Harvard from enrolling international students writing, ‘the university showed it would cause immediate and irreparable injury.’”
After dueling quotes from the Department of Homeland Security and Harvard, Wang illustrated which side ABC prefers, “Harvard’s former president warning the move will deter the best and brightest from studying in the United States.”
In a clip, Larry Summers added that, “We attract extraordinarily talented people, and we are giving that up because of our own choices.”
Of course, there are several other universities in America. Still, Wang continued, “And for now the future of Harvard's nearly 7,000 international students, about a quarter of the total student body hangs in the balance.”
After two soundbites from students, Wang concluded her report by noting that “a hearing on this is set for next week. This comes as Harvard has also sued the Trump administration for blocking more than $2 billion in funding to the university.”
Saturday’s Good Morning America would replay much of Wang’s report, including both her and Summer’s laments, but would at least manage to expand to mention Harvard’s DEI programs and inability to control anti-Semitism led it to this point. The same could not be said of NBC. Mitchell reported:
Less than 24 hours after the administration ordered Harvard to stop admitting international students, a federal judge has swiftly stepped in and granted Harvard's request to put a temporary hold on the order after Harvard argued that banning thousands of new and returning students, a quarter of the student body, would throw their lives into disarray and result in cancelling countless academic programs. Harvard called the Trump order ‘a blatant violation of the First Amendment’ and claims ‘without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard.’ President Trump said today, ‘Harvard is going to have to change its ways. So are some others.’”
What ways? NBC’s viewers deserve to know.
Here are transcripts for the May 23 shows:
ABC Good Morning America
5/24/2025
7:12 AM ET
SELINA WANG: Today, a federal judge temporarily blocking President Trump's move to ban Harvard from enrolling international students writing, “the university showed it would cause immediate and irreparable injury.”
The Department of Homeland Security had ordered that existing foreign students at Harvard “must transfer or lose their legal status” stating “it is a privilege, not a right for universities to enroll foreign students.”
Harvard suing the Trump administration, the university’s president stating “We condemn this unlawful and unwarranted action.”
Harvard’s former president warning the move will deter the best and brightest from studying in the United States.
LARRY SUMMERS: We attract extraordinarily talented people, and we are giving that up because of our own choices.
WANG: And for now the future of Harvard's nearly 7,000 international students, about a quarter of the total student body hangs in the balance.
MALE STUDENT: Still very much like in shock, lots of, like, uncertainties right now.
MALE STUDENT 2: We're being used as poker chips in a battle between Trump and Harvard and it’s so cruel.
WANG: Linsey, a hearing on this is set for next week. This comes as Harvard has also sued the Trump administration for blocking more than $2 billion in funding to the university.
***
NBC Nightly News
5/23/2025
7:12 PM ET
ANDREA MITCHELL: Less than 24 hours after the administration ordered Harvard to stop admitting international students, a federal judge has swiftly stepped in and granted Harvard's request to put a temporary hold on the order after Harvard argued that banning thousands of new and returning students, a quarter of the student body, would throw their lives into disarray and result in cancelling countless academic programs. Harvard called the Trump order “a blatant violation of the First Amendment” and claims “without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard.” President Trump said today, “Harvard is going to have to change its ways. So are some others.”
