DOJ Lawyer Opposing Harvard Previously Wrote Essay From Hitler Perspective

Michael Velchik, a Justice Department attorney defending President Trump's lawsuit against Harvard University over alleged campus antisemitism, has come under scrutiny for his past academic fascination with Adolf Hitler. As a Harvard undergraduate, Velchik wrote a Latin essay from Hitler's perspective, which disturbed his instructor and was rejected, requiring him to redo the assignment. Later, Velchik described Hitler's "Mein Kampf" as his favorite book during a period of travel, praising Hitler's oratory and understanding of propaganda without mentioning the Holocaust. Despite these revelations, DOJ officials defended Velchik's professionalism and his role in arguing that Harvard exhibits a "wanton indifference to antisemitism." Velchik's history raises questions about the optics of his position in the Trump administration's campaign against Harvard, highlighting tensions between his past academic interests and his current legal arguments. The controversy has been reported by multiple sources including The Boston Globe, Newsmax, and The Forward.