Eric Trump Reacts After Donald Trump Slams Lawyer Advising His Own Company

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Eric Trump, executive vice president of the Trump Organization, echoed his father's concerns about William Burck, a lawyer who advises the company and is representing Harvard University in a lawsuit against the Trump administration, telling Newsweek he views it as a "conflict."

Newsweek has reached out to Burck and Harvard University's communications team for comment via email on Thursday.

Why It Matters

President Donald Trump has repeatedly attacked higher education institutions and threatened loss of federal funding if his demands aren't met. He has pushed to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion programs (DEI) and called on universities to curb campus protests, particularly those related to Israel's war in Gaza, which many legal scholars and activists have argued infringe on First Amendment rights.

Trumps most recent Harvard attack comes amid escalating political and legal tensions between the Ivy League university and the administration over federal funding freezes. Despite Trump's claims that Harvard leans "far left," the university's legal team includes several prominent conservative attorneys—among them Burck, a former White House counsel under President George W. Bush who also serves on the Fox Corporation board and advises the Trump Organization.

What To Know

President Donald Trump, Eric's father, blasted Harvard University and one of its lawyers in a Truth Social post Thursday morning, calling the Ivy League school "anti-semitic" and "a threat to Democracy."

Eric Trump told Newsweek that he views Burck's affiliation with Trump Organization "as conflict and I will be moving in a different direction."

His comments came after President Trump said in a Truth Social post that Burck—whom he did not name but identified through his work history—should be "forced to resign, immediately, or be fired."

The president added, "I hope that my very big and beautiful company, now run by my sons, gets rid of him ASAP!"

The Trumps' remarks mark a sharp shift from earlier praise for the attorney, who has represented clients in several high-profile cases.

William Burck and Donald Trump
(L): William A. Burck headshot for law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan in 2021. (R): President Donald Trump speaks with reporters at the White House, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Washington D.C. AP Photo/Alex Brandon/Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan

In January, Eric Trump said he was "proud to announce William Burck, Global Co-Chair of Quinn Emanuel LLP, to serve as the Trump Organizations outside Ethics Advisor during my father's term as the 47th President of the United States."

In the announcement, the Trump organization described Burck as "widely regarded as one of the Nation's finest and most respected lawyers" adding that he "brings a distinguished record of expertise in corporate governance and regulatory compliance."

At the time of the announcement, Burck said it "is an honor and privilege to work with such a great company during this unprecedented and pivotal chapter in its distinguished and storied history."

Harvard vs. Trump Legal Dispute

Harvard's lawsuit, which was filed on Monday in the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, called Trump's $2.2 billion funding freeze "arbitrary and capricious," adding that it violated its First Amendment rights and the statutory provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.

The lawyers argue that "The Government has not — and cannot — identify any rational connection between antisemitism concerns and the medical, scientific, technological, and other research it has frozen that aims to save American lives, foster American success, preserve American security, and maintain America's position as a global leader in innovation."

Earlier this month, the Trump administration sent a letter to Harvard outlining its demands in order for the research funding to be granted, which included increased disciplinary actions against campus protesters, screening international students for "hostility to American values," and requiring audits to assess ideological diversity among faculty and students. The letter also called for broad leadership changes and the derecognition of some student clubs.

Following Harvard's refusal to comply, President Trump posted on Truth Social, questioning whether the university should retain its tax-exempt status "if it keeps pushing political, ideological, and terrorist inspired/supporting 'Sickness?'"

Trump often conflates pro-Palestinian protestors as being Hamas supporters and antisemitic. Most demonstrators are protesting the mass killing and displacement of over 51,000 Palestinians from Gaza in the past 18 months.

Harvard's legal move is in contrast to Columbia University's concessions in March to preserve $400 million in federal funding from the administration. The demands included banning masks that conceal a person's identity, hiring 36 new campus security officers, and establishing a senior vice provost to review "programs in regional areas across the University, starting immediately with the Middle East."

What People Are Saying

White House spokesman Harrison Fields told Newsweek on Monday night: "The gravy train of federal assistance to institutions like Harvard, which enrich their grossly overpaid bureaucrats with tax dollars from struggling American families is coming to an end. Taxpayer funds are a privilege, and Harvard fails to meet the basic conditions required to access that privilege."

Harvard President Alan Garber said in a letter to the university community earlier this month: "The University will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights. No government—regardless of which party is in power—should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue."

Former President Barack Obama, who is a Harvard alumnus, said: "Harvard has set an example for other higher-ed institutions — rejecting an unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom, while taking concrete steps to make sure all students at Harvard can benefit from an environment of intellectual inquiry, rigorous debate and mutual respect."

Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, a nonprofit with more than 1,600 member colleges and universities said: "It has been clear for weeks that the administration's actions violated due process and the rule of law. We applaud Harvard for taking this step and look forward to a clear and unambiguous statement by the court rebuking efforts to undermine scholarship and science."

What Happens Next

It is expected that Burck will be terminated from his Trump Organization post.

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About the writer

Mandy Taheri is a Newsweek reporter based in Brooklyn. She joined Newsweek as a reporter in 2024. You can get in touch with Mandy via email: m.taheri@newsweek.com. Languages: English, French


Mandy Taheri is a Newsweek reporter based in Brooklyn. She joined Newsweek as a reporter in 2024. You can get ... Read more