DOJ senior counsel Michael Velchik — Hitler essay/Mein Kampf praise, Harvard case, press ban brief

Person

Michael Velchik, DOJ senior counsel, wrote a college paper from Hitler's perspective and later privately praised Mein Kampf and Hitler's oratory without mentioning the Holocaust; he has gone on to become a lead DOJ litigator defending the administration's most aggressive actions against institutions and the press — arguing Harvard showed 'wanton indifference to antisemitism' in the funding-cuts case, and in Sept. 2026 authoring the brief defending Trump's ban of CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House.

Harvard Latin paper and Mein Kampf emails (2011–2013, reported Sept. 2025)
As a Harvard senior in 2011, Michael Velchik submitted a Latin-class paper written from the perspective of Adolf Hitler, for an assignment asking students to write 'from the perspective of a controversial historical or literary figure justifying your actions and defending yourself against potential accusations.' The instructor reportedly had him redo it. An unnamed source told the Globe: 'At Harvard in 2011, no one would say that Hitler was a controversial figure.'
In a June 2013 email to a peer, while preparing for Harvard Law School, Velchik wrote: '[I]s it bad that my favorite class at harvard was nietzsche and my favorite book i've read this year is mein kampf?' The email did not mention the Holocaust.
In another email to a peer reviewing 76 books he had read, Velchik called Mein Kampf 'fascinating' and wrote that Hitler 'certainly excelled as an orator, and his writing reflects oratory.... Understands the importance of propaganda. Thought that the timing of a speech was important: better late at night!' In the same email he wrote that Wuthering Heights 'reminded' him why he doesn't 'usually read books written by women.'
Velchik delivered the Latin Oration at Harvard's 2012 commencement. He holds both an undergraduate and law degree from Harvard.
Reported by the Boston Globe on Sept. 2, 2025, based on three anonymous people familiar with the paper and the 2013 emails. The Globe article is paywalled; the linked copies are free relays of its findings, and neither quotes a response from Velchik.
Brett Shumate, the assistant attorney general who heads the Civil Division, defended Velchik's professionalism and handling of the case, per the St. Louis Jewish Light's relay.

DOJ role: Harvard funding case (2025)
Velchik joined DOJ as senior counsel in 2025. In May 2025 he defended the administration's invocation of the Alien Enemies Act against migrants.
He was the sole lawyer arguing the government's case against Harvard University in federal court in July 2025, over the administration's cancellation of federal research funding on grounds that Harvard exhibited 'wanton indifference to antisemitism.' His Hitler-essay history surfaced in the press the following month, creating a notable contrast with the antisemitism rationale he was arguing.

DOJ role: CNN/MS NOW/Politico press ban defense (Sept. 2026)
In the Sept. 2026 DOJ filing opposing CNN, MS NOW and Politico's First Amendment lawsuit over their White House ban, Velchik wrote 'access to the White House is a privilege -- not a right.' ABC News reported he authored the filing but did not say he signed it.
The filing argues that Sherrill v. Knight (1977), the precedent requiring notice, an opportunity to be heard and a written statement before a journalist's White House credentials are stripped, 'is wrong and should be overruled,' per ABC News. See related item on the press freedom rollback.

Note
The Hitler paper was an assigned exercise, DOJ's Brett Shumate defended Velchik's professionalism, and the reporting quotes no response from Velchik himself.

Sources
[1] St. Louis Jewish Light (reporting Boston Globe findings) (https://stljewishlight.org/antisemitism/lawyer-who-praised-mein-kampf-now-accuses-harvard-of-antisemitism) · 2025-09
[2] ABC News / Good Morning America (https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/doj-defends-white-house-news-bans-access-privilege-136674586) · 2026-09-23
[3] The New Republic (https://newrepublic.com/post/199883/trump-justice-department-lawyer-harvard-university-hitler-nazi) · 2025-09
[4] The Boston Globe (https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/09/02/metro/trump-harvard-doj-lawyer-antisemitism-hitler) · 2025-09-02

Connections

Same actor — Heritage Foundation, Project 2025, and its implementation
Velchik was also the sole DOJ lawyer arguing the Harvard funding-cuts case, where his Hitler-essay history surfaced amid an antisemitism-based rationale for cutting Harvard's research funding.

Same actor — Press freedom rollback — AP ban, Pentagon rules, CNN/MS NOW/Politico ban
Velchik is the DOJ lawyer who authored the government's brief defending the Sept. 2026 CNN/MS NOW/Politico ban within this broader press-freedom rollback.