The Trump administration announced this afternoon a freeze on approximately $2.3 billion in federal funding to Harvard University. This action, which affects $2.2 billion in multi-year grants and $60 million in contract value, came as a direct response to Harvard’s refusal to comply with demands from the Trump administration.
The roots of this conflict trace back to the administration’s claimed focus on combating what it calls rampant antisemitism in higher education. The administration, along with critics, argued that some pro-Palestine protests at U.S. universities, including Harvard and Columbia, fostered antisemitic rhetoric or unsafe environments for Jewish students. A task force was established by the federal government with the task of scrutinizing federal funding to institutions.
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Harvard, a symbol of academic prestige, emerged as a primary target. On March 31, the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and the U.S. General Services Administration launched a review of nearly $9 billion in federal support to Harvard, including $8.7 billion in grants and $255.6 million in contracts. The government said this review would be a check on Harvard’s compliance with federal regulations, particularly its efforts to protect Jewish students from discrimination.
On April 7, the task force issued Harvard a letter detailing demands to avoid funding cuts. These included eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, which the administration labeled as promoters of “divisive ideologies”; banning masks at campus protests to curb anonymity during pro-Palestinian demonstrations; reforming admissions and hiring to prioritize merit over ideology; ensuring full cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security, including reporting international students’ violations; auditing academic programs for “viewpoint diversity”; and imposing harsher disciplinary measures on protestors. The White House framed these steps as essential to restoring “academic excellence,” with Education Secretary Linda McMahon warning that Harvard’s failure to act had jeopardized its reputation. Critics argued it was an attack on the freedom of universities and the free speech of students.
Harvard, led by President Alan M. Garber, firmly rejected these demands on Monday. In a letter to the task force, Garber argued that the conditions constituted an unconstitutional overreach, infringing on Harvard’s First Amendment rights and academic freedom. “No government should dictate what private universities teach, admit, hire, or study,” he stated, emphasizing that Harvard had already strengthened policies to combat antisemitism over the past 15 months through enhanced discipline, training, and safety measures. Garber warned that losing federal funds would disrupt critical research in medicine, engineering, and science, threatening innovation and public health.
Harvard’s legal team, including former Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney Robert Hur and William Burck, bolstered this stance, asserting openness to dialogue on antisemitism but rejecting unlawful demands. “The university will not surrender its independence,” Harvard declared on X. The administration swiftly responded, with the funding freeze announced hours later.
