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The Trump administration has officially frozen more than $2.2 billion in federal funding to Harvard University after the university’s president pushed back on complying with a series of demands aimed at reshaping campus policies.
Some shit you should know before you read: If you’re unaware, the Trump administration has been pressuring some top universities across the country to adopt reforms as part of a broader campaign to combat what it describes as rising antisemitism and ideological bias on college campuses. President Trump has argued that many top institutions are creating environments hostile to Jewish students and American values, accusing them of “promoting leftist political agendas” under the guise of academic freedom. As part of this effort, the administration has issued a series of demands to universities—ranging from auditing diversity and inclusion programs to banning certain student groups, disciplining participants in pro-Palestinian protests, and ensuring “viewpoint diversity” in academic departments. Columbia University notably complied with many of these federal demands after the White House froze $400 million in funding. The administration warned that failure to implement these reforms could result in the loss of billions in federal research grants and contracts, forcing universities to choose between federal support and institutional independence.
What’s going on now: In an announcement, the Trump administration officially froze more than $2.2 billion in federal research grants and $60 million in contracts allocated to Harvard University after the school refused to comply with its sweeping demands. Harvard President Alan Garber rejected the administration’s call for overhauls in campus policies, which included reporting students for “hostility” toward American values, hiring government-approved auditors, and limiting certain student activism. In a statement to the university community, Garber emphasized that Harvard would not “surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights,” arguing that while combating antisemitism is essential, the majority of the government’s demands amounted to inappropriate governmental control over academic thought and institutional governance.
Trump also indicated that Harvard may lose its tax exempt status, saying, “Perhaps Harvard should lose its Tax Exempt Status and be Taxed as a Political Entity if it keeps pushing political, ideological, and terrorist inspired/supporting Sickness?”
This all comes as former President Barack Obama has praised the university for standing its ground. In a statement, he 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.”
