The Trump administration just froze over $2 billion in federal funding for Harvard, right after the university pushed back against a list of demands from the White House aimed at combating antisemitism on campus.
The administration wants universities like Harvard to make big changes—like reporting students who are “hostile” to American values, auditing programs for antisemitism, ensuring academic departments are “viewpoint diverse,” and even checking professors for plagiarism. They also want schools to discipline students who participated in certain protests, especially those related to the war in Gaza and U.S. support for Israel.
President Alan Garber said the school isn’t going to give up its independence or free speech rights just to keep the government happy. He acknowledged that while some of the demands were about antisemitism, most were really about trying to control how the university operates.
Right after Harvard’s rejection, the Department of Education announced it was freezing billions in research grants and contracts. They criticized Harvard for having an “entitlement mindset” and not doing enough to protect Jewish students.
Some say this is all part of Trump’s broader strategy to rein in elite universities by hitting them where it hurts—federal funding. Columbia University, for example, agreed to several demands last month after $400 million in funding was pulled.
Still, Harvard might be able to weather the storm thanks to its massive $53 billion endowment. One professor called the administration’s move “vengeful” and an attack on academic freedom.
Meanwhile, students involved in pro-Palestinian protests are facing consequences too—some have even been detained by immigration authorities, adding more fuel to an already heated debate on college campuses.
