NEW YORK– The standoff between Harvard University and the Trump administration reached a boiling point on Tuesday, with President Donald Trump threatening to strip the university of its tax-exempt status and freezing more than $2 billion in federal contracts and grants.
This dramatic move came just a day after Harvard President Alan Garber publicly rejected what he described as “unlawful and unconstitutional” demands from the administration, which included auditing viewpoint diversity and scrapping diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
Harvard Pushes Back
In a strongly worded letter, Garber said the administration’s conditions would violate both free speech protections and the Civil Rights Act.
“These unprecedented assertions of power are unmoored from the law,” Garber stated, defending the university’s right to maintain academic independence.
Harvard emphasized that it has been actively combating antisemitism and other forms of discrimination on campus while respecting the rights of students to protest.
Trump Fires Back
Trump, who has criticized pro-Palestinian student protests as “antisemitic” and “anti-American,” escalated the confrontation through a social media post, calling Harvard a hub of “radical, terrorist-inspired sickness.” He threatened to revoke the university’s tax-exempt status, though he did not clarify how such an action would be legally executed.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt added fuel to the fire, demanding an apology from Harvard for alleged antisemitic incidents and accusing the university of violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
Legal and Academic Backlash
The legality of the administration’s actions is being questioned. Under Title VI, terminating federal funds requires a lengthy investigation and a 30-day notice to Congress—none of which has yet occurred.
At Columbia University, which had $400 million in federal grants cut last month, faculty members have already filed lawsuits against the administration, arguing that the move violated constitutional protections.
Columbia’s interim president, Claire Shipman, responded cautiously, affirming continued discussions with the DOJ’s antisemitism task force but drawing a clear line:
“We would reject any agreement in which the government dictates what we teach, research, or who we hire.”
Ripple Effects Across Academia
The conflict has prompted a coalition of universities, including Princeton and the University of Illinois, to sue the Department of Energy over similar funding cuts in nuclear tech, cybersecurity, and medical research.
Meanwhile, there’s been a surge in U.S. student interest in Canadian universities, as some worry about rising political interference and shrinking academic freedoms at home.
As the Trump-Harvard standoff unfolds, it signals a larger battle over the future of free speech, protest rights, and federal influence on American campuses. With billions in funding and constitutional principles at stake, the coming weeks could reshape the academic landscape.
