Trump Admin Freezes $2.2 Billion in Grants to Harvard Over Refusal to Address Antisemitism
The Trump administration announced Monday night it is freezing $2.2 billion in federal grants to Harvard University after the school rejected a set of demands aimed at combating antisemitism on campus.
On April 11, the Department of Education sent Harvard a letter outlining a series of required reforms. These included changes to the university’s disciplinary processes, enhanced screening of international students for “hostile views,” audits of “programs with egregious records of antisemitism,” and the elimination of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
Harvard rejected the demands, citing academic freedom and First Amendment rights.
“We have informed the administration through our legal counsel that we will not accept their proposed agreement,” Harvard President Alan Garber said in a statement. “The University will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.”
“Although some of the demands outlined by the government are aimed at combating antisemitism, the majority represent direct governmental regulation of the ‘intellectual conditions’ at Harvard,” Garber added.
In response, the US General Services Administration and the Department of Education issued a joint statement announcing the freeze of $2.2 billion in multi-year grants.
“Harvard’s statement today reinforces the troubling entitlement mindset that is endemic in our nation’s most prestigious universities and colleges – that federal investment does not come with the responsibility to uphold civil rights laws,” the agencies said.
“The disruption of learning that has plagued campuses in recent years is unacceptable. The harassment of Jewish students is intolerable,” the statement added. “It is time for elite universities to take the problem seriously and commit to meaningful change if they wish to continue receiving taxpayer support.”
President Donald Trump weighed in on Tuesday via Truth Social, writing, “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?’ Remember, Tax Exempt Status is totally contingent on acting in the PUBLIC INTEREST!”
The move comes as part of a broader crackdown by the Trump administration on antisemitism and anti-Israel rhetoric on college campuses. Earlier this year, the administration halted $400 million in funding to Columbia University, which later complied with federal demands. Last week, the White House said it was suspending more than $1 billion in federal funding to Cornell University and approximately $790 million to Northwestern University, according to a report by CNBC.
