The Trump administration froze $2.2 billion worth of federal money for Harvard University after the school said it would not cave to the White House’s orders to limit activism or political speech on campus.
Harvard’s move comes as other top universities have agreed to White House demands.
This is now the latest attempt by the Trump administration to force a private university to conform to the president’s political agenda.
Harvard University says the institution will not bend to the federal government’s demands.
In a letter Monday, Harvard said in part, “the university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.”
Last week, the Trump administration threatened to withhold federal grants and contract money, ordering Harvard, a private university, to make changes to its admissions policies, audit views of diversity on campus, and stop recognizing some student clubs.
The White House accuses Harvard of not fighting antisemitism, which the university strongly denies.
The president also took aim at Harvard’s hiring practices last week.
“Can you imagine the money we pay Harvard? They have a $60 billion fund and we’re giving them $8 billion a year and we’re trying to figure that out and then they hire de Blasio, the worst mayor in the world. And they hired the woman from Chicago who was a disaster, total disaster and they pay a massive salary, and they’re supposed to be teaching you government,” said President Trump.
The White House’s decision to withhold more than $2 billion for Harvard comes amid pressure campaigns on other elite, private universities, some of which have agreed to the president’s demands to save their federal funding.
“Princeton, Cornell, others that are coming in and actually getting calls now from the presidents of the universities who really do want to come in and sit down and have discussions,” said Education Secretary Linda McMahon.
Harvard is now the highest-profile institution to resist, it’s president saying in a letter “no government—regardless of which party is in power, should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study…they can pursue.”
The White House indicates its efforts to bring universities more in line with the president’s agenda will continue.
“We’re investigating them more. In the meantime, we’re holding back the grant and the fund money,” said McMahon.
Lawsuits have already been filed, arguing the Trump administration failed to follow steps required under Title VI rules before cutting funding.
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