Washington: The Trump administration has announced the suspension of $2 billion in federal funding to Harvard University after the Ivy League institution rejected a list of demands from the White House aimed at combating antisemitism on campus.
Last week, the White House sent Harvard a formal letter outlining several conditions, which it claimed were necessary to curb rising antisemitic sentiments within the university’s community. The demands included administrative reforms, changes to hiring and admissions processes, and increased oversight of university programs accused of promoting antisemitic ideas.
Among the most controversial demands was the requirement that Harvard report students whose views were deemed "inconsistent with American values." The letter also called for disciplinary action against students who allegedly violated campus regulations during protests over the past two years, and for an audit of departments accused of fueling antisemitism—conducted by a government-approved third party.
On Monday, Harvard President Alan Garber publicly rejected the demands, stating in a letter that the White House had threatened to cut financial ties unless the university complied. “The university will neither surrender its independence nor its constitutional rights,” Garber wrote. He confirmed that Harvard’s legal team had formally notified the government of its refusal to meet the administration’s conditions.
In response, the Department of Education issued a statement criticizing Harvard’s decision, saying it reflects “the disturbing sense of entitlement that exists within some of the nation’s most prestigious academic institutions.”
