Washington, April 15 – Former U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday praised Harvard University for resisting pressure from the Trump administration to limit campus activism, calling the move a critical defense of academic freedom. “Harvard has set an example for other higher-ed institutions – rejecting an unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom,” Obama said in a post on social media platform X. “Let’s hope other institutions follow suit.”
Obama’s comments came a day after Harvard President Alan Garber issued a public letter rejecting federal demands to overhaul the university’s governance, admissions policies, and campus activities, including derecognizing certain student clubs and auditing diversity programs.
Garber said the measures sought by the Trump administration threatened Harvard’s status as an independent, private institution and warned they would set a dangerous precedent for federal control over universities. “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 and inquiry they can pursue,” Garber wrote.
Shortly after Garber’s statement, the administration froze $2.2 billion in federal funding to Harvard, escalating the standoff between the university and Washington. The freeze followed criticism from the Department of Education’s Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, which accused Harvard of exhibiting a “troubling entitlement mindset” and failing to adequately address antisemitism on campus.
“The disruption of learning that has plagued campuses in recent years is unacceptable. The harassment of Jewish students is intolerable,” the task force said in a statement. “It is time for elite universities to take the problem seriously and commit to meaningful change if they wish to continue receiving taxpayer support.”
The confrontation comes amid heightened tensions over free speech and campus protests, especially in the wake of widespread demonstrations last year against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Then-candidate Donald Trump and several Republican leaders accused student activists of supporting Hamas, which the U.S. designates as a terrorist organization. Since taking office in January, President Trump has made curbing what he calls “left-wing radicalism” in higher education a cornerstone of his second-term agenda, prompting pushback from academic leaders and civil liberties groups.
