Washington, May 6 – The Trump administration has barred Harvard University from receiving federal research funding, escalating an ongoing dispute over alleged anti-Semitism on the Ivy League campus and what officials have described as a lack of accountability and transparency.
In a letter sent to Harvard on Monday, U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the university would no longer be eligible for public research grants and should operate as a privately funded institution. “Harvard will cease to be a publicly funded institution,” McMahon wrote, citing the school’s “colossal endowment” and wealthy donor base.
The move follows a decision last month to freeze nearly $2.3 billion in federal funding to Harvard after the university declined to comply with a set of demands, including external audits to ensure “viewpoint diversity” among faculty and students.
“Where do many of these ‘students’ come from, who are they, and how do they get into Harvard, or even into our country – and why is there so much HATE?” McMahon wrote, echoing former President Donald Trump’s rhetorical style.
McMahon, a former professional wrestling executive and close Trump ally, listed a range of grievances commonly raised by conservatives, accusing Harvard of lax academic standards and fostering an environment hostile to U.S. values.
Harvard responded sharply, accusing the administration of attempting to suppress academic freedom and punish the university for filing a lawsuit on April 21 challenging the funding freeze.
“Today’s letter makes new threats to illegally withhold funding for lifesaving research and innovation in retaliation against Harvard for filing its lawsuit,” a university spokesperson said. “Harvard will continue to comply with the law, promote and encourage respect for viewpoint diversity, and combat antisemitism in our community.”
The administration’s actions come amid heightened scrutiny of U.S. universities over campus protests related to Israel’s war in Gaza. Harvard and other elite institutions have been criticized for not doing enough to address both anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim incidents.
Last month, two internal task force reports at Harvard found evidence of bias against both Jewish and Muslim students and staff. University President Alan Garber said some individuals had been pushed “to the periphery of campus life because of who they are or what they believe.”
Trump and conservative figures have long accused Harvard and other elite institutions of suppressing right-wing perspectives and promoting a left-wing ideology.
