Last month, Fuhrer Trump issued a list of demands to Columbia University. Among those demands were eliminating all DEI programs, banning face masks, and installing new heads to the Middle Eastern studies department. As soon as the Trump administration froze $400 million in federal funding, Columbia kowtowed and agreed to many sweeping changes in order to get the money back. Everyone knew this wouldn’t be a one-off, and sure enough Harvard, America’s oldest university, received its own ransom note last week. On Friday, Harvard faculty banded together and sued Trump for even issuing the demands while funding is under review. Then earlier this week on Monday, Harvard President Alan M. Garber officially had the university’s lawyers inform the White House that no, the school would not be dictated to by the government. Trump retaliated quickly by freezing $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts. Unlike Columbia, Harvard isn’t blinking. F–king finally, a powerful institutional fighting back!
Say no to thugs: The university received a letter from a federal task force last week outlining additional policy demands that “will maintain Harvard’s financial relationship with the federal government.” “We have informed the administration through our legal counsel that we will not accept their proposed agreement,” Harvard President Alan M. Garber said in a statement. “The University will not surrender its independence or its constitutional rights.” The Trump administration has threatened numerous colleges across the U.S. with funding cuts if changes in school policy weren’t made, and Harvard’s move appears to mark the first time an elite university has rebuked the White House over those demands.
Some of the demands: Among the mandates in the administration’s letter are the elimination of Harvard’s diversity, equity and inclusion programs, banning masks at campus protests, merit-based hiring and admissions reforms and reducing the power held by faculty and administrators “more committed to activism than scholarship.”
Trump, crusader against antisemitism: The proposed changes are the latest effort of the federal task force to combat antisemitism on college campuses after a spate of high-profile incidents around the country in response to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. “President Trump is working to Make Higher Education Great Again by ending unchecked anti-Semitism and ensuring federal taxpayer dollars do not fund Harvard’s support of dangerous racial discrimination or racially motivated violence,” a White House spokesperson said in a statement. “Harvard or any institution that wishes to violate Title VI is, by law, not eligible for federal funding.”
Speaking veritas to power: Garber said the majority of demands “represent direct governmental regulation of the ‘intellectual conditions’ at Harvard. … 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 said.
Trump’s cabinet is threatening to cut more funding: The demands in the administration’s earlier letter also include “full cooperation” with the Department of Homeland Security, which enforces immigration policy, and federal regulators to ensure “full compliance,” according to a copy of the letter obtained by The Harvard Crimson, a student-run newspaper. The letter was received days after the departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and the US General Services Administration announced they are reviewing $8.7 billion in grants and more than $255 million worth of contracts between Harvard, its affiliates and the federal government, according to a news release.
Trying to pass off these policy demands under the guise of fighting antisemitism is so vile. Which means it’s completely on brand for this Nazi-admiring administration. And just like the massive cuts across our health agencies, so too will the kneecapping of Harvard’s studies be devastating for the country, and really the world. As President Garber has said: “For the government to retreat from these partnerships now risks not only the health and well-being of millions of individuals, but also the economic security and vitality of our nation.” If Trump ever actually hears those words, I’m sure he’ll respond to the economic security part by slapping Harvard with some tariffs. To be blunt, thank f–k Harvard stood up and did the right thing. It sets the precedent we’ve been waiting in agony for (looking at you Congress, and Columbia), and it’s already catching — Yale faculty is rallying behind their fellow Ivy, and Big Ten schools are mapping out “mutual defense compacts.”
To make a college spirit chant of this: Let’s go Crimson! And gtfo, Tangerine.
Harvard has set an example for other higher-ed institutions – rejecting an unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom, while taking steps to make sure students can benefit from an environment of intellectual inquiry, rigorous debate and mutual respect. Let’s hope others follow suit.
— Barack Obama (@barackobama.bsky.social) April 14, 2025 at 11:52 PM
Thank god someone stood up and said “no, that is not legal, this is a private institution.” Of course they are now threatening Harvard’s legal status, which is also illegal. More institutions and people need to really be strong, particularly the powerful ones who really have the money and resources to fight this, even if it is painful to do so. The more institutions and powerful people who let him dictate how they will do business or teach or whatever going forward, the easier it is for him to take over all businesses and institutions like we are in communist China.
Good luck threatening the legal status of an institution that pre-dates the country by a century and a half and whose alums helped write the Declaration of Independence and Constitution and has 4 alum currently sitting on the US Supreme Court.
@LightPurple … Along with the fact that both Harvard and Yale have two of the best Law Schools in the U.S.
LOL! I’m sure Harvard’s President just chuckled and then said ‘Release the Hounds!’ in the general direction of the Harvard Law School. 🙂
Heh. Harvard should partner with Howard University fighting this mess. HU students/staff/lawyers were responsible for Brown vs. Board Of Education’s victory. And for HBCUs, their very existence is at stake with Trump in office.
I work at an SEC school in a gross red state. They were quick to close DEI programs and fire people, while claiming to be inclusive. The student population don’t seem to care at all, haven’t seen any demonstrations. Sad. A place of learning and expanding your mind no more.
I can’t explain how thrilled I was that Harvard has taken this stance. Our most important institutions have to stand up to this authoritarianism. Fuck Trump and his administration.
If some lead, others will follow.
One thing he learnt in his first term is that he can do outrageous things and people mutter about it and shake their heads and let him. This time the level of outrageous has been turned up to maximum and the damage is already vast. Institutions fighting back are critical.
I’m so proud of this decision.
Thank you, Harvard, this is huge! Princeton was actually the first to say no to Trump, fwiw, although over less federal money. IIRC Harvard originally said “ok” to the fuhrer’s demands but then reversed when it got a second list of demands. Let’s hope Columbia grows a spine. The dictator has vowed to target colleges across the country, not just the ivies, over DEI. It’s vile that the administration is calling this an action for anti-semitism when they’re attacking DEI and freedom of speech by slashing scientific and medical research, and when Vance hung out with that far-right, anti-Semitic party in Germany.
I find many things about this disturbing/horrifying/problematic, but the cherry on top is that this is supposedly in the name of “antisemitism.” We remember when Trump called the far right protestors in Charlottesville “very fine people” as they changed “Jews will not replace us.” We remember the times Musk has done a Nazi salute and laughed it off. We remember when Vance met with the far right party in Germany. we remember when Trump told Schumer he was no longer Jewish. etc.
trump is not the defender of Jewish people people may want to think he is. this is just a convenient cover for him.
I live in Seattle and two scholars from the Jewish Studies department have said that this admin is claiming to be doing it in the name of anti-semitism but then jewish people will be blamed for this slide into authoritarianism.
Good news. I want Harvard to fight back against Trump and fight back against antisemitism. It shouldn’t be one at the expense of the other.
Lead the way Harvard! This is how it’s done. All universities need to join forces and create a powerful alliance, but the universities with massive private endowments necessarily need to lead the way.
Rachel Maddow said the Big 10 schools are beginning to follow Harvard’s lead.
I hope other universities will sue the hell out of him
It is incredible to watch how quickly all the institutions gave up fighting. Good for Harvard, they get a lot of donations from their rich students. It is the least they can do to fight for their independence and their students’ safety.
I didn’t go to Harvard but would it be weird if I got a Harvard shirt to wear out and about? I mean if people want to assume I did attend Harvard when I wear it, that’s cool, but really it’s more to show I stand with them. Oh and maybe to also show that I’m blue af in a deep red state.
All the souvenir stands in Cambridge and Boston sell Harvard stuff and people who never set foot on the campus buy it.
I listened to the interview with Christopher Rufo on the daily this week. It was astonishing. I don’t think he did the cause any favors by being so openly hostile and evil. He really sounded like some kind of Nazi thug.
Christopher Rufo is a vile and disgusting excuse for a human being. He IS a Nazi thug.
💯
Someone has to lead the way, take the risk, to start the momentum, so people and organizations will join together against Trump and fight him. Because he’s not stopping.
He’s using the Jewish people as cover, but it’s going to turn them into the scapegoat and bogey man, once again.
Proud alum – VERITAS!
Also, Friday marks the 250th anniversary of the start of the Revolutionary War and Massachusetts is throwing a huge party. Trump will not be attending.
Will harvards new president speak about how its was Harvard alumni who made DEI a code word for get rid of black people? It’s wonderful that a university is fighting this but Harvard reputation has suffered greatly because of their ant-dei wing. That contingent is still there. And still going after black people. Bill Ackman and co. These people lobbied and funded Chris rufo & co.
A good friend of mine used to work for the school. She used to refer to the place as “the big H.” We talked about all of this going down a few months ago, it was the bright spot in the otherwise dark days after the election.
We knew the big H would stand up to him with their deep pockets. That school has a lot of money.
I get annoyed by Harvard because with enough money you can buy your way in but at times like this, I’m also ready to cheer Go Crimson! Go Big H!!
My cousin had graduated from Harvard years ago in public administration and now owns her own consulting company. She got a scholarship to attend. But that school is Deep rooted in old $$$$ and agree it has a lot of money to stand its ground.
I saw so many opinions saying Harvard should lose their billions from the government if they don’t do what Trump says. How quickly some people are full speed ahead for the dictatorship that is quickly coalescing. Trump has always wanted to be Putin and Russia is the only country he cares about. Trump is a traitor to democracy and the American way. He is on his way to destroying the U.S. And how will we ever put it together again when the Congress, Supreme Court and the Fourth Estate (newspapers) are all taking a seat and letting him ride roughshod over our country? Horrific.
I bet many of those that are not the usual MAGA talking heads are bots. MAGA wants all universities destroyed; they all follow Yarvin.
If you want the link to the actual Harvard president’s response (and a copy of the letter they received):
https://www.harvard.edu/president/news/2025/the-promise-of-american-higher-education/
It’s important to note, what the T admin is doing is much more deeply troubling than what CNN and other mainstream media is reporting. It’s not just a mask ban on protests, but a mask ban full stop. It’s allowing T to review student admissions and staff and faculty hires, and promotions before they can move forward. Basically making T the de facto president of Harvard. Imagine, they only allowing white men students to matriculate, faculty to be hired, and staff to be promoted. It also requires the set up of a snitch line.
The administration may be using antisemitism as a cover to target certain institutions, but the fact that there is so much antisemitism to begin with – that it CAN be used as an excuse – is a problem that no one wants to talk about. Jewish students have been harassed and assaulted in ways that would not be tolerated for any other group.
And the silence of those observing it, the willing defense of these institutions without calling out their failures, has been duly noted by Jewish communities everywhere. Please believe me when I tell you we have finally learned our lesson: don’t trust anyone who isn’t Jewish to defend us on any level, because it will never happen.
Fascinating this authoritarian regime uses this as an excuse when Dumpster fire and his goons ARE antisemitic.
They weren’t assaulted. They walked up too groups of people and started yelling at them.
There are videos of the whole scenes. You have people yelling and when others yell back they claimed assault.
Hardvard is an incredibly safe places for Jewish students. There have been studies.
My theory behind this: they know we don’t have the workforce to bring manufacturing back. We don’t have the numbers. White collar workers are not what they need, it’s blue collar workers. What’s one easy white collar labor pool to kick to blue they have complete control over? Fed employees. What’s the typical path to white collar careers? Universities. This is not even about ideology, it’s about the fact that they need worker bees.
I’ve also read MIT, Princeton, Caltech and other prestigious US universities are supporting Harvard. Just like many other cases, this is prob another one he’s going to lose.
One last thing on this topic. Harvard is deep rooted and also old money rooted. You get them, the Wall Street bros, Silicon Valley and the pharmaceutical companies together all psst off with Trump and his administration, that would be an interesting sight to see.