President Donald Trump intensified his feud with Harvard University on Thursday, branding the Ivy League institution "a disgrace" and accusing it of "obvious antisemitism" as his administration froze $2.2 billion in federal funding. Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump lambasted Harvard for rejecting demands to overhaul its policies on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), admissions, and campus protests, signaling a broader campaign to reshape elite higher education. "I think Harvard's a disgrace," Trump declared, hinting at further punitive measures, including a potential review of the university's tax-exempt status.
The funding freeze, affecting $2.2 billion in multiyear grants and $60 million in contracts, follows Harvard's refusal to comply with a sweeping set of White House directives issued on April 3. These demands include dismantling DEI programs, adopting merit-based hiring and admissions, banning face masks at protests, and cooperating with immigration authorities to screen international students. The administration also ordered Harvard to provide detailed records on foreign students allegedly involved in "illegal and violent activities," citing concerns over campus antisemitism fueled by pro-Palestinian protests. Harvard President Alan Garber rejected the directives as unconstitutional, stating, "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."
