Harvard risks billions as university stands up to Trump

Harvard University just became the first school to push back against President Donald Trump’s crusade against higher education—and it’s setting up one hell of a showdown.

On Monday, Harvard formally rejected the White House’s sweeping demands to ban masks, eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion programs—including for admissions and hiring—and implement ideological screenings for international students, among other things. 

The administration has tied nearly $9 billion in federal contracts and grants to the school’s compliance.

“Harvard remains open to dialogue about what the university has done and is planning to do, to improve the experience of every member of its community,” two Harvard attorneys wrote in a letter. 

But they made one thing clear: Harvard is not “prepared to agree to demands that go beyond the lawful authority of this or any administration.”

Harvard President Alan Garber was even more direct. In a message to the university community, he said that some of the demands amounted to government control over “intellectual condition”—something that should send off alarm bells no matter your politics. 

“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,” he wrote.

The Trump administration’s list of demands was sent on Friday as part of its so-called review of federal funding for elite universities. Though originally framed as a crackdown on antisemitism, the effort has morphed into a broader power grab. 

Along with vague directives to target programs that “fuel antisemitic harassment,” the Trump administration demanded that Harvard axe its DEI initiatives and agree to cooperate with law enforcement.

Make no mistake: This is as much about raw power as it is about policy. Trump is trying to strong-arm higher education into submission by threatening federal funding. Columbia University already caved to similar demands in hope of restoring $400 million in grants, which so far has yet to be seen. Columbia said it’s still “in active dialogue” with the White House. 

And they’re not alone. Trump’s team also yanked more than $1 billion from Cornell University and nearly $800 million from Northwestern University. Other targets include Brown University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Princeton University.

And the net is only widening. Dozens of other schools are now under investigation by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. In March, the office opened probes into more than 50 universities that it claimed engaged in “race exclusionary” practices.

But for now, Harvard isn’t playing along. And there’s growing pressure for the school to lead a broader resistance. 

“Instead of complying, Harvard should work with other universities to push back, leading the fight against the Trump administration’s relentless attacks on higher education,” a student reporter wrote in The Harvard Crimson.

While Trump claims that these efforts are about protecting Jewish students, many of the demands line up with his long-standing political agenda—attacking trans athletes, policing campus speech, and targeting DEI initiatives.

In its letter, Harvard accused the Trump administration of trying to “invade university freedoms long recognized by the Supreme Court.” 

And unless something changes, this standoff may be headed for the courts. Standing up to Trump has real consequences, but Harvard is holding the line—for now.

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