Barack Obama lauds Harvard for rejecting Trump orders to limit campus activism: 'Set an example'

Former US President Barack Obama

Former US President Barack Obama on Tuesday lauded Harvard University saying it has "set an example" by rejecting President Donald Trump administrations demand to curb activism on campus.

On Monday, Harvard President Alan Garber said they would not bend to the government's demands, which included bringing broad government and leadership reforms to America's oldest university and changes to its admissions policies. It also demanded the university audit views of diversity on campus and stop recognizing some student clubs.

“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 in a public letter to the Harvard community, which he also shared on X.

Obama, taking to X said that Harvard has "set an example for other higher-ed institutions."

"Harvard has set an example for other higher-ed institutions – rejecting an unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom while taking concrete steps to make sure all students at Harvard can benefit from an environment of intellectual inquiry, rigorous debate and mutual respect. Let’s hope other institutions follow suit," he posted on X.

Harvard has set an example for other higher-ed institutions rejecting an unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom, while taking concrete steps to make sure all students at Harvard can benefit from an environment of intellectual inquiry, rigorous debate and https://t.co/gAu9UUqgjF
Barack Obama (@BarackObama) April 15, 2025

"The disruption of learning that has plagued campuses in recent years is unacceptable. The harassment of Jewish students is intolerable. It is time for elite universities to take the problem seriously and commit to meaningful change if they wish to continue receiving taxpayer support," it said.

Garber, however, said that the university "will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights".

He said the Trump administration's demands would allow the federal government "to control the Harvard community" and threaten the school's "values as a private institution devoted to the pursuit, production, and dissemination of knowledge."

In retaliation to that, the government froze $2.2 billion in Harvard's federal funding.

"Harvard's statement today reinforces the troubling entitlement mindset that is endemic in our nation's most prestigious universities and colleges -- that federal investment does not come with the responsibility to uphold civil rights laws," Trump's Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism said.

"The disruption of learning that has plagued campuses in recent years is unacceptable. The harassment of Jewish students is intolerable. It is time for elite universities to take the problem seriously and commit to meaningful change if they wish to continue receiving taxpayer support," it added.

Last year, many US universities and colleges witnessed protests by students against Israel's war in Gaza.