Harvard defies Trump’s demands as White House freezes $2.2 billion in funding

Harvard defies Trump, risking $2.2B in federal funding freeze.

Harvard has refused to comply with the Trump administration’s sweeping demands over university governance, prompting the White House to freeze $2.2 billion in funding and triggering a major legal and political battle over academic freedom.

Harvard University has openly defied the Trump administration’s sweeping list of demands by refusing to comply with what it called unlawful federal directives, leading the White House to freeze over $2.2 billion in multiyear grant commitments and a $60 million contract. The unprecedented move sets up a legal and political battle between the federal government and one of the country’s most powerful academic institutions, the New York Times reported.

A direct challenge to federal overreach

In a strongly worded response on Monday, Harvard President Alan Garber denounced the administration’s demands, which included stripping power from students and faculty, mandating viewpoint diversity audits in departments, and reporting foreign students to federal authorities for conduct violations. Garber said, “The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.”

The Trump administration had warned Harvard on Friday that continued access to federal funding hinged on these reforms. It argued the university had failed to uphold intellectual standards and civil rights protections, especially related to antisemitism and diversity initiatives.

Sweeping demands to reshape university policy

The demands extended deep into university governance, requiring Harvard to share admissions and hiring data, perform plagiarism checks on faculty, shut down diversity programming, and place certain departments under federal audit. Programs identified include the Divinity School, the Graduate School of Education, and the School of Public Health.

Harvard’s rejection marks a decisive shift after months of internal and external criticism for not pushing back harder. More than 800 faculty members had recently signed a letter urging the university to resist the White House’s directives.

Federal retaliation and mounting legal challenges

The federal response was swift. Officials moved to freeze the school’s access to $2.2 billion in grants and contracts, escalating the administration’s broader campaign to remake higher education. Columbia University had already conceded to federal demands last month in exchange for restored funding, but Harvard’s stance may now embolden other schools.

Representative Elise Stefanik called for Harvard to be “totally defunded,” echoing growing calls among conservatives to sever taxpayer ties with elite institutions. But nine other major universities, including MIT, Princeton, and Brown, sued the administration on Monday over a separate funding cut, signalling a broader academic rebellion.

Support builds across academia

Harvard’s defiance was hailed across higher education. Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, said the move was “a road map” for how institutions could push back. “This gives people a sense of the possible,” he said.

Students, too, welcomed the stand. Ethan Kelly, a Harvard senior, said the message was a relief. “There’s been so much concern that Harvard would fold under political pressure,” he said. “This matters.”

At stake: academic freedom and university autonomy

With lawsuits mounting and billions in funding at stake, the showdown between Harvard and the White House may define the future of academic independence in the United States. Harvard says it has already made strides to address concerns over campus climate, including improving ideological diversity and student discipline policies.

But the university insists that no administration, regardless of party, should be allowed to control its teaching, admissions, or academic focus. As President Garber put it, “Neither Harvard nor any other private university can allow itself to be taken over by the federal government.”