Harvard University emerged victorious in court this week with a decision that the Trump administration should release $2.2 billion in research money. Yet despite the win, the Ivy League institution remains in a broader battle with the White House, which has its hands on a wide array of levers to restrict the institution's finances, reputation, and activities, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The legal battle is far from over
The court ruling was handed down by a Boston judge who was appointed by President Barack Obama and sided with Harvard's argument that the administration cut its funding illegally. President Trump immediately said he would appeal, setting up the possibility the fight could drag on for months and could wind up before the Supreme Court. Experts note that the justices just so ruled in favour of the administration in a different case involving federal research grants, leaving open a door for the government to argue on appeal that such grievances are contractual and not constitutional. That priori might tilt the balance in Trump's favour on appeal.
Federal funding continues to be essential
Even with its $53 billion endowment, Harvard relies heavily on government support. Federal grants power its laboratories, its ability to hire great faculty, and its place as a science and technology powerhouse. In addition to money, the government regulates international student visas, tax-exempt status, and patent oversight. Immediately following the court ruling, the White House declared Harvard still ineligible for new funds, echoing its ability to shut down the university regardless of court rulings.
Trump's broader campaign against elite universities
The scandal reflects deepening tensions between the Trump administration and elite universities. Conservatives have long grumbled that Ivy League universities stifle conservative thought and receive huge subsidies at public expense. Trump's demeanour towards universities is compared by analysts to Democratic distrust of oil and gas companies: powerful, entrenched, and politically adversarial. Trump's allies criticized Harvard's foreign gift reports, challenged its tax exemptions, and even threatened to seize patents worth hundreds of millions of dollars if the university fails to comply with federal regulations.
A hydra-like challenge
The White House has a few alternatives available to it, so Harvard's battle will resemble an assault on a hydra. If one legal avenue is closed off, several more are open. Even in the event of a favourable ruling on research grants, the administration can migrate to student visas, compliance audits, or tax exemptions. That Byzantine bureaucracy assures Harvard will keep living in suspended animation, regardless of court victories.
What comes next
Harvard President Alan Garber acknowledged the challenges, invoking the community to remain vigilant as the legal and political landscape unfolds. While the court order procures temporary relief, the university is gearing up for protracted confrontation. For Trump, the confrontation is simultaneously a policy battle and a political symbol, affirming his stance against what his base interprets as liberal bastions of privilege.
Harvard's win in Boston is not accompanied by a guarantee of stability. With appeals still ongoing and the White House wielding huge leverage, the university will have to bargain not only a legal struggle, but a political one that will reshape its role with Washington. The outcome will have far-reaching implications beyond Harvard, establishing the degree to which the federal government can exert control over higher education in an era of partisanship.
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