Trump administration furious at Harvard, plans to pull $1 billion
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The Trump administration escalated a dispute with Harvard by threatening to withdraw over $1 billion in health research funding after the university publicly rejected a confidential list of federal demands.
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People walk between buildings at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. (AP/Steven Senne)
The Trump administration is reportedly preparing to cut an additional $1 billion in health research funding from Harvard University, following a week of intensifying conflict between the two sides, according to sources familiar with the situation.
Officials in the administration had believed that a detailed list of demands sent to Harvard last Friday would remain confidential and serve as the foundation for further talks.
However, those officials were caught off guard when Harvard made the letter public on Monday. Until that point, the administration had been planning a more lenient approach with Harvard than with Columbia University. But after the letter’s release, insiders say the government shifted gears and decided to increase the pressure on Harvard.
According to people close to the university, there was never an agreement to keep the letter private. The demands, such as permitting federal oversight of admissions, hiring practices, and even the ideological leanings of students and staff, were viewed by Harvard as unacceptable from the start.
The demands came from a newly formed Trump administration group called the Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism.
In an open letter to the university community, Harvard President Alan Garber stated that the list of demands showed “the intention is not to work with us to address antisemitism in a cooperative and constructive manner.” He also noted, “We have informed the administration through our legal counsel that we will not accept their proposed agreement.”
“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.” - President Alan Garber https://t.co/6cQQpcJVTd
— Harvard University (@Harvard) April 14, 2025
Sources close to Harvard believe the task force has ramped up the conflict in order to defend its own image. The public backlash that followed the release of the letter, including criticism from some conservatives who viewed the demands as excessive, put pressure on the task force itself.
By releasing the letter on Monday, Harvard positioned itself as a symbol of defiance toward the Trump administration. The move contrasted sharply with Columbia University’s decision to comply with the task force’s conditions in an effort to reclaim $400 million in funding.
Harvard stands firm
The task force reportedly expected Harvard to follow a similar path.
Instead, tensions escalated further. Just hours after Harvard published the demands and signaled it would resist, the White House froze $2.26 billion in funding. It also threatened Harvard’s tax-exempt status and its ability to enroll international students, actions that could cost the university billions.
According to sources, Harvard had reached out to the administration in late March, hoping to avoid a standoff. The university had already been working for months to address antisemitism on campus through structural reforms. Harvard initially believed it was on the same page as the task force after receiving a letter of demands on April 3, but asked for clarification.
Insiders say the follow-up letter, sent on April 11, contained much more invasive requirements and appeared to be a final ultimatum. While the letter didn’t include a confidentiality label, task force members maintain they had previously expressed a desire for privacy in the negotiations. Harvard, however, disputes that any such agreement existed.
One of the provisions in the April 11 letter states as follows:
In particular, Harvard must end support and recognition of those student groups or clubs that engaged in
anti-Semitic activity since October 7th, 2023, including the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Committee, Harvard Graduates Students 4 Palestine, Law Students 4 Palestine, Students for Justice in Palestine, and the National Lawyers Guild, and discipline and render ineligible the officers and active members of those student organizations.
Officials in the Trump administration now question whether Harvard ever intended to negotiate in good faith and believe the university was preparing for a fight from the start.
Though the demand letter was reportedly sent a day earlier than the task force had planned, sources close to the group confirm its contents were deliberate. A White House spokesperson affirmed the administration’s support for the letter’s demands, despite earlier reports from The New York Times indicating the delivery may have been premature.
“Instead of grandstanding, Harvard should focus on rebuilding confidence among all students, particularly Jewish students,” the spokesperson said. “The White House remains open to dialogue, but serious changes are needed at Harvard.”
In his message to the Harvard community, President Garber acknowledged that while some of the government’s concerns addressed antisemitism, the majority of the demands would amount to “direct governmental regulation.”
