Why Trump Froze $2.2 Billion for Harvard

President’s clash with Harvard University signals a broader federal push against antisemitism on campuses — and raises debates over academic freedom and political power.

Havard University. Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

Donald Trump has escalated his feud with Harvard University by proposing to revoke its tax-exempt status over what he calls the school’s failure to combat antisemitism on campus​ (politico.com).

Trump’s remark — posted on his Truth Social platform — suggested Harvard:

Perhaps Harvard should lose its Tax Exempt Status and be Taxed as a Political Entity if it keeps pushing political, ideological, and terrorist inspired/supporting “Sickness?”

This threat came a day after the Trump administration froze $2.2 billion in federal grants to Harvard​.

The funding halt, carried out by a new federal task force on campus antisemitism, followed Harvard’s refusal to implement a White House-mandated list of changes aimed at curbing antisemitic harassment (​cbsnews.com)​.

Harvard’s leaders contend the government’s demands – which included disciplining pro-Palestinian protesters and scrapping certain diversity programs – violate academic freedom and university autonomy​.

Trump and his allies argue that elite colleges have allowed an environment of “unchecked anti-Semitism” and failed to protect Jewish students, warranting aggressive intervention​.

Supporters of the crackdown applaud the get-tough approach as long overdue, while many educators and civil-liberties advocates warn that using political pressure and funding leverage in this way sets a dangerous precedent for higher education​.

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