The White House has blown up Ivy League institutions for “bad illegal activities” as the Trump administration sets up changes to academic institution governance and admissions processes head on with Harvard University.
The government announced Monday that it would freeze more than $2 billion in federal funds from the agency after Harvard refused to comply with a series of requests from the Trump administration to reform various practices on campus.
When asked why agencies like Harvard could use federal funds, White House spokesman Caroline Leavitt said President Donald Trump was often the only person who raised himself.
“This is a question the president clearly raised in his arguments, not just in Harvard, but also in negotiations with Columbia and many other Ivy League agencies,” Lewitt told reporters Tuesday.
Trump administrators will cut more than $2.2 billion in funding to Harvard after-school.
White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt will hold a press conference at the White House in Washington on April 15, 2025. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)
“We have an anti-Semitic task force, and the president promised and delivered,” Levitt said. “The anti-Semitism Task Force across the government, representatives of various federal agencies that you meet every week to discuss the questions you just raised. And I think many Americans are wondering why their taxes not only indoctrinate students in our country, but also cause such malicious illegal activities.”
But Harvard President Alan M. Gerber said in a statement Monday that the Trump administration not only addressed anti-Semitism on campus, but also addressed additional demands that it would not comply because the demand was unconstitutional.
Specifically, Gerber said the new demands, including auditing audit points for monitoring points for students, faculty and staff on campus and eliminating all diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, offices and initiatives at Harvard University, demanding “direct government regulations of Harvard's 'intelligent conditions'.”
“The intent makes it clear that it is not to work with us to address anti-Semitism in a collaborative and constructive way,” Gerber writes. “We have notified the administration through our legal advisor that we will not accept the proposed agreement.”
The Trump administration's Justice Department announced a federal task force in February to combat anti-Semitism. It aims to eradicate prejudice on campus since October 2023, when it has experienced incidents targeting Jewish students.
Harvard will not comply with Trump administrators' requests amid the threat of cutting federal funds
The Trump administration has announced it will freeze more than $2 billion in grants and contracts after Harvard University said it would not comply with federal demands on anti-Semitism. (AP image)
The task force evaluates the actions they take on the following campus: Columbia University. George Washington University; Harvard University; Johns Hopkins University. New York University; Northwestern University; University of California, Los Angeles. University of California, Berkeley. University of Minnesota; University of Southern California.
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“Today's Harvard statement reinforces the mindset of endemic and troublesome qualifications at the most prestigious universities and universities in our country. Federal investment is not responsible for supporting civil rights laws,” the task force said Monday. “The learning confusion that has plagued campus in recent years is unacceptable, and the harassment of Jewish students is unbearable.
“It's time for elite universities to take matters seriously and continue to receive taxpayer support, and commit to meaningful change,” the statement said.
