Donald Trump has been using the power of the federal purse to “persuade” colleges and universities to adhere to his executive orders on matters such as prohibiting men in women’s sports and doing more to prevent the rampant antisemitism we’ve seen on so many campuses since the Israel-Hamas war broke out.

We’ve seen the president pull funding—or at least threaten to—at Columbia University, the University of Maine, Cornell, UPenn and more.

Now Harvard University is pushing back. Once considered among the premiere academic institutions in the world, their reputation has taken tremendous hits as they’ve been accused of racism in their admissions policies, they tripled-down on divisive DEI ideology, their president resigned amid plagiarism allegations, and perhaps most importantly, they allowed antisemitism and pro-Hamas terrorist ideology to rage on "Hahvahd Yahd."

Instead of cleaning up their act, they’re doubling down on their troubling behavior—and for now at least, there’s a huge price to pay:

The Trump administration's Joint Task Force to Combat Antisemitism announced it is freezing over $2 billion in multi-year grants and contracts to Harvard University in Massachusetts, after the school’s president released a statement saying the school would not comply with the administration’s demands regarding antisemitism.

The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights. Neither Harvard nor any other private university can allow itself to be taken over by the federal government. https://t.co/5k5t9RYYC2

— Harvard University (@Harvard) April 14, 2025

Team Trump was not amused:

"Harvard’s statement today reinforces the troubling entitlement mindset that is endemic in our nation's most prestigious universities and colleges – that federal investment does not come with the responsibility to uphold civil rights laws," the task force said. "The disruption of learning that has plagued campuses in recent years is unacceptable. The harassment of Jewish students is intolerable.

"It is time for elite universities to take the problem seriously and commit to meaningful change if they wish to continue receiving taxpayer support," the statement continued. "The Joint Task Force to combat anti-Semitism is announcing a freeze on $2.2 billion in multi-year grants and $60M in multi-year contract value to Harvard University."

More: BREAKING: Harvard President Claudine Gay to Resign Amid Plagiarism and Antisemitism Scandals

Not-So-Shocking Report Shows Harvard Was Just Kidding About Tackling Antisemitism on Campus

The administration is reacting to Harvard’s adamant refusal to accept responsibility for their issues and make meaningful change. University President Alan M. Garber issued a defiant letter arguing that the government was guilty of overreach:

He also noted that the Trump administration issued an updated and expanded list of demands, saying if the school plans to maintain a financial relationship with the federal government, it must comply.

"It makes clear that the intention is not to work with us to address antisemitism in a cooperative and constructive manner," Garber wrote. "We have informed the administration through our legal counsel that we will not accept their proposed agreement."

When divisive former president and current dilettante Barack Obama weighs in, you can bet he'll be on the wrong side of the argument:

Harvard has set an example for other higher-ed institutions – rejecting an unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom, while taking concrete steps to make sure all students at Harvard can benefit from an environment of intellectual inquiry, rigorous debate and… https://t.co/gAu9UUqgjF

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) April 15, 2025

Harvard brass and progressive critics act as if a right is being taken from them. As the conservative institution Hillsdale College points out, that’s BS—they have no “right” to our hard-earned taxpayer dollars:

There is another way:

Refuse taxpayer money. https://t.co/qAtohdDE5C

— Hillsdale College (@Hillsdale) April 14, 2025

I've been reporting on similar stories in recent months, and one thing has struck me: the unbelievable amount of federal dollars that are poured annually into these institutions. Harvard has an endowment of—sit down for this—$52 billion. You wouldn’t think they’d need much help now, would you? Yet they’re the beneficiary of nearly $9 billion in multi-year federal grants and contracts. For DOGE's next trick, I would encourage them to find out where the heck that massive pile of money is going (not only at Harvard but at many other schools as well).

New York GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik, herself a Crimson alum, summed up what’s been going on at the once revered institution:

🚨🚨🚨🚨

Statement on Harvard’s Announcement Defying the Department of Education

——

“Harvard University has rightfully earned its place as the epitome of the moral and academic rot in higher education.

Fueled by the radical groupthink Far Left faculty, inept University…

— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) April 14, 2025

Fueled by the radical groupthink Far Left faculty, inept University leadership, donations by foreign adversaries, and proHamas terrorists, Harvard has fully embraced and tolerated the raging antisemitism threatening the lives and physical safety of Jewish students on campus.

It is time to totally cut off U.S. taxpayer funding to this institution that has failed to live up to its founding motto Veritas.

Defund Harvard.

Boom.

The nation’s elite academic institutions have lost the plot and become full-on indoctrination centers. 

Trump is fighting back.

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