Trump administration threatens additional $1B in Harvard funding

Summary

Funding Clash

The Trump administration threatened to pull another $1 billion in federal funding from Harvard over the university's refusal to meet demands about campus protests and international visa oversight.

Information Access

The federal government wants access to all the school's reports on antisemitism and anti-Muslim bias on campus since October 2023.

Harvard Refusal

Harvard's president refused and said the government has no right to that information since it is a private college.

The Trump administration is threatening to revoke an additional billion in federal funding from Harvard. — Image credit: Scott Eisen/Getty Images

This recording was made using enhanced software.

Summary

Funding Clash

The Trump administration threatened to pull another $1 billion in federal funding from Harvard over the university's refusal to meet demands about campus protests and international visa oversight.

Information Access

The federal government wants access to all the school's reports on antisemitism and anti-Muslim bias on campus since October 2023.

Harvard Refusal

Harvard's president refused and said the government has no right to that information since it is a private college.

Full story

The Trump administration threatened to revoke another $1 billion in federal funding from Harvard University as the school continues to push back against certain government demands, The Wall Street Journal reported. The administration would withhold health research funding, which Harvard professors warned may force the university to euthanize animals, end life-saving research and slash jobs.

What does the Trump administration want?

The federal government asked America’s oldest college to grant it access to all university reports on antisemitism and anti-Muslim bias on campus since October 2023, including drafts that were never publicly released.

If the documents are not released, the Trump administration says it will revoke an additional $1 billion in federal health research funding from the school.

Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.

Point phone camera here

A letter from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights to Harvard leadership said the school must release names of anyone involved in preparing those reports. The letter, which was obtained by The Free Press, also said they should be made available for interviews by federal officials.

Some funding has already been revoked

The latest report comes after the White House asked the Internal Revenue service (IRS) to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status and the Department of Homeland Security canceled $2.7 million in grants to the university.

In a letter to campus on Monday, April 14, Harvard’s president said while some of the government’s demands do concern antisemitism, most would represent “direct governmental regulation” of the private university.

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

The Trump administration withheld government funding not just from Harvard but also Columbia University and other colleges in response to them allowing pro-Palestinian demonstrations on their campuses.

Shea Taylor (Producer) and Kaleb Gillespie (Video Editor) contributed to this report.

Tags: antisemitism, Columbia University, Department of Health and Human Services, Donald Trump, Gaza, Harvard, Palestine, Protests

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION THREATENED TO REVOKE ANOTHER ONE BILLION DOLLARS IN FEDERAL FUNDING FROM HARVARD UNIVERSITY.

THIS COMES AS THE GOVERNMENT CONTINUES ITS PUSH FOR AMERICA’S OLDEST COLLEGE TO GRANT ACCESS TO **ALL** UNIVERSITY REPORTS ON ANTISEMITISM AND ANTI-MUSLIM BIAS ON CAMPUS – INCLUDING DRAFTS THAT WERE NEVER PUBLICLY RELEASED – SINCE OCTOBER 20-23.

A LETTER FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES’ OFFICE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS TO HARVARD LEADERSHIP – ALSO SAID THE SCHOOL MUST RELEASE NAMES OF ANYONE INVOLVED IN PREPARING THOSE REPORTS. THE AGENCY SAID THEY SHOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS BY FEDERAL OFFICIALS.

THE LATEST REPORT COMES AFTER THE WHITE HOUSE ASKED THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE TO REVOKE HARVARD’S TAX-EXEMPT STATUS… **AND** THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY CANCELED 2 POINT 7 MILLION DOLLARS IN GRANTS TO THE UNIVERSITY.

IN A STATEMENT LAST MONDAY – HARVARD’S PRESIDENT SAID WHILE **SOME** OF THE GOVERNMENT’S DEMANDS DO CONCERN ANTISEMITISM… MOST WOULD REPRESENT “DIRECT GOVERNMENTAL REGULATION” OF THE PRIVATE UNIVERSITY.

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WITHHELD GOVERNMENT FUNDING NOT JUST FROM HARVARD – BUT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY AND OTHER COLLEGES, AS WELL… IN RESPONSE TO THEM ALLOWING PRO-PALESTINIAN DEMONSTRATIONS ON THEIR CAMPUSES.

TO STAY IN THE KNOW ON ALL THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS ON THIS STORY – MAKE SURE YOU DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP TODAY.

Why this story matters

This story highlights the ongoing tension between the Trump administration and Harvard University regarding federal funding and institutional autonomy.

University Independence

Harvard's refusal to comply with government demands emphasizes the ongoing debate about the independence of private universities from federal oversight.

Impact on Research

The potential loss of health research funding raises concerns about the implications for critical academic research and the livelihoods of faculty and staff.

Get the big picture

Synthesized coverage insights across 47 media outlets

Common ground

Both left and right-leaning articles highlight the conflict between Harvard University and the Trump administration, particularly concerning the university's response to federal demands. They also agree on the significant financial implications, which include threats to freeze billions in federal funding and revoke tax-exempt status if Harvard does not comply with the administration's directives.

Diverging views

Left-leaning articles typically focus on the implications of governmental overreach and the importance of academic freedom, emphasizing Harvard's need to uphold its independence. In contrast, right-leaning articles often frame Harvard's resistance as an indulgence of 'woke' ideologies that warrant government intervention, asserting that the university should face consequences for failing to comply with federal policy expectations.

Underreported

The potential long-term impact on research and academic integrity due to funding cuts and political pressures is underreported. The loss of funding not only affects current projects but may also deter future innovations and limit the scope of academic inquiry at major research institutions, straining public health and other critical fields.