President Donald Trump escalated his conflict on Harvard over the weekend—this time by threatening to strip billions in federal analysis funding and provides it to commerce faculties as an alternative.
“I am considering taking Three Billion Dollars of Grant Money away from a very antisemitic Harvard, and giving it to TRADE SCHOOLS all across our land. What a great investment that would be for the USA, and so badly needed!!!” Trump wrote on Reality Social.
That is simply the newest volley in Trump’s rising feud with the nation’s wealthiest college. The battle kicked off in April, when Harvard refused to adjust to the Trump administration’s try to strong-arm modifications to the varsity’s admissions, disciplinary, and governance insurance policies. Days later, the White Home froze $2.3 billion in federal analysis grants.
Then got here one other blow: Trump vowed to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt standing.
“It’s what they deserve!” he fumed.
Now Trump’s contemplating redistributing the funding yanked from Harvard and its analysis companions to commerce faculties, although the proposal is obscure, lacks authorized grounding, and reads extra like a vendetta than a coverage initiative.
However this isn’t about future allocations. As an alternative, Trump seems to be concentrating on current analysis funding that’s already earmarked for scientific work, not college perks. The T.H. Chan College of Public Well being has been one of many hardest hit, with analysis on tuberculosis, a number of sclerosis, and different public well being crises stalled midstream.
Whereas commerce faculties are actually vital, they’re not those uncovering the basis causes of neurological ailments.
Harvard President Alan Garber put it plainly throughout an interview with NPR on Tuesday.
“The money that goes to research universities in the form of grants and contracts, which is almost all of the federal support that we get, is used to pay for work that we perform at the behest of the government,” he mentioned. “So in reallocating to some other use, including trade schools, it means that work just won’t be performed. So, the right question is, is this the most effective use of federal funding?”
Harvard isn’t simply talking out; it’s suing the Trump administration for the funding freeze and the try to dam overseas college students from returning to campus, which was additionally lately rebuffed by a federal choose. These college students make up roughly 27% of Harvard’s enrollment.
However on Monday, Trump doubled down, demanding Harvard hand over “foreign student lists” so his administration can determine what number of “radicalized lunatics, troublemakers all, should not be let back into our Country.”
“Harvard is very slow in the presentation of these documents, and probably for good reason!” he added.
This isn’t critical policymaking however a chronic PR marketing campaign to solid Harvard as a hotbed of leftist extremism and antisemitism. In fact, Trump is livid that the college gained’t bend to his will, and he’s lashing out with the one weapon he has: federal funding.
And he’s not stopping there.
In response to The New York Instances, the Trump administration now plans to sever all remaining ties with Harvard, and it’s urgent federal companies to do the identical.
In a letter anticipated to be despatched Tuesday, Josh Gruenbaum, federal acquisition service commissioner, instructed authorities companies to determine and cancel contracts with Harvard. He accused the college of “race discrimination” and exhibiting “a disturbing lack of concern for the safety and well-being of Jewish students.”
“We recommend that your agency terminate for convenience each contract that it determines has failed to meet its standards. And transition to a new vendor those contracts that could be better serviced by an alternative counterparty. Going forward, we also encourage your agency to seek alternative vendors for future services where you had previously considered Harvard,” Gruenbaum wrote.
It’s a sweeping try to isolate Harvard—not simply by freezing analysis grants however now by attempting to chop off each remaining federal partnership and contract. The message is obvious: comply or be erased.
This isn’t new. Trump has spent years attempting to pressure establishments—courts, legislation companies, media retailers, universities—to align along with his agenda. However elite universities particularly have been within the GOP’s crosshairs for years, accused of liberal bias and ideological gatekeeping.
There’s additionally a political calculation right here. Trump polls strongest with voters who don’t maintain four-year levels, so taking a shot at Harvard whereas hyping commerce faculties will strengthen his base.
And with enrollment in commerce faculties climbing—partly as a result of four-year faculties are too costly and about to get pricier because of Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” that simply handed the Home—there’s a transparent political technique in pitting the working class towards Ivy League elites.
So as soon as once more, Harvard is collateral injury in Trump’s marketing campaign to rile up his base. And it gained’t be the final shot he takes.
