The US government decreed this week that Harvard University would not receive federal grants until it met a series of demands outlined by President Donald Trump. The decision was laid out in a lengthy letter signed by US Education Secretary Linda McMahon and marked a major escalation of the Trump administration’s battle with the Ivy League school. The situation however took an unexpected turn after the letter was shared on social media — with netizens turning it into an elaborate grammar lesson for the Education Secretary.

“Did a high school kid write this? You’re the Secretary of “Education” and this is a chaotic mess of bad grammar and illiterate rambling. You poked the bear and you’re too stupid to even know it,” commented one X user.

“The corrections are funny but it distracts from the bigger problem which is this letter is just an opinion piece full of unsubstantiated accusations – some of which are contradictory! From a logic perspective it reminds me of Charles Manson’s rantings – or maybe just that paranoid Karen down the street who thinks your choice of mailbox was done specifically to mock her,” wrote another.

Many people on the internet also rushed to correct McMahon’s English — with a heavily edited copy of the letter soon going viral. Photos of the message shared subsequently on social media showed the pages covered in red ink notations with many words underlined or circled, and corrections scrawled across the margins. Some on social media also claimed that Harvard had responded to the letter by pointing out the myriad inaccuracies — although that could not be verified.

McMahon said the university must address concerns about antisemitism on campus, school policies that consider a student’s race, and complaints from the administration the university has abandoned its pursuit of “academic excellence” while employing relatively few conservative faculty members. The move represents the latest salvo from a Trump administration willing to use the power of the federal purse to force institutions, from law firms to universities, to make sweeping policy changes or else lose billions of dollars in federal grants and contracts.

“This letter is to inform you that Harvard should no longer seek GRANTS from the federal government, since none will be provided,” McMahon wrote.


Harvard said the McMahon letter doubles down on demands that would impose “unprecedented and improper control” over the university and makes new threats to “illegally” withhold funding for lifesaving research.

“Harvard will also continue to defend against illegal government overreach aimed at stifling research and innovation that make Americans safer and more secure,” a university spokesperson said.

(With inputs from agencies)