Harvard University will be barred from receiving any new federal grants until it complies with a set of conditions outlined by President Donald Trump’s administration, US Education Secretary Linda McMahon announced on Tuesday.
In a sharply worded letter shared on X, McMahon reaffirmed the administration’s position, demanding that Harvard address concerns regarding antisemitism on campus and its use of race in admissions. “This letter is to inform you that Harvard should no longer seek GRANTS from the federal government, since none will be provided,” she wrote to the university’s president.
Dear @Harvard: pic.twitter.com/XmMimXfkX0
— Secretary Linda McMahon (@EDSecMcMahon) May 5, 2025
According to an Education Department official cited by the Associated Press, the restriction applies only to federal research grants, not to federal financial aid that helps students pay tuition and fees.
This move represents a significant escalation in the Trump administration’s standoff with the Ivy League institution, potentially halting billions of dollars in future research funding. The federal government had already frozen $2.2 billion in grants previously allocated to Harvard, as Trump continues to press for the university’s tax-exempt status to be reviewed.
In the three-page letter posted online, McMahon wrote: “Harvard University has made a mockery of this country’s higher education system. It has welcomed foreign students who behave violently and express disdain for the United States.”
Harvard will continue to defend against illegal government overreach aimed at stifling research and innovation that make Americans safer and more secure. Read the full statement: https://t.co/UIPoI5wZrr
— Harvard News (@harvardnews) May 6, 2025
She further criticized the university’s policies, saying, “In every way, Harvard has failed its legal, ethical, and fiduciary responsibilities, as well as its duties of transparency and academic integrity. It has eliminated standardized testing and normalized grade inflation.”
Harvard’s Response
Harvard University responded by calling the education secretary’s demands an attempt to impose “unprecedented and improper control” over the institution. The university said that withholding research funding in retaliation for its legal actions was “illegal.”
“Today’s letter makes new threats to illegally withhold funding for lifesaving research and innovation in retaliation against Harvard for filing its lawsuit on April 21,” the university stated.
Trump has repeatedly criticized Harvard over alleged antisemitism during pro-Palestinian protests on campus, equating pro-Palestinian sentiment with antisemitism and support for Hamas.
In rejecting several of Trump’s earlier demands, Harvard described them as an assault on free speech and academic independence. The university’s lawsuit argues that cutting off federal funding would lead to serious “real-life consequences for patients, students, faculty, staff, and researchers.”
