U.S. President Donald Trump announced Monday that he is considering redirecting $3 billion in federal research grants away from Harvard University and reallocating them to trade schools, escalating an ongoing political and legal battle between the president and one of the country’s most prestigious academic institutions.
Trump made the announcement on his social media platform, Truth Social, calling the proposed move “a great investment that would be for the USA, and so badly needed!!!.” President’s statement follows weeks of federal agencies freezing or withdrawing research funding previously awarded to Harvard. According to reports, more than $3 billion in research grants and contracts—much of it awarded by agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Department of Defense, and the Department of Energy—has either been suspended or revoked.
Trump has accused Harvard of hiring “Radical Left idiots and bird brains,” and being “very antisemitic.” He has also criticised the university’s limited cooperation with recent federal requests for information on foreign students, including protest footage and disciplinary records. Harvard bhas responded by filing a lawsuit to restore the funding, arguing that the cuts represent an unconstitutional retaliation and a threat to academic freedom. The university declined to comment on Trump’s latest remarks.
The funding freeze is just one element of a broader conflict. Last week, a U.S. judge temporarily blocked a Trump administration policy that sought to bar Harvard from enrolling new foreign students, affecting more than 7,000 international students—roughly 27% of the university’s total enrollment. Harvard argued that the policy would have an “immediate and devastating effect” and called it a “blatant violation” of the U.S. Constitution. The administration has also proposed revoking Harvard’s tax-exempt status, increasing taxes on its multi-billion-dollar endowment, and launched a federal civil rights investigation into alleged discrimination against “white, Asian, male, or straight” applicants and employees.
Much of the frozen funding supports vital research at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, including studies on tuberculosis and multiple sclerosis—work generally not done at trade or vocational schools. Despite this, Trump has said the money should be redirected to institutions that teach practical skills such as cosmetology, plumbing, or automotive repair. Jason Altmire, president of a national association representing trade schools and for-profit colleges, praised the proposal.
Legal experts note that redirecting federal grant money would likely require Congressional approval and a formal reallocation process. Most federal research grants are competitively awarded to individual scientists after rigorous peer review. Meanwhile, Harvard’s legal battle in federal court continues. The university argues that the administration’s policies are an attempt to force ideological conformity on academia and curb dissent.
During his 2023 campaign, Trump proposed taxing large university endowments to fund an “American Academy” — a publicly accessible platform offering free online education in both academic and vocational subjects, explicitly excluding “wokeness or jihadism.” However, no further details about the initiative have been released.