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Former President Barack Obama has praised Harvard for rejecting the Trump administration’s “ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom.”
Obama said that in refusing to buckle to the White House’s demands, the Ivy League university has set an example for other higher education institutions and hopes they will also “follow suit.”
“Harvard has set an example for other higher-ed institutions — rejecting an unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom, while taking concrete steps to make sure all students at Harvard can benefit from an environment of intellectual inquiry, rigorous debate and mutual respect,” Obama said in a statement posted on X Monday night. “Let’s hope other institutions follow suit.”
Obama also shared a statement from the university’s president, Alan Garber, to his 130 million followers. “No government—regardless of which party is in power—should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue,” Garber said.
Harvard rejected a list of demands that would have required sweeping changes at the university, saying it would not allow itself “to be taken over by the federal government.” The move is part of the administration’s plans to cut billions from Ivy League universities in response to their alleged failure to combat antisemitism.
“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. Accordingly, Harvard will not accept the government’s terms as an agreement in principle,” the university stated in a letter.
The Trump administration retaliated by slashing $2.2 billion in federal funds from Harvard on Monday after the university defiantly refused to comply with the changes.
The federal Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, which is made up of several federal agencies including the Justice Department and Education Department, announced the “freeze on $2.2 billion in multi-year grants and $60 million in multi-year contract value to Harvard University."
The task force did not specify which programs the cut grants will affect.
President Donald Trump issued a fresh threat against Harvard in a Truth Social post shared Tuesday. “Perhaps Harvard should lose its Tax Exempt Status and be Taxed as a Political Entity if it keeps pushing political, ideological, and terrorist inspired/supporting ‘Sickness?’ Remember, Tax Exempt Status is totally contingent on acting in the PUBLIC INTEREST!” Trump said.
The Department of Health and Human Services also issued a rebuke and accused Harvard of holding a “troubling entitlement mindset” in a statement released Tuesday.
“Harvard’s statement reinforces the troubling entitlement mindset that is endemic in our nation’s most prestigious universities and colleges – that federal investment does not come with the responsibility to uphold civil rights laws,” the statement said.
“The disruption of learning that has plagued campuses in recent years is unacceptable. The harassment of Jewish students is intolerable. It is time for elite universities to take the problem seriously and commit to meaningful change if they wish to continue receiving taxpayer support.”
English (US) ·