Trump administration plotting additional $1B cut at Harvard amid ongoing battle
President Donald Trump's administration is intending to slash another $1 billion in federal funding from Harvard University amid an ongoing clash with the institution over accusations of antisemitism that has already led to the freezing of $2.2 billion in federal funds .
The news was first reported by The Wall Street Journal , which cited people familiar with the matter. The additional $1 billion would be taken from the university's funds for health research, the paper reported.
A spokesman for Harvard did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent Monday morning.
The news comes after Harvard said it would not accept a series of demands set forward by the Trump administration, putting $9 billion in federal funding at risk. But, the journal reported, Trump officials believed their demands were the starting point for negotiations and were surprised when the university disclosed a letter outlining the government's requests.
Over the weekend, the New York Times reported the letter was sent in error , citing several Trump administration officials.
The letter demanded , among other things, the university shutter diversity, equity and inclusion programs, implement a mask ban and adopt merit-based admissions and hiring policies to end preferences based on race, color or national origin.
Harvard President Alan Garber said the administration's demands go "beyond the power of the federal government," violate Harvard's First Amendment rights and are over "the statutory limits of the government's authority." In rejecting the administration's demands, Harvard became the first major university to push back against the government's efforts to restructure top schools in the country.
The Trump administration's Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, which sent the demands to Harvard, said the university's rejection of its demands "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."
In the wake of Harvard's rejection, the administration froze $2.2 billion in multi-year grants and $60 million in multi-year contract value.
The government has also threatened to revoke Harvard's tax-exempt status and the Department of Homeland Security is requiring the institution to submit detailed records of foreign students' visa holders' "illegal and violent activities" before the end of the month. The administration is otherwise threatening to allow the institution to enroll international students.
