Federal officials frozen $ 2.2 billion. (PLN 8 billion 327 million) subsidies for the university, after she refused to comply with the requirements for which the Trump administration requested. They concerned, among others suppressing student protests, changes in recruitment and employment practices, as well as undergoing government audit.
On Tuesday, Trump also suggested in social media that Harvard may lose the status of a tax exempt and instead “to be taxed as a political unit.”
Harvard University, with a huge fund worth over $ 53 billion. (PLN 200 billion PLN 610 million) and a powerful network of graduates, he was now in a unique position to become the most significant institution in the USA, which actively opposes Trump's policy.
– Harvard – Due to his resources, history and commitment to freedom of speech – he is able to defend itself – said Steven Hyman, who in the past served as the vice -rector of this university.
Trump declares war to universities
The conflict has been growing for months, during which Trump's administration attacked other elite schools. This week, however, is a turning point in the Trump campaign directed against institutions that its administration perceives as hostile. It is also an unprecedented event in the 388-year history of the richest university in America.
“Politicians were traditionally proud of the fact that American higher education was the subject of jealousy of the whole world,” said Thomas Parker, a graduate of Harvard, who is an older collaborator at the Institute for Higher Education Policy, an organization based in Washington. “It's unprecedented that now this view is different,” he added.
Attacks on the best universities in the country are conducted by one of the most influential people in the White House, including Stephen Miller, the main political advisor of Trump, Vince Haley, director of the United States Internal Policy Council and May Mailman, political stratek and law graduate on Harvard.
Continuation of the material under the video
Harvard must now decide whether to negotiate with the Trump administration or fight in court. The university is represented by two lawyers enjoying recognition on the right: William A. Burck, who represented many Trump allies in legal disputes, and Robert Hura, a graduate of Harvard. The latter was the author of the report on the handling of former President Joe Biden with confidential documents, which was often cited by conservatives as a proof of deterioration of his mental state during the campaign in 2024.
This clash puts the Rector of Harvard, Alan Garber, who took the highest position at the university last year after his predecessor, Claudine Gay, gave up her position in connection with the plagiarism scandal and fears about her behavior towards anti -Semitism on the campus.
“Harvard must apologize”
A 69-year-old academic lecturer with diplomas in economics and medicine with a restrained disposition is not a natural candidate for the resistance leader. But his reaction to Trump's actions this week was hailed by Democrats and many on Harvard campus as an example of how to fight the president's aggression.
Garber wrote in a Monday statement that Trump's administration requests against the school violate “university rights resulting from the first amendment and [przekraczają] statutory boundaries of government power. “
– no government – regardless of which party is in power – should not dictate what private universities can teachwho they can take and employ and what areas of study and research can conduct – he wrote.
John Tlumacki / The Boston Globe / Getty Images
Propaletyn protest at the University of Harvard, September 6, 2025.
The spokeswoman for the White House Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday that Harvard “did not take the demands of administration seriously.”
“All that the president asks is that you do not break the federal law, and then you will be able to receive government funds,” she said. Leavitt added that Trump “wants Harvard to apologize to” the glaring anti -Semitism that took place at their university campus and was aimed against Jewish students. “
Many on the left now hope that Harvard resistance will cause a new wave of opposition from institutions from which the administration expects changes. However, freezing financing can create serious problems for the university, even despite its wealth – and it is not clear if others will follow in his footsteps.
“Historically, universities were doing quite well in repelling the government's intervention,” said Parker. – Recently I am asking myself: Harvard has made this historically important and great gesture – but where are everyone else? Where is the whole community?
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
