Trump administration freezes $2.2 billion in grants to Harvard over campus activism

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: AP

Updated 8:21 PM EDT, April 14, 2025


BOSTON (AP) — The federal government says it’s freezing more than $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts to Harvard University, since the institution said Monday it won’t comply with the Trump administration’s demands to limit activism on campus.

In a letter to Harvard Friday, the administration called for broad government and leadership reforms, a requirement that Harvard institute what it calls “merit-based” admissions and hiring policies as well as conduct an audit of the study body, faculty and leadership on their views about diversity.

The demands, which are an update from an earlier letter, also call for a ban on face masks — which appeared to target pro-Palestinian protesters. They also pressure the university to stop recognizing or funding “any student group or club that endorses or promotes criminal activity, illegal violence, or illegal harassment.”

Harvard President Alan Garber, in a letter to the Harvard community Monday, said the demands violated the university’s First Amendment rights and “exceeds the statutory limits of the government’s authority under Title VI,” which prohibits discrimination against students based on their race, color or national origin.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/harvard-trump-administration-federal-cuts-antisemitism-0a1fb70a2c1055bda7c4c5a5c476e18d

[crimycarny]

1. Legit question--isn't Congress in charge of funding?

How can Trump freeze funding on his own? What am I missing? I thought Congress controlled the purse.

I'm truly confused how this isn't going through Congress. I mean, sure, the GOP would probably support the freeze anyway but at least then it would go through the proper channels.

[sakabatou]

2. The QOP only cares about "proper channels" when Democrats are in charge

[BumRushDaShow]

3. The process would be what they finally did per the below-linked OP

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143440570

Otherwise everything else they have done is illegal.

[Martin68]

4. Harvard, and every university, owes to their values, principles and mission the obligation to hold the line and

refuse to give in to Trump's extortion. They've been teaching for more than a century that these are the basic principles that underlie their education and their philosophy. If they give in to appease an autocrat, then they have succumbed to greed and are nothing but weak-kneed hypocrites.

[BigmanPigman]

5. I learned of this today and it 100% authoritarian...

?si=pk1_L0sCxrPFjiHQ

[electric_blue68]

6. I'm glad Harvard is holding strong. Lawrence gave an impassioned defense of Harvard I believe yesterday night. 👍