Trump Advises Education Secretary to Request Funds from Harvard

On Tuesday, President Trump directed Secretary Linda McMahon to pursue at least $500 million from Harvard University as part of a strategy to regain $2.4 billion in federal grants.

“We don’t want more than $500 million from them. Just don’t negotiate, Linda. They’ve been very bad,” Trump remarked during a cabinet meeting, while cameras were rolling.

This year, Trump had already removed federal funding from Cambridge, Massachusetts, citing concerns about the school allegedly promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at the expense of Jewish faculty and students, failing to safeguard them from discrimination.

In July, the president indicated that Harvard was looking to resolve matters after Columbia University managed to regain its grants following a $200 million penalty for civil rights violations.

Federal assistance to Morningside Heights facilities had previously been halted, losing $400 million in grants.

The agreement involving Columbia included appointing an independent monitor, alongside a six-month report evaluating compliance with Title VI, VII, and IX of the Anti-Discrimination Act.

Columbia also faced legal repercussions, having to pay over $20 million to Jewish employees who had experienced discrimination.

In terms of financial weight, Columbia’s endowment stands at about $14.8 billion, while Harvard’s is significantly larger at approximately $53 billion.

The Education Department has urged Harvard to enact policy changes, focusing on more rigorous measures against anti-Semitism and the requirement to provide federal authorities with information regarding international students.

“We hope Harvard will engage in discussions,” McMahon shared with News Nation’s “Morning in America” last month, indicating a proactive look toward other universities that might preemptively negotiate with the department.

Harvard is contesting the suspension of grants in federal court, arguing that such actions infringe on the university’s First Amendment rights.

Judge Alison Burrows of Boston’s US District Court has voiced doubts about the “ad-hoc” nature of the decision to withdraw research funding initiated by the Trump administration.

Earlier this month, complaints surfaced against Harvard from the conservative group America First Legal (AFL), which identified nearly $49 million attributed to taxpayer-funded DEI programs.

Adding to the pressure, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick threatened to target patents and inventions worth hundreds of millions of dollars, all linked to taxpayer funding, from Harvard faculty and students.