Harvard rejects Trump’s demands. Trump freezes $2.2 billion in grants.

[squistion 1,940]

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/14/trump-harvard-deal-funding-billion-dei.html

Harvard has $2.2 billion in grants frozen by Trump administration after rejecting demands

The Trump administration on Monday night said it was freezing $2.2 billion in grants to Harvard University over concerns about antisemitism on campus and other issues.

The freeze was announced hours after Harvard flatly rejected demands by the Trump administration to eliminate its DEI programs and screen international students for ideological concerns, including antisemitism, putting nearly $9 billion in federal funding for the university at risk.

“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,” Harvard President Alan Garber wrote in a note to the university community detailing his reasons for not complying with the demands.

“Although some of the demands outlined by the government are aimed at combating antisemitism, the majority represent direct governmental regulation of the ‘intellectual conditions’ at Harvard,” Garber said.

The U.S. General Services Administration and Department of Education responded with a statement detailing the freeze of $2.2 billion in multi-year grants and $60 million in multi-year contract value to Harvard.

“Harvard’s statement today 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 federal agencies said.

“The disruption of learning that has plagued campuses in recent years is unacceptable. The harassment of Jewish students is intolerable,” the agencies said. “It is time for elite universities to take the problem seriously and commit to meaningful change if they wish to continue receiving taxpayer support.”

[...]

[weepaws 3,148]

Good.  

[squistion 1,940]

MIT among multiple colleges joining Harvard in fight against Trump Administration.

https://x.com/EoinHiggins_/status/1911949236326850716 (MIT statement at link)

MIT following Harvard's lead here 

[nobody 2,555]

Good.  End the gravy train for these schools.

[BunnysBastatrds 2,303]

Money talks and academia leftist progessiveness entitlement bullshiiiit walks

[squistion 1,940]

 

[Hardcore troubadour 14,903]

Excellent. Hopefully it’s the beginning of the end for this nonsense. 

[Mike Hunt 261]

34 minutes ago, squistion said:

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/14/trump-harvard-deal-funding-billion-dei.html

Harvard has $2.2 billion in grants frozen by Trump administration after rejecting demands

The Trump administration on Monday night said it was freezing $2.2 billion in grants to Harvard University over concerns about antisemitism on campus and other issues.

The freeze was announced hours after Harvard flatly rejected demands by the Trump administration to eliminate its DEI programs and screen international students for ideological concerns, including antisemitism, putting nearly $9 billion in federal funding for the university at risk.

“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,” Harvard President Alan Garber wrote in a note to the university community detailing his reasons for not complying with the demands.

“Although some of the demands outlined by the government are aimed at combating antisemitism, the majority represent direct governmental regulation of the ‘intellectual conditions’ at Harvard,” Garber said.

The U.S. General Services Administration and Department of Education responded with a statement detailing the freeze of $2.2 billion in multi-year grants and $60 million in multi-year contract value to Harvard.

“Harvard’s statement today 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 federal agencies said.

“The disruption of learning that has plagued campuses in recent years is unacceptable. The harassment of Jewish students is intolerable,” the agencies said. “It is time for elite universities to take the problem seriously and commit to meaningful change if they wish to continue receiving taxpayer support.”

[...]

Thank for posting this!

Finally.  Let them start tapping into their own funds instead of the taxpayers funding a private school.

Harvard University has the highest endowment among U.S. universities and is the richest college in the world.  As of the end of fiscal year 2023, their endowment was valued at $50.7 billion. Harvard's endowment is significantly larger than that of other top universities like Yale University ($40.7 billion).

 

[squistion 1,940]

https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/education/obama-praises-harvard-university-gets-funding-frozen-due-resisting-trump?utm_medium=social_media&utm_source=twitter_social_icon&utm_campaign=social_icons

Obama says Harvard 'set an example' for how colleges should reject Trump's demands

Former President Barack Obama says Harvard University has "set an example" for how colleges should respond to President Trump's demands for change – even at the risk of losing billions in federal funding.

He posted his thoughts on social media late Monday, after the Trump administration called for Harvard to make changes including an end to antisemitism. After the Ivy League school said no, the administration froze $2.2 billion in federal grants and $60 million in contracts.

"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 wrote on the social media platform X.

Obama attended Harvard's law school and in 1990 became the Harvard Law Review's first black president.

Some of the administration's demands included implementing merit-based hiring, reforming programs with a history of antisemitism and getting rid of "diversity, equity and inclusion" policies.

Harvard President Alan Garber said the university would not comply with these demands. 

[Hardcore troubadour 14,903]

Endowments that grow tax free shouldn’t be given any federal funding once they reach a few billion. 

[TheNewGirl 1,339]

Why are we funding private colleges that already have other higher donors and tuition? 

[jerryskids 6,546]

24 minutes ago, squistion said:

MIT among multiple colleges joining Harvard in fight against Trump Administration.

https://x.com/EoinHiggins_/status/1911949236326850716 (MIT statement at link)

MIT following Harvard's lead here 

Somebody please tell Squissy that that MIT letter doesn't say what he, or his hack X poster, thinks it says.  He claims to have me on ignore, since I metaphorically slap him around in every thread.

[Hardcore troubadour 14,903]

25 pct of students at Harvard are foreigners. 

[Engorgeous George 2,117]

I encourage Harvard to pursue the puriest form of academic freedom of which they can concieve.  To do so all they have to do is to reject government funding, then government will have no strings atached to that funding, oppressive strings like obeying the Constitution and respecting the civil rights of all students on campus.

[Engorgeous George 2,117]

1 minute ago, Hardcore troubadour said:

25 pct of students at Harvard are foreigners. 

Pronounced "Fur in nurs".

[HellToupee 1,582]

3 minutes ago, Hardcore troubadour said:

25 pct of students at Harvard are foreigners. 

More $$$$ in foreigners 

[jerryskids 6,546]

Just now, HellToupee said:

More $$$$ in foreigners 

Yep, they tend to pay full price.

Except terrorist supporters like Khalil, he probably got a free ride to go to Columbia and spew his filth.   

[The Real timschochet 6,388]

7 minutes ago, TheNewGirl said:

Why are we funding private colleges that already have other higher donors and tuition? 

I agree with this. Trump does not; he is willing to dole out money to universities so long as they agree with his agenda. But personally I share your principle: let’s just cut off all of the ones who can afford to operate without our help. 

[jerryskids 6,546]

1 minute ago, The Real timschochet said:

I agree with this. Trump does not; he is willing to dole out money to universities so long as they agree with his agenda. But personally I share your principle: let’s just cut off all of the ones who can afford to operate without our help. 

Depends what you mean by "fund."  We need universities to do a lot of the pure research that corporations used to do, but no longer can (because shareholders demand quick and reliable returns on investments these days).

[jerryskids 6,546]

I wonder what discussions go on in the back room of these elite colleges, many of which have many prominent Jewish alumni.  Stephen A Schwarzman (founder of Blackstone, a bazillionaire) is an alum of Harvard, and I'm sure he has donated a bunch.  He gave so much money to MIT, to which he didn't even attend, that they reorganized their entire structure to create the Stephen A Schwarzman College of Computing.

He's Jewish and, from reading around, has donated money to Israel, and seems to support the Zionist state.

https://www.jpost.com/50-most-influential-jews/article-717735

Perhaps coincidentally, and despite Squissy's misguided X hack, MIT has not overly rocked the boat, yet anyway.

[MDC 7,111]

Good for Harvard. Glad they told Don to pound sand.

[Gepetto 1,285]

Harvard can comply or lose a lot of money. Good job by Trump. Harvard’s politics are atrocious.

[The Real timschochet 6,388]

1 minute ago, jerryskids said:

I wonder what discussions go on in the back room of these elite colleges, many of which have many prominent Jewish alumni.  Stephen A Schwarzman (founder of Blackstone, a bazillionaire) is an alum of Harvard, and I'm sure he has donated a bunch.  He gave so much money to MIT, to which he didn't even attend, that they reorganized their entire structure to create the Stephen A Schwarzman College of Computing.

He's Jewish and, from reading around, has donated money to Israel, and seems to support the Zionist state.

https://www.jpost.com/50-most-influential-jews/article-717735

Perhaps coincidentally, and despite Squissy's misguided X hack, MIT has not overly rocked the boat, yet anyway.

I am Jewish, consider myself a Zionist, and have in the past donated money to Israel and Zionist causes and will likely do so in the future. 
I am also sympathetic to the Palestinians, deplore the actions of the current Israeli government, support most of the college protests against that government’s actions (depending on rhetoric and peaceful nature), strongly support free speech on our college campuses. I don’t see any contradiction here. I assure you there are many Jews who feel as I do. 

[squistion 1,940]

Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland on CNN:

https://x.com/atrupar/status/1912147276388069698 (2:00 video clip at link)

Van Hollen:

"I applaud Harvard's decision not to give in to bullying from the Trump administration. Donald Trump believes in 1st Amendment rights for himself, but apparently for nobody else ... the whole purpose of 1A is you don't have the government dictating speech as the Trump administration is trying to do."

[EternalShinyAndChrome 3,828]

1 hour ago, TheNewGirl said:

Why are we funding private colleges that already have other higher donors and tuition? 

Exactly. 

 

[CaptainObvious1 319]

Good.  I voted for this stuff.

[Tree of Knowledge 1,689]

23 minutes ago, squistion said:

Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland on CNN:

https://x.com/atrupar/status/1912147276388069698 (2:00 video clip at link)

Van Hollen:

"I applaud Harvard's decision not to give in to bullying from the Trump administration. Donald Trump believes in 1st Amendment rights for himself, but apparently for nobody else ... the whole purpose of 1A is you don't have the government dictating speech as the Trump administration is trying to do."

This guy just seems hot for teachers.  When it comes to federal money and private universities everybody wants some.  If your university is promoting antisemitism, then you are running with the devil.  

[Engorgeous George 2,117]

I hope the withholding of funds does not adversely affect harvard's remedial math program for incoming freshmen.  Strange, but i remember a time when Harvard was pretty strict on SAT and ACT math scores to obtain admission.  

[Mike Honcho 5,080]

1 hour ago, jerryskids said:

Depends what you mean by "fund."  We need universities to do a lot of the pure research that corporations used to do, but no longer can (because shareholders demand quick and reliable returns on investments these days).

This +1

[jbycho 577]

Excellent. Cut them for good. 

[Fnord 2,049]

1 hour ago, The Real timschochet said:

I agree with this. Trump does not; he is willing to dole out money to universities so long as they agree with his agenda. But personally I share your principle: let’s just cut off all of the ones who can afford to operate without our help. 

If I understand correctly, these grants are mostly for research. There is an expectation of results. The money is not just a gov't donation. Jerry is right about the R&D dollars not being spent by corporations anymore.

[Fnord 2,049]

57 minutes ago, CaptainObvious1 said:

Good.  I voted for this stuff.

For governmental control over an institution of higher learning? I don't remember that being part of Trump's stump speeches. Sounds kinda... fascist.

[Hardcore troubadour 14,903]

4 minutes ago, Fnord said:

If I understand correctly, these grants are mostly for research. There is an expectation of results. The money is not just a gov't donation. Jerry is right about the R&D dollars not being spent by corporations anymore.

Are they the ones that put the shrimp on the treadmills? 

[jbycho 577]

1 minute ago, Hardcore troubadour said:

Are they the ones that put the shrimp on the treadmills? 

They do all the transgender research telling us there are more than 85 different sexes that a human can be. 

[squistion 1,940]

 

[TBayXXXVII 2,480]

3 hours ago, The Real timschochet said:

I am Jewish, consider myself a Zionist

Interesting.... 

 

[Mike Honcho 5,080]

 

Quote

 

Trump threatens to tax Harvard as a political entity after the university rejects administration's demands

President Donald Trump is threatening to tax Harvard University as a political entity after the institution rejected the administration’s policy change demands, which resulted in the freezing of $2.2 billion in federal funding.

“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 posted on Truth Social.

 

He's not really up on how the first amendment works, is he?

[The Real timschochet 6,388]

7 minutes ago, TBayXXXVII said:

Interesting.... 

 

Why? 

[TBayXXXVII 2,480]

1 minute ago, The Real timschochet said:

Why? 

Zionists are nationalists, are they not?  You're ok with Jews being nationalists and are one of them, but not Americans (and oppose it).  I find that interesting and funny.

[The Real timschochet 6,388]

Just now, TBayXXXVII said:

Zionists are nationalists, are they not?  You're ok with Jews being nationalists and are one of them, but not Americans (and oppose it).  I find that interesting and funny.

Not nationalists in the way you would define nationalism. Certainly not at all analogous to American nationalism, a term which is has been co-opted anyhow. It would take me too long to explain here. Bottom line is that there is no contradiction, or even irony, in my point of view.