Trump’s administration made a move, cutting $2.2 billion in federal research grants to Harvard, including funding for critical cancer research projects. The decision follows growing tensions over campus anti-Semitism, race discrimination, and Harvard’s refusal to comply with Trump’s new campus policies.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) delivered the blow in a letter to Harvard President Alan Garber. The agency said the university no longer meets federal standards and halted funding for various initiatives — from cancer studies to infectious disease research — as part of the president’s broader crackdown on elite universities.
The decision follows anti-Israel protests at Harvard, some turning violent, which the administration claims the university allowed to spiral out of control. Trump officials also pointed to alleged race discrimination in Harvard’s admissions and campus programs as justification.
Harvard didn’t take the move quietly. The university fired back with a lawsuit calling the freeze unconstitutional and warning of severe consequences. Lawyers say cutting off billions threatens lifesaving work — including efforts to treat and prevent cancer, study disease outbreaks, and help injured soldiers.
Still, Trump’s team isn’t backing down. Education Secretary Linda McMahon instructed Harvard not to seek more federal grants, and the White House argued that with a $53 billion endowment, Harvard doesn’t need taxpayer support.
The message from Trump’s second-term White House is unapologetic and facist: Universities that refuse to curb protests and discriminatory practices won’t get taxpayer dollars.
Now, with cancer research on pause and tensions at a breaking point, the battle between Harvard and the Trump administration is heading to court.
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