Overview

• The Trump Administration has frozen $2.2 billion in federal funding to Harvard, representing 11% of the university's revenue, citing its refusal to comply with mandates to eliminate DEI programs and audit campus opinions.
• Donald Trump has threatened to strip Harvard of its tax-exempt status, accusing the university of fostering antisemitism and demanding a formal apology.
• Harvard has publicly rejected the demands, asserting its constitutional right to academic independence and decrying the measures as violations of the First Amendment.
• The dispute is part of a broader federal crackdown on elite universities, with Columbia University previously facing similar funding cuts and implementing reforms to regain federal support.
• The conflict has sparked legal and political debates over government overreach and the balance between federal authority and institutional autonomy in higher education.