After freezing $2.2 billion, Trump administration slashes $450 million more from Harvard's federal funding

US President Donald Trump's administration has escalated its pressure on Harvard University, cutting another $450 million in federal grants on top of the $2.2 billion already frozen, reports CNN

In a statement released on Tuesday, the White House's Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism announced that "eight federal agencies across the government are announcing the termination of around $450 million in grants to Harvard, which is in addition to the $2.2 billion that was terminated" previously. The statement called Harvard’s campus “a breeding ground for virtue signalling and discrimination.”

“There is a dark problem on Harvard’s campus, and by prioritising appeasement over accountability, institutional leaders have forfeited the school’s claim to taxpayer support,” the statement, signed by attorneys from the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services, asserted.

This move is the latest in a broader battle between the Trump administration and elite universities, particularly over issues like diversity initiatives, financial controls, and the admissions process. Columbia University and Ohio State University have also been targets, with both institutions losing federal funding.

The funding dispute began after Harvard refused to comply with requests outlined in an April 11 letter from the Trump administration. These included demands for governance reforms, an audit of "viewpoint diversity" among students and faculty, and new policies surrounding anti-Semitism on campus. In response, Harvard filed a lawsuit against the administration, accusing it of attempting to use federal funding as leverage to influence academic decision-making at the university.

“The University will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights,” Harvard President Alan Garber said at the time. “Neither Harvard nor any other private university can allow itself to be taken over by the federal government.”

The hearing of the case is set for late July, and the funding freeze is expected to remain in place until then. In addition, Harvard faces multiple investigations from the administration. These probes include allegations of civil rights violations related to its handling of pro-Palestinian protests last year and claims of discrimination within its prestigious Harvard Law Review. Furthermore, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is investigating Harvard’s diversity efforts, particularly concerning scholarships for underrepresented minorities and its faculty hiring practices.

Harvard has asserted that it does not use racial quotas or ideological tests in hiring, saying that diversity, equity, and inclusion are not the determining factors in employment decisions.