Trump team axes more Harvard funds over alleged discrimination, censorship

The Trump administration announced the termination of an additional $450 million in federal grants to Harvard University.

This decision comes on the heels of a previous $2.2 billion cut in federal funding last week, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

The administration’s antisemitism task force, which issued the termination directive, cited what it described as "pervasive race discrimination and anti-Semitic harassment" on Harvard’s campus. In a statement, the task force accused the university of failing to adequately address these issues, asserting that its leadership had prioritized "appeasement over accountability."

“There is a dark problem on Harvard’s campus, and by prioritizing appeasement over accountability, institutional leaders have forfeited the school's claim to taxpayer support,” the task force said.

The cancellation of funding follows a series of demands from the Trump administration that Harvard make significant changes to its internal policies. These included restructuring the university’s governance, altering hiring and admissions practices to ensure ideological balance, and eliminating certain academic programs that the administration deemed politically biased. Harvard has resisted these demands, arguing that they would violate its autonomy and academic freedom.

In response to the administration’s actions, Harvard is currently pursuing legal action, asserting that the withholding of federal funds constitutes an unlawful infringement on its rights. The university’s president has also expressed concern over the administration's attempts to dictate who it hires and what it teaches, calling these demands “illegal.”

The US Department of Education had previously notified Harvard that it would freeze billions of dollars in future research grants and other federal aid unless the university complies with the administration's stipulations. Despite this, Harvard has refused to yield, maintaining that it will not alter its practices based on political pressure.

By Vafa Guliyeva