Washington, April 16, 2025 – President Donald Trump’s administration froze $2.2 billion in federal grants to Harvard University on Tuesday, escalating a showdown after the Ivy League giant rejected demands to curb campus activism, ban masks, and scrap diversity programs. Trump, posting on Truth Social, branded Harvard “a joke” unfit for learning, threatening to tax it as a “political entity” (Hindustan Times). The move, paired with $60 million in contract cuts, hits 60% of Harvard’s $3.9 billion federal flow (US DoE, 2024).
Harvard President Alan Garber fired back, vowing to fight “unlawful” overreach violating First Amendment rights (Reuters). The demands—auditing student views and disciplining 2023-24 protestors—stem from Trump’s claim that Harvard’s “leftist bias” fuels antisemitism (NBC News). Former President Barack Obama praised Harvard’s defiance, urging other schools to resist (The Guardian). Yale faculty echoed, pushing legal challenges, while Columbia negotiates to avoid a similar fate (Hindustan Times). X splits—“Trump’s draining elitism!” vs. “He’s killing free thought!” (post:1).
The freeze threatens Harvard’s $5 billion research engine—STEM grants fund 1,200 projects yearly (Harvard Crimson). With a $53 billion endowment, it’s not broke, but 18,000 students, 30% on aid, face fallout (Forbes). India’s 600 Harvard students worry—$9 billion more is at risk if Trump doubles down (MEA, 2024). “Labs will starve,” a Delhi scholar told The Indian Express. For India, it’s a signal—US academic ties could shift (The Economic Times). Will Harvard’s stand spark a broader rebellion, or bend under Trump’s hammer?
