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Harvard University publicly rebuked the Trump administration’s demands for the school to eliminate diversity efforts and screen international students.
On Monday (April 14), Harvard University responded to a letter it received from the Trump administration on Friday (April 11) which demanded that the university eliminate its diversity, equity, and inclusion programs as well as to screen international students for potential support of antisemitism, terrorism, and “the American values and institutions inscribed in the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence.” Harvard emphatically rebuked the demands, writing in a post on X, formerly Twitter: The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights. Neither Harvard nor any other private university can allow itself to be taken over by the federal government.”
“No government — regardless of which party is in power — should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue,” Harvard President Alan Garber wrote in a statement detailing his reasoning as to why he wouldn’t comply. “Although some of the demands outlined by the government are aimed at combating antisemitism, the majority represent direct governmental regulation of the ‘intellectual conditions’ at Harvard,” he continued. In response, the Department of Education and the U.S. General Services Administration issued a statement saying that they would freeze $2.2 billion in multi-year grants and $60 million in multi-year contract value to the school.
President Donald Trump wrote a scornful reply on his Truth Social media platform on Tuesday morning (April 15): “Perhaps Harvard should lose its Tax Exempt Status and be Taxed as a Political Entity if it keeps pushing political, ideological, and terrorist inspired/supporting ‘Sickness?’ Remember, Tax Exempt Status is totally contingent on acting in the PUBLIC INTEREST!”
Harvard’s stance has compelled other schools to fight back. “This is of momentous, momentous significance,” said J. Michael Luttig, a former federal court judge and prominent conservative. “This should be the turning point in the president’s rampage against American institutions.” The Massachusetts Institute of Technology issued a statement detailing its intent to sue the government in the wake of nine international students having their visas revoked. Many applauded the school’s response. His view was echoed on social media by many, with a user named Lincs on X, formerly Twitter writing, “It’s great to see some institutions with backbone.”
