On May 26, on his social media platform Truth Social, US President Donald Trump accused Harvard University of antisemitism and stated that he was thinking about cutting off $3 billion in federal funding to give it to trade schools instead. “I am considering taking Three Billion Dollars of Grant Money away from a very antisemitic Harvard, and giving it to TRADE SCHOOLS all across our land. What a great investment that would be for the USA, and so badly needed!!!”, he wrote. This message is part of a much broader offensive launched several weeks ago by Trump against the Ivy League school, a global symbol of intellectual elites and progressivism.
Trump lit the match that set the fire between him and Harvard in late March, when his administration said it was considering stripping Harvard of around $9 billion in federal grants following an investigation accusing it of allowing antisemitism to flourish on its campus. The announcement followed student protests denouncing Israel’s attacks on Gaza, as well as the Trump administration’s support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government. In a letter sent to Harvard’s management, the federal government ordered radical reforms in the university’s governance, accusing it of allowing antisemitic speech to be broadcast during these pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
« The administration’s prescription goes beyond the power of the federal government. It violates Harvard’s First Amendment rights and exceeds the statutory limits of the government’s authority under Title VI. And it threatens our values as a private institution devoted to the pursuit, production, and dissemination of knowledge. No governmen — 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”, responded Alan Garber — Harvard’s president — who also emphasized the university’s commitment to combating all forms of discrimination, including antisemitism.
Faced with Harvard’s refusal to comply with the demands set out in the letter, the Trump administration moved from words to deeds, officially freezing $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts. The Trump administration has also threatened to go further by removing the university’s tax-exempt status. Harvard’s retaliation was swift, as the university immediately filed suit against the federal government in a Massachusetts federal court.
Trump bets on the international student card
Confronted with Harvard’s resilience, Trump decided to bring out the heavy artillery. On May 22, the Homeland Security Department announced that it was decertifying the Cambridge-based university’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), prohibiting it from enrolling foreign students. “Harvard can no longer enroll foreign students, and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status”, stated the US Department of Homeland Security in a press release. This was a major blow for Harvard, where the very philosophy is based on openness to the world, and where international students represent around a quarter of the student body.
“The revocation continues a series of government actions to retaliate against Harvard for our refusal to surrender our academic independence and to submit to the federal government’s illegal assertion of control over our curriculum, our faculty, and our student body […] We condemn this unlawful and unwarranted action. It imperils the futures of thousands of students and scholars across Harvard and serves as a warning to countless others at colleges and universities throughout the country who have come to America to pursue their education and fulfill their dreams. As we pursue legal remedies, we will do everything in our power to support our students and scholars”, said Harvard’s president, who did not hesitate to denounce a move to undermine academic independence. Harvard immediately filed a second lawsuit, and the day after the Homeland Security Department’s announcement, a federal judge issued a temporary order blocking the revocation of certification pending the outcome of the legal proceedings. But the threat remains real, and the future of the students concerned remains uncertain.
A political crusade that threatens more than academic independence
This battle has now taken a legal turn, the outcome of which could have major consequences. Indeed, while Harvard has initiated two legal proceedings to challenge the federal sanctions, the case is part of a broader framework that calls into question the balance of power in the United States. If the federal government succeeds in imposing restrictions on a private institution on the basis of its alleged ideological leanings, it could set a precedent with major implications for the independence of universities across the country. At stake now is how far Trump is willing to go to subject educational institutions, historically considered bastions of critical thinking and free debate, to his political vision.
Beyond simple financial or administrative issues, the conflict between Trump and Harvard is part of a much deeper struggle: a veritable cultural war that is tearing apart the American intellectual landscape. Harvard, as an emblematic symbol of the country’s intellectual and progressive elite, has become the prime target of a conservative political offensive aimed at reshaping the university according to a more conservative, patriotic and religious vision. By attacking Harvard, Trump is targeting not just the university itself, but an entire cultural and ideological bastion of liberal and pluralist values. The attack has sent shockwaves through the academic world, with many scientists fleeing the country to teach at foreign universities. There is even talk of a “brain drain”, which is quite ironic given that the United States has historically been a land of welcome for intellectuals from all over the world.
This tug-of-war illustrates a deep rift within American society and between two visions of the country: one open, multicultural and progressive, the other conservative, nationalistic and identitarian. If this escalation continues, it could permanently reshape not only the American university landscape, but also the very nature of democratic debate in the United States, where freedom of expression and the diversity of ideas are sorely tested.
