The Trump administration announced Monday it will launch a sweeping review of nearly $9 billion in federal funding allocated to Harvard University, following accusations that the Ivy League institution has failed to address anti-Semitism on campus amid ongoing tensions related to the Israel-Gaza conflict.
The General Services Administration confirmed that federal officials will scrutinize $255.6 million in active contracts and another $8.7 billion in long-term research and education grants. The move comes just weeks after the administration slashed $400 million in funding from Columbia University over similar concerns.
Under President Donald Trump’s second-term policies, elite universities have become flashpoints in the national debate over campus speech, protest rights, and student safety—particularly in response to pro-Palestinian demonstrations and reported hostility toward Jewish students.
“Harvard has turned a blind eye to open discrimination,” said Education Secretary Linda McMahon. “The federal government will not fund institutions that fail to protect their students from hate, no matter how prestigious they are.”
The administration’s supporters argue that these actions are necessary to restore order on campuses and ensure Jewish students are not targeted or marginalized. Critics, however, call the crackdown politically motivated and a dangerous overreach into academic freedom and student expression.
Harvard President Alan Garner pushed back, warning that the loss of federal funding would severely impact critical research programs and international academic collaborations. He cited recent disciplinary reforms and campus policy changes as evidence that the university has taken the allegations seriously.
“We reject any claim that Harvard tolerates anti-Semitism,” Garner said in a statement. “We are committed to the safety of all students, including Jewish members of our community, while also upholding freedom of thought and speech.”
The White House’s approach closely mirrors its actions against Columbia, where student protests led to funding cuts and the detention of a graduate student linked to organizing demonstrations. Columbia ultimately accepted nine federal conditions, including a revised definition of anti-Semitism and new protest restrictions, signaling a possible template for Harvard’s path forward.
As scrutiny intensifies, more universities may find themselves in the administration’s crosshairs, raising high-stakes questions about the balance between federal oversight, student activism, and institutional autonomy in politically turbulent times.