NATIONAL NEWS – Harvard refuses the Trump administration demands, testing the limit of presidential power

Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer

The federal government said it was freezing over $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts to Harvard University after the administration at Harvard said it would defy the demands by Trump to limit activism on campus. 

This hold on Harvard’s funding marks the seventh time Trump has threatened federal funding at one of the nation’s elite colleges and universities. This also sets the stage for a legal battle between federal funding and Harvard, America’s oldest and wealthiest university. Harvard’s endowment exceeds $50 billion and puts them in a good position to push back on the pressure from the Trump administration. In a letter sent to Harvard on Friday, Trump called for broad government and leadership reforms at the university and changes to admissions policies. It also demanded the university audit the view of diversity on campus, and stop recognizing some student clubs.