The Trump administration is attacking all of the institutions our founders valued for safeguarding the republic - free press, free elections and free academic pursuit. Universities are on the firing line.
“With billions of dollars at stake, institutions now face a stark choice: comply or risk severe financial strain. But behind the legal and financial battles lies a deeper ideological conflict — over whether American higher education should remain a space for open inquiry, or be reshaped by federal mandate.” - Business Standard
The administration claims their attack is based on antisemitism, but it goes far beyond that. Their demands mirror many project 2025 goals: eliminating DEI programs, limiting student protests, overhaul hiring practices, curriculum oversight, and immigration cooperation.
More than 60 institutions are being targeted. Many are located in liberal states or Democratic strongholds. They’re facing federal investigations, funding suspensions, and/or intense scrutiny.
The Trump administration’s biggest target has been Harvard, the country’s oldest and richest university. Harvard has roughly $9 billion at stake in its fight with the federal government. The Trump administration began by cutting off an estimated $2.6 billion in federal funding. They are laying off researchers and shelving years or even decades of research, into everything from opioid addiction to cancer. They aren’t stopping there. Officials have said they would direct federal agencies to end all of their remaining contracts with the school. They told the university not to expect grant money in the future. The university is being threatened with an array of investigations in the coming months. Mr. Trump has also threatened Harvard’s tax-exempt status. Most recently, his administration has tried repeatedly to bar the university from enrolling international students.
In April, Harvard refused the administration’s demands, and Dr. Alan Garber, Harvard’s president, said the university would “not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.” The university quickly filed a lawsuit and the battle with the government intensified.
Rumors abound, mostly from the NYT, that Harvard is surrendering to Trump’s $500 million shakedown. Some say the deal was leaked to the press by White House officials. If true, those “voluntary” payments would strengthen Trump’s bogus claim that those institutions knew they were doing something wrong.
But maybe the rumors are NOT true!!! If what NYT published was not true, did they only take the word of the Trump administration without confirming with Harvard? The Trump administration seems to have a habit of putting out information about deals that the other party supposedly involved in knows nothing about.
This was published in The Harvard Crimson:
“As of Aug 4, Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 has told faculty that a deal with the Trump administration is not imminent and denied that the University is considering a $500 million settlement, according to three faculty members familiar with the matter. The University is seriously considering resolving its dispute with the White House through the courts rather than a negotiated settlement, Garber said, according to the three faculty members. The Trump administration has pushed Harvard to cut an even costlier deal, and the New York Times reported last Monday that the University is considering a settlement with a price tag of half a billion dollars. But Garber, in a conversation with one faculty member, said that the suggestion that Harvard was open to paying $500 million is “false” and claimed that the figure was apparently leaked to the press by White House officials, according to the three faculty familiar with the conversation.”
I created my postcard BEFORE seeing the disclaimer in The Crimson. I added this message on the front, “I hope this rumor is false!”
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| Harvard President Alan M. Garber |
Contact Info:
Harvard University
Massachusetts Hall
Cambridge, MA 02138
Sources:
CALIFORNIA LAW REVIEW - Is Resistance Futile? On the Potentially Disabling Consequence of Thinking About Consequences
* This article was fascinating! It was a deep dive into different ways of reacting to tyrannical demands. Spoiler - all the choices are risky.
NYT - Trump Has Targeted These Universities. Why?
The Hill - Harvard’s $500 million surrender to Trump heralds an end to US academic freedoms
Business Standard - Why is Trump targeting Harvard and other universities and what's at stake?
The Harvard Crimson - Harvard President Garber Tells Faculty He Is Not Considering a $500 Million Deal With Trump, Updated August 4, 2025, at 1:01 a.m.
AP - Harvard scientists say research could be set back years after funding freeze