Trump Directs Government to End All Contracts With Harvard

Good:

In a letter sent Tuesday, the Trump administration is directing all federal agencies to terminate or transition away from their contracts with Harvard University, citing racial discrimination, anti-Semitism, and violations of federal law.

Key Details:

The letter, dated May 27th, was issued by Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Josh Gruenbaum and sent to senior procurement officials across the federal government.

The letter criticizes Harvard's race-based admissions practices, referencing the Supreme Court's decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, where admissions rates reportedly varied significantly by race: 56% for African Americans, 31% for Hispanics, 15% for Whites, and 13% for Asians.

It also cites reports of antisemitic incidents on campus, unlawful hiring practices, and decisions by Harvard committees approving student leaders with histories of violent behavior--calling the leadership's actions a "clear signal of tolerance for, if not outright endorsement of, student-on-student violence."

He also said he might divert all money formerly earmarked for Harvard to trade schools.

President Trump proposed reallocating $3 billion in federal funding from Harvard to U.S. trade schools, calling the university "very antisemitic" and saying the funds would be better spent elsewhere.

Key Details:

Trump said investing in trade schools would be "a great investment" that is "so badly needed!!!"

Harvard rejected Trump administration demands tied to civil rights and merit-based policies.

Trump has already pulled over $2 billion in federal funds and is seeking accountability for Harvard's foreign student list.

Diving Deeper:

President Donald Trump announced Monday that he's weighing the possibility of shifting a $3 billion federal grant earmarked for Harvard University toward U.S. trade schools, escalating an ongoing standoff between his administration and the Ivy League institution. Trump made the statement in a post on Truth Social, describing the idea as "a great investment" for the country and one that is "so badly needed!!!"

The proposal follows months of back-and-forth between Harvard and the Trump administration that began with an April letter demanding the university justify its public funding by complying with federal civil rights laws. That letter called on Harvard to foster a campus environment conducive to "intellectual creativity and scholarly rigor" while instituting specific reforms--such as merit-based hiring and admissions, increased transparency, and addressing longstanding concerns of antisemitism and political bias within certain programs.

Harvard pushed back against those demands, asserting that it was "not prepared to agree to demands that go beyond the lawful authority of this or any administration." In response, Trump moved to pull more than $2 billion in federal funding from the university, according to reporting by the Daily Caller.

Last week, the Department of Homeland Security attempted to revoke Harvard's authorization to admit and host foreign students, but a federal judge swiftly blocked the measure. However, the broader termination of grant funding remains in place.

posted by Ace at 12:43 PM

| Access Comments