Former President Barack Obama praised Harvard University for its defiance of the Trump administration’s demands for campus reform.
“Harvard has set an example for other higher-ed institutions – rejecting an unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom, while taking concrete steps to make sure all students at Harvard can benefit from an environment of intellectual inquiry, rigorous debate and mutual respect. Let’s hope other institutions follow suit,” Obama wrote on X.
Obama’s statement came in response to Harvard University President Alan Garber declaring that the Trump administration’s requests violate the university’s First Amendment rights and “exceeds the statutory limits of the government’s authority under Title VI.”
“No government—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,” Garber said.
The Trump administration froze $2.2 billion in grants on Monday evening after Harvard failed to comply with its requests to cease diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, reform its admissions process to block students hostile to American values, and audit programs fueling antisemitism.
“Harvard’s statement today reinforces the troubling entitlement mindset that is endemic in our nation’s most prestigious universities and colleges – that federal investment does not come with the responsibility to uphold civil rights laws,” the Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism said upon announcing the funding freeze. “The disruption of learning that has plagued campuses in recent years is unacceptable. The harassment of Jewish students is intolerable. It is time for elite universities to take the problem seriously and commit to meaningful change if they wish to continue receiving taxpayer support.”
