The demands Harvard refused

The demands Harvard refused

Hundreds of people demonstrated in Cambridge, Massachusetts, at an event partially sponsored by the Cambridge City Council, to urge Harvard to resist President Trump’s influence. | Erin Clark/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

This story appeared in the Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here.

Welcome to The Logoff: Today I’m focusing on the Trump administration’s battle with Harvard University, in which a powerful university targeted by the president is pushing back.

What’s the latest? The Trump administration last night froze $2.2 billion in federal funding for Harvard, punishment after the university said Monday it would not comply with the administration’s demands.

What was Trump’s team demanding Harvard do?

• Eliminate any consideration of demographic diversity in its hiring and admissions, and shutter all diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
• Submit to an external audit that ensures hiring and admissions include sufficient “intellectual diversity.” 
• Harshly punish students involved in protests against Israel and its war in Gaza, and ban several pro-Palestinian groups from campus.
• Reorganize its leadership to elevate staff devoted to complying with the administration’s demands.

What’s next? Trump posted about revoking Harvard’s tax-exempt status, though there’s no public evidence his administration has taken any steps in that direction.

Why is the administration doing this? The Trump team’s stated goal is fighting antisemitism on campus, but it’s clear this is a broader effort to exert control over an elite institution whose membership is overwhelmingly hostile to the MAGA right.

What’s the big picture? Columbia University, one of many elite schools the administration has targeted, protected its federal funding by acceding to a far more limited list of demands. But Harvard is exploring the viability of a different path: resistance. How Harvard fares against Trump — and specifically whether it can keep both its federal funding and its self-governance — will be a critical test of powerful civil institutions’ ability to resist Trump’s takeover.

And with that, it’s time to log off…

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