Former President Barack Obama has publicly commended Harvard University for defying the Trump administration's ultimatum regarding federal funding. The former leader dubbed the freeze—which amounts to over $2 billion—as "unlawful and ham-handed," marking his first critical social media statement since Trump's inauguration. Harvard's president, Alan Garber, endorsed the institution's decision, asserting that no government should dictate the educational policies of private universities.
Trump's administration has threatened to withhold federal funding unless Harvard alters its hiring and admissions practices, allegedly to combat antisemitism on campus. Obama, who graduated from Harvard Law School, argued that Harvard's stand exemplifies the importance of academic freedom and urged other institutions to resist such pressures.
In the wake of Harvard's refusal, multiple universities, including Stanford and MIT, have similarly resisted Trump's demands, citing the need for intellectual autonomy. Faculty members at Yale have rallied behind Harvard as well, declaring solidarity against perceived governmental overreach threatening academic freedoms essential to democracy.
The tensions come amid ongoing scrutiny of Trump's administration's broader strategies toward elite universities. As many academic institutions face budget cuts due to federal funding freezes imposed under Trump's directive, the argument over academic integrity versus political pressure continues to intensify.
