The Trump administration has announced a $450 million cut in grants to Harvard University, escalating tensions over accusations of anti-Semitism and racial discrimination tied to on-campus protests. This follows the suspension of $2.2 billion in federal funds previously imposed. A joint task force criticized Harvard for its handling of complaints, claiming it harms academic freedom and public trust. The conflict began as Trump sought to regulate schools hosting pro-Palestinian protests, which he deemed illegal, while student leaders framed their actions as a peaceful protest against human rights abuses in Gaza.
This is not leadership; it is cowardice. And it's not academic freedom; it's institutional disenfranchisement, the task force said in a statement.
By prioritizing appeasement over accountability, institutional leaders have forfeited the school's claim to taxpayer support.
The elimination of another $450m in grants came in addition to the more than $2.2bn in federal funds that were already suspended last week, the task force added.
Trump has called such protests illegal and accused participants of anti-Semitism. But student protest leaders have described their actions as a peaceful response to Israel's war in Gaza.
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