Former President Barack Obama has shared a message of support for Harvard as the university faces a funding freeze as a result of rejecting demands from President Donald Trump. In a post uploaded to X, the 63-year-old detailed his pride in the institution where he attended law school.
“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,” wrote Obama. “Let’s hope other institutions follow suit.”
The message was sent after Harvard refused to comply with demands issued by Trump’s administration. A letter issued by university President Alan M. Garber detailed, “The University will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.” Garber added, “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.”
A tower on one of the Harvard University buildings on April 15, 2025 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. A Trump administration task force announced Monday that it would block Harvard University from receiving $2.2 billion in federal grants and $60 million in contracts after the Ivy League school defied demands to adopt new policies on student and faculty conduct and admissions.
Scott Eisen/Getty Images
The letter sent to Harvard commanded the institution to immediately shutter all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, offices, committees, positions, and initiatives, under whatever name, among other supposed hiring, admission, and leadership reforms.
According to ABC News, the Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism announced a multi-billion-dollar freeze on funding to Harvard amid its dismissal of the announced demands. The outlet noted Harvard is the first major university to have pushed back against federal funding threats from Trump.
Harvard University faculty members have filed a lawsuit and requested a federal judge to block the Trump administration’s attempt to withhold funding. The two groups representing faculty argued that the Trump administration is overstepping its authority by “undermining free speech and academic inquiry in service of the government’s political or policy preferences.”
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