The funding in question is allocated for health research, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing sources. According to them, the White House was “surprised” by Harvard University’s decision to publish a letter from the U.S. administration dated April 11, which demanded broad reforms at the university.
Prior to the letter’s publication, Trump’s team reportedly intended to take a more lenient approach toward Harvard. But after the letter went public, officials decided to exert “even more pressure” on the university, the newspaper writes.
Sources also told the WSJ that Harvard had reached out to the Trump administration back in late March in an attempt to avoid confrontation. The university had already taken steps over several months to suppress antisemitic incidents on campus. However, the demands outlined in the April 11 letter went much further, and the university leadership decided they could not comply, according to the Wall Street Journal. Notably, the letter was not marked as confidential.
The Trump administration is applying pressure on leading U.S. universities, framing its actions as part of a broader campaign against antisemitism. The letter in question reportedly called for reforms in Harvard’s governance, changes to its admissions policy, a review of university leadership and faculty members’ views on diversity, and a ban on mask-wearing on campus.
