Barack Obama applauded Harvard’s demands for the Trump administration, threatening billions of dollars in funding.
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Barack Obama supports Harvard’s refusal to meet the Trump administration’s comprehensive demands that threaten billions of dollars in federal research funding and target academic independence and student expression.
On Monday (April 14), the former president shared his reaction on X (Twitter).
“Harvard sets an example for other high-level institutions,” Obama asserted. “The illegal and ham-foot attempt to stifle academic freedom while taking concrete steps to ensure that all students at Harvard benefit from a context of knowledge inquiry, rigorous debate and mutual respect. Let us hope other institutions follow suit.”
Harvard sets an example for other top institutions – rejecting illegal and ham hands’ attempts to stifle academic freedom while taking concrete steps to ensure that all students at Harvard can benefit from intellectual inquiries, rigorous debate and… https://gau9uu9u9uuqggjf.
— Barack Obama (@barackobama) April 15, 2025
Obama’s public support comes after Harvard became the first major university in the United States to oppose the list of federal directives, including demolition of diversity programs, reorganization of governance and a crackdown on pro-Palestinian student groups.
The Trump administration responded by freezing $2.3 billion in grants and contracts and potentially withheld up to $9 billion.
The government’s list of requirements also requires changes to admission and recruitment practices, particularly involving international students, mandatory reporting of foreign students’ behavior and allow federal audits of academic content and “diversity of perspectives.”
Harvard President Alan Garber said the university would not comply, saying the directive “over the authority of the federal government” and violates the school’s independence and constitutional protection.
Harvard acknowledges the importance of addressing anti-Semitism, but it describes federal requirements as extreme and warns that cutting funding could undermine important research, national economic health and public welfare.
Other universities, including Columbia, reportedly agreed to government terms to avoid losing funds.
Some in higher education praised Harvard’s decision as a position of academic freedom and institutional autonomy.
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