The Trump administration remains steadfast in its commitment to withhold grant money from Harvard University and any other higher education institutions that violate federal law, the White House said during a press briefing on Tuesday.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt outlined the federal government’s response 24 hours after Harvard University asked a federal court to unfreeze $2.2 billion in grant money and contracts that President Donald Trump withheld after the Ivy League school refused to comply with conditions for combating campus anti-Semitism and ending Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs.
“The president has made it quite clear that it’s Harvard who has put themselves in the position to lose their own funding by not obeying federal law, and we expect all colleges and universities who are receiving taxpayer funds to abide by federal law,” Leavitt said in response to a question from The Epoch Times.
“It’s quite simple, and the president made it clear he’s not going to tolerate violations of federal law. He’s not going to tolerate illegal harassment and violence toward Jewish American students or students of any faith on our campuses across the country.
“And so, we will be responding to the lawsuit in court. And again, it’s quite simple. If you want federal dollars, obey federal law.”
Jewish students at Harvard reported incidents of harassment following the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks led by terrorist group Hamas on Israel. Students sued the school, and its former president, Claudine Gay, resigned after congressional hearings on campus anti-Semitism.
Trump issued executive orders calling for an end to campus anti-Semitism and prohibiting DEI programs in both K-12 and higher education. States and schools nationwide were previously told they risk losing federal funding if they don’t comply.
The federal complaint alleged that the federal government’s actions in this case violate Harvard’s Constitutional rights to free speech. It also stated there is no connection to the medical research funded by federal grants and campus anti-Semitism.
Garber also noted in court papers that he and fellow university leaders initiated a task force and took other steps to combat anti-Semitic activities before this matter escalated with Trump. He took exception to the government’s requiring Harvard to promote “viewpoint diversity” in admissions and hiring.
“Likewise, the government lacks authority to dictate which student groups Harvard may recognize and fund,” the complaint stated. “The government may not interfere with private actors’ speech to advance its own vision of ideological balance.”
