Harvard University’s president claimed his institution had “no choice” but to resist the Trump administration’s demands that the school change certain policies to continue to receive federal funding.
Harvard early last week announced it would not comply with the Trump administration’s demands to end diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and to expel anti-Israel demonstrators.
The administration then said it was freezing more than $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts to Harvard.
Despite the freeze, Harvard President Alan Garber told NBC News on Wednesday the school had “no choice” but to fight back against what it believes is federal overreach.
“We are defending what I believe is one of the most important linchpins of the American economy and way of life — our universities,” Garber told NBC News.
Garber, however, did acknowledge Harvard’s campus has had a “real problem” with antisemitism since Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Harvard sued the federal government Monday to stop the funding freeze.
“We will not compromise on certain issues,” Garber told NBC’s Lester Holt. “We’ve made that very clear.”
Asked whether Harvard could win in the courts, Garber said he did not know but added, “the stakes are so high that we have no choice.”
A White House spokesman said Wednesday that President Donald Trump is “standing up” for students.
“The real threat to higher education comes when places like Harvard let their students’ civil rights get trampled in a spineless attempt to coddle pro-Hamas activists,” White House spokesperson Harrison Fields said in a statement.
“President Trump is standing up for every student denied an education or safe campus because left-wing universities fail to protect their civil rights. Colleges are hooked on federal cash, and Mr. Garber’s public outburst only fuels the push to shut off the taxpayer money propping up their institution.”
Trump is threatening to cut another $1 billion in funding for Harvard University, this time targeting health research, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.
“Putting that research at jeopardy because of claims of antisemitism seems to us to be misguided,” Garber told NBC News. “The effort to address antisemitism will not be advanced by shutting off funding.
“There is so much at stake. People leave their jobs. We have patients whose treatment in clinical trials might be interrupted. Animals that are used in research sometimes cannot continue to be maintained when the funding stops.”
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this story.
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