Harvard says Trump administration doubled down after sending letter reported as unauthorized

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Source: Reuters

April 19, 2025 4:13 PM EDT Updated 11 hours ago


WASHINGTON, April 19 (Reuters) - Harvard said on Saturday the Trump administration was "doubling down" on far-reaching demands on the university despite a published report that government officials had sent a letter spelling out those demands without authorization. The letter from government lawyers, received by Harvard on April 11, was sent before senior officials of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration could approve it or give the go-ahead for its release, the New York Times reported late on Friday, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.

Three days after that letter arrived, Harvard rejected numerous demands that it said would amount to the school giving up control over hiring, admissions and instruction to the government. The Trump administration subsequently froze $2.3 billion in funding to Harvard and threatened to strip Harvard of its tax-exempt status and take away its ability to enroll foreign students.

It also demanded information on the university's foreign ties, students and faculty. "Even assuming the administration now wishes to take back its litany of breathtakingly intrusive demands, it appears to have doubled down on those demands through its deeds in recent days," a Harvard spokesperson said. "Actions speak louder than words."

Since his January inauguration, Trump has cracked down on top U.S. universities, saying they mishandled last year's pro-Palestinian protests and allowed antisemitism to fester on campus. Protesters, including some Jewish groups, say their criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza is wrongly conflated with antisemitism.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/harvard-says-trump-administration-doubled-down-after-sending-letter-reported-2025-04-19/