Trump Floats Shifting Billions From Harvard To Trade Schools

President Donald Trump said on Monday that he was pondering shifting $3 billion in federal grants away from Harvard University to trade schools nationwide. 

Trump’s comments come as his administration has been engaged in a weeks-long battle with Harvard over federal funding and admission of foreign students. The Trump administration has accused Harvard of violating federal civil rights law with its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies and handling of anti-Israel protests on campus.

“I am considering taking Three Billion Dollars of Grant Money away from a very antisemitic Harvard, and giving it to TRADE SCHOOLS all across our land,” Trump posted on Truth Social on Monday. “What a great investment that would be for the USA, and so badly needed!!!”

In another post on Monday, Trump said that he was still waiting for Harvard to turn over its lists of foreign students attending the university, alluding to a move last week by his Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to block the school from admitting any more international students by revoking its Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification. 

“We are still waiting for the Foreign Student Lists from Harvard so that we can determine, after a ridiculous expenditure of BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, how many radicalized lunatics, troublemakers all, should not be let back into our Country. Harvard is very slow in the presentation of these documents, and probably for good reason! The best thing Harvard has going for it is that they have shopped around and found the absolute best Judge (for them!) – But have no fear, the Government will, in the end, WIN,” Trump wrote. 

Harvard filed a lawsuit on Friday challenging DHS’s revocation of Harvard’s capacity to enroll students from abroad, accusing the Trump administration of committing a “blatant violation of the First Amendment, the Due Process Clause, and the Administrative Procedure Act.” 

U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs, an Obama appointee, blocked the freeze on foreign students on Friday while litigation on the case plays out. 

On Tuesday, the New York Times reported that the Trump administration plans to cancel another $100 million in federal contracts with Harvard after previously freezing more than $3 billion in federal funds. 

“Going forward, we also encourage your agency to seek alternative vendors for future services where you had previously considered Harvard,” the General Services Administration reportedly wrote in a draft letter to federal agencies. 

The letter instructs federal agencies to respond by June 6 with updates on cancelled contracts with Harvard or request temporary exceptions if the contract is essential and an alternative needs to be found.