Trump to end federal contracts with Harvard university

Straits Times

27-05-2025

Harvard is the oldest and richest US university with a US$53 billion endowment. PHOTO: REUTERS
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump's administration is moving to cancel all remaining federal contracts with Harvard University, worth an estimated US$100 million (S$128 million), in the latest escalation of its battle against the Ivy League institution.
Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Josh Gruenbaum, in a letter seen by Bloomberg News, is directing federal agencies to review their contracts, terminate those that they deem not critical and transition to other vendors if necessary.
'The US General Services Administration (GSA) is assisting all federal agencies in a review for termination or transition of their federal government contracts with Harvard University and affiliates,' the letter says. 'This review aligns with the Administration's directive that all federal contracted services steadfastly uphold and advance agency strategic priorities.'
The letter asks agencies to report on their 'actions or intended actions with respect to each referenced contract' by June 6.
The value of the contracts was detailed by a person familiar, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the administration's moves. The letter was first reported by the New York Times.
Harvard did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Trump administration has already moved to freeze funding and block Harvard's ability to enroll international students in an intensifying battle over what the president has cast as a failure by the university and other academic institutions to crack down on anti-Semitism.
Administration officials have been using that rationale to pressure schools to institute wide policy changes that university officials say infringe on free speech and their academic missions. Harvard has been front and center in Mr Trump's campaign, with the administration already suspending more than US$2.6 billion in federal research money and saying the school won't be able to receive new funding.
Mr Trump has repeatedly called for Harvard to lose its tax-exempt status, citing political bias. Harvard is the oldest and richest US university with a US$53 billion endowment.
The government has sought a series of changes as a condition of continuing its financial relationship with the university. It has demanded the university remake its governance, transform admissions and faculty hiring – which the administration has called discriminatory – as well as stop admitting international students who officials say are hostile to American values.
Mr Gruenbaum's letter alleges that Harvard has continued to 'engage in race discrimination, including in its admissions process and in other areas of student life' and says that the government is 'aware of recent events at Harvard University involving anti-Semitic action that suggest the institution has a disturbing lack of concern for the safety and wellbeing of Jewish students'.
Mr Gruenbaum also referred to alleged discrimination at the prestigious Harvard Law Review. A federal task force recently called out the Harvard Law Review's award of a US$65,000 fellowship to a protester who faced criminal charges for assaulting a Jewish student on campus, a decision that the government claims was 'reviewed and approved' by a faculty committee.
The administration has said that Harvard should ensure more diverse viewpoints on a campus that it says leans too liberal. Harvard sued in April.
Harvard President Alan Garber has apologised for Harvard's handling of anti-Semitism on campus and acknowledged that he has experienced prejudice himself at the school. But he has also said the extent of the government's demands show that 'the intention is not to work with us to address anti-Semitism'.
Mr Garber called the administration's actions 'perplexing' in an interview published by NPR early on May 26, questioning the need to cut off research funding.
'Shutting off that work does not help the country, even as it punishes Harvard, and it is hard to see the link between that and, say, anti-Semitism,' he said.
The government has also moved to bar Harvard from enrolling foreign students, but the university won a temporary court order blocking the government from enforcing that ban.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said last week that Harvard's responses to the government's requests to provide information about misconduct by foreign students were insufficient.
To regain its program certification, Harvard was given 72 hours to provide six categories of information about foreign students over the past five years, including disciplinary records and video of those engaged in protests. Harvard still hasn't turned over the requested information.
Mr Trump on May 26 threatened to also divert billions in grant dollars away from the university.
'I am considering taking Three Billion Dollars of Grant Money away from a very anti-Semitic Harvard, and giving it to TRADE SCHOOLS all across our land,' Mr Trump said in a post on social media. 'What a great investment that would be for the USA, and so badly needed!!!' BLOOMBERG
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.