Defense Department official pleaded with superiors not to cut Harvard grant on ‘biological threats,' court records say
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In one round of those cuts last month, the Department of Defense terminated grants and contracts with Harvard researchers working on military projects.
A day after the Pentagon informed Harvard of those cuts on May 12, Department of Defense leaders told military officials about the decision, according to a memorandum filed by Harvard's lawyers in federal court in Boston on Monday.
Then the director of contracting for DARPA 'pleaded' with her superiors to reconsider, according to the motion.
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The director urged her superiors to save a grant connected with the
The team had reached a 'critical juncture' in a project that was 'outpacing the state-of-the art and provides a novel leap-ahead capability to the force,' the director said, according to the filing.
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'Inadequate knowledge of the biological threat landscape poses grave and immediate harm to national security,' she continued.
The filing did not name the director. The Department of Defense and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed the cancelation of the military grants to Harvard, according to the Harvard filing.
Harvard's lawyers argued that the termination of the AMPHORA grant was part of the Trump administration's 'thoughtless and retaliatory strategy.' Harvard has argued that the government's canceling of research funding is a form of illegal retaliation against the school because it refused to comply with a sweeping set of demands sent to Harvard leaders in April.
Those demands would have placed Harvard's admissions and hiring practices, as well as certain academic divisions, under federal oversight.
The Trump administration has accused Harvard of failing to protect Jewish students from discrimination and harassment, discriminating against white people and men in its hiring and admissions, and cultivating a campus culture that is intolerant of conservative viewpoints.
'Given what's happening at Harvard, especially under this leadership team, we are making the decision to get out of business with them for now. Harvard can't seem to comprehend or acknowledge the severe and alarming civil rights issues on its campus,' Josh Gruenbaum, a member of the Trump administration's antisemitism task force, told the Globe last week.
Gruenbaum, a top official at the US General Services Administration, signed several of the letters from the Trump administration announcing the Harvard funding cuts.
In their filing Monday, Harvard's lawyers wrote: 'All told, the tradeoff put to Harvard was clear: Allow the Government to micromanage your viewpoints and your academic institution or jeopardize your ability to pursue medical breakthroughs, scientific discoveries, and innovative solutions.'
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Newsweek
9 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Clarence Thomas' Former Clerk Warns Trump Did Something 'Truly Outrageous'
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Hamilton Spectator
13 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
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Buzz Feed
16 minutes ago
- Buzz Feed
Karoline Leavitt Viral Fumble Over Reporter's Question
A moment from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt's Tuesday briefing is going viral, with critics saying it perfectly encapsulates the Trump White House's approach to foreign affairs. Leavitt was asked if the White House had a response to the presidential election in South Korea, where liberal candidate Lee Jae-myung defeated conservative rival Kim Moon Soo. Fox News "Yes, we do. In fact. Let me find it here for you," Leavitt said, flipping through a binder in front of her. "Should be somewhere in here," she said, still flipping through. After a pause and more shuffling, she added: 'Hmm. We do not.' Q: Does the White House have a reaction to the election in South Korea? LEAVITT: Yes, we do. Let me find it for you. Thank you. Um. We do not. — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 3, 2025 @atrupar / Fox News / Via She laughed awkwardly as she said, 'But I will get you one,' before abruptly moving on to a new question from another reporter. Fox News The clip quickly gained traction on social media. Critics said it showcased the Trump administration's lack of preparation and attention to world events. When she gets a question that requires her to give an answer that doesn't involve praising Trump or trashing Biden, she's got nothing. — Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) June 3, 2025 @RonFilipkowski / Fox News / Via A White House run by dumbasses — Sycamore's Source (@sycamoressource) June 3, 2025 @sycamoressource / Via 'A total clown show,' remarked the Republicans Against Trump group. Q: Does the White House have a reaction to the election results in South Korea? WH Press Secretary Leavitt: 'Yes, we do. In fact, Let me find it for you. It should be somewhere here. Thank you. Um. We do not.' A total clown show. — Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) June 3, 2025 @RpsAgainstTrump / Fox News / Via Karoline saying 'we do' and then immediately following it with 'we do not' is the most honest accidental summary of this administration's foreign policy: confused, unprepared, and trying to fake it with a binder full of nothing. Pam Bondi did that with Epstein files. It's their… — Evaristus Odinikaeze (@odinikaeze) June 3, 2025 @odinikaeze / Via
