Trump Cancels Contracts With Harvard
In a stunning and historic clash between political power and academic prestige, President Donald Trump has escalated his war on elite universities by cutting off the federal government’s remaining contracts with Harvard University — a move that will impact nearly $100 million in funding and send shockwaves through higher education across the nation.
According to a letter obtained by The New York Times, the General Services Administration is instructing all federal agencies to cancel existing contracts with Harvard and actively seek alternative vendors. “We recommend that your agency terminate for convenience each contract that it determines has failed to meet its standards,” wrote Josh Gruenbaum, commissioner of the GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service. Agencies are required to respond by June 6 with a full list of the cancellations.
This decision doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It follows a broad freeze of $3.2 billion in grants and contracts and emerges as part of a broader cultural and ideological battle Trump has declared against what he calls the “woke” academic elite.
At the heart of his accusations: antisemitism, race-based admissions policies, and unchecked DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs. Trump has not minced words, labeling Harvard a hub for “Marxist maniacs and lunatics,” and stating openly that he’s working to “bring it to its knees.”
The implications are more than symbolic. Contracts with nine different federal agencies are now under scrutiny, including seemingly innocuous ones like a $49,858 NIH-funded study on coffee consumption and a $25,800 Homeland Security contract for executive training.
But it’s not just about small change — Trump has floated the idea of redistributing billions in Harvard’s grant money to American trade schools, framing the move as a rebalancing of priorities: “What a great investment that would be for the USA,” he said on Truth Social.
This isn’t the first time Harvard’s policies have drawn fire. Its race-conscious admissions process has long been a target of conservative ire, culminating in a Supreme Court decision against affirmative action last year. Now, the administration argues that Harvard has failed to combat antisemitism on campus, particularly in response to the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks on Israel. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem went as far as to accuse the school of fostering “a hostile environment that is unsafe for Jewish students.”
Harvard, however, isn’t taking this lying down. It has launched multiple lawsuits, including one demanding the reinstatement of over $3 billion in federal funding and another to preserve its right to enroll international students — a right that was temporarily restored by a federal judge pending further hearings. Harvard President Alan Garber called the administration’s moves “perplexing,” warning that cutting research dollars will hurt not just Harvard, but the nation. “This funding isn’t a gift,” Garber noted. “It’s for high-priority work.”
Meanwhile, the political heat continues to rise. Congress has begun targeting Harvard’s vast $53 billion endowment. A House-approved provision in Trump’s federal budget would increase taxes on investment returns, potentially costing Harvard $850 million annually — if the Senate signs off.