The Trump administration is escalating its standoff with Harvard University, moving to cancel roughly $100 million in federal contracts with the Ivy League institution as part of a broader political offensive targeting elite universities.
Two senior officials confirmed to CNN that the General Services Administration is set to issue a directive Tuesday, instructing all federal agencies to identify their contracts with Harvard and assess whether they can be canceled or redirected to alternative vendors. The move is seen as retaliation against the university’s refusal to comply with a series of White House demands, including turning over conduct records of foreign students and implementing ideological “viewpoint diversity” audits on campus.
This latest strike follows an already massive financial blow: the administration has frozen or cut a staggering $2.65 billion in federal funds to Harvard, including a recent $450 million block and the suspension of $2.2 billion in grants and contracts. The school responded by filing a lawsuit, accusing the administration of violating its constitutional rights and targeting it for political reasons.
Harvard President Alan Garber has remained defiant, insisting the university will not compromise its independence. “The University will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights,” he wrote in a statement last month.
Last week, the administration revoked Harvard’s ability to enroll foreign students in the U.S. through the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, prompting a legal challenge that is now being reviewed in federal court. The school argues the action is clearly retaliatory and politically motivated.
Trump has also publicly threatened to remove Harvard’s tax-exempt status and strip an additional $3 billion in grant funding if the university continues to resist. The pressure campaign marks a significant escalation in the administration’s attacks on institutions it portrays as symbols of liberal ideology.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more details become available.