Harvard stated on Saturday that the Trump administration was “doubling down” on far-reaching demands on the university, despite a published report indicating that government officials sent a letter outlining those demands without authorization.
The letter from government lawyers, received by Harvard on April 11, was sent before senior officials of US President Donald Trump’s administration could approve it or authorize its release, according to a report by the New York Times on Friday, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.
Three days after the letter’s arrival, Harvard rejected numerous demands that it said would require the school to relinquish control over hiring, admissions, and instruction to the government.
Subsequently, the Trump administration froze $2.3 billion in funding to Harvard and threatened to revoke its tax-exempt status and its ability to enroll foreign students. It also demanded information on the university’s foreign ties, students, and faculty.
“Even assuming the administration now wishes to retract its litany of breathtakingly intrusive demands, it appears to have doubled down on those demands through its actions in recent days,” a Harvard spokesperson said. “Actions speak louder than words.”
Since his January inauguration, Trump has cracked down on top US universities, alleging they mishandled last year’s pro-Palestinian protests and allowed antisemitism to flourish on campus. Protesters, including some Jewish groups, argue that their criticism of Israel’s actions is wrongly conflated with antisemitism.
Columbia University was an early target, but in recent weeks, the administration has focused on Harvard, seeking oversight of its student body, faculty, and curriculum in an apparent effort to curb what it perceives as the university’s liberal bias.
The content of the April 11 letter was authentic, but the New York Times reported differing accounts within the Trump administration regarding its mishandling.
The newspaper reported that some within the White House believed the letter was sent prematurely, while others thought it was intended for internal circulation among government officials first.
The White House provided no immediate comment.
The administration had previously sent a list of demands to Harvard on April 3, requiring the elite school to comply in order to continue receiving federal funding. These demands included a mask ban, the removal of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and increased cooperation with law enforcement.
The April 11 letter, signed by officials from the Education Department, Health Department, and General Services Administration, expanded that list. It instructed Harvard to cease recognizing certain pro-Palestinian groups and demanded that it report foreign students violating university policies to federal authorities, among other demands.
Harvard had believed it could still avoid confrontation with the Trump administration through ongoing dialogue, the newspaper reported, but the letter made Harvard feel a deal was impossible.
Harvard affirmed the letter’s authenticity and described its demands as “astonishing in their overreach.”
