As Trump Administration Cracks Down, Harvard Faces Heat For Defending Diversity & Free Expression

Harvard University is at the center of a dramatic political showdown with the Trump administration. On Wednesday, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced the cancellation of two grants worth $2.7 million to Harvard. This came alongside a punitive freeze of over $2 billion in federal contracts and grants. Now, reports suggest that the IRS may strip Harvard of its tax-exempt status, following President Trump's threat to do so unless Harvard apologizes. Harvard is the only university so far to reject what it calls “unlawful” demands by the Trump administration to overhaul its academic programs. Students and faculty are rallying behind Harvard’s stand for academic freedom, free speech, and constitutional rights. The administration's crackdown on universities stems from their handling of pro-Palestinian protests after the Gaza crisis in 2023. Harvard President Alan Garber has publicly denounced the demands as unconstitutional and politically motivated. With students calling this a “threat to democracy” and unions raising alarm over civil liberties, this standoff could reshape the future of American academia.