'Ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom': Barack Obama reacts to Donald Trump admin's move to freeze $2.3bn funding for Harvard University

Former US President Barack Obama praised Harvard University for defying what he described as a “ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom ,” after the Trump administration froze $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts over the university’s refusal to comply with new federal directives.

“Harvard has set an example for other higher-ed institutions – rejecting an unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom, while taking concrete steps to make sure all students at Harvard can benefit from an environment of intellectual inquiry, rigorous debate and mutual respect,” Obama said Tuesday on X. “Let’s hope other institutions follow suit.”

Harvard has set an example for other higher-ed institutions – rejecting an unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom, while taking concrete steps to make sure all students at Harvard can benefit from an environment of intellectual inquiry, rigorous debate and… https://t.co/gAu9UUqgjF

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) April 15, 2025

The funding freeze was imposed after Harvard declined to implement a series of demands set out in an April 3 directive, which included dismantling its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices, changing hiring and admissions policies, and assisting with immigration screenings for international students. The Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, which suspended the funds, argued the measures were necessary to ensure universities upheld civil rights and used taxpayer funds responsibly.

In a letter dated April 11, federal officials accused Harvard of violating civil rights laws and ideological bias, demanding sweeping reforms by August 2025. “Harvard has in recent years failed to live up to both the intellectual and civil rights conditions that justify federal investment,” the letter read.

Harvard President Alan Garber rejected the ultimatum. “No government—regardless of which party is in power—should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue,” Garber said in a public statement. “The University will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.”

Garber’s remarks were echoed by Harvard Law School professor Nikolas Bowie, who called the demands “nothing short of authoritarian,” adding, “He is violating the First Amendment rights of universities and faculty.”

The clash comes amid rising tensions on US campuses following pro-Palestinian protests over Israel’s military action in Gaza. The Department of Education is currently investigating 60 universities over reported anti-Semitic incidents, and Republican leaders, including Donald Trump, have accused some student groups of aligning with Hamas, the militant group behind the October 7 attack on Israel.

While Harvard stood its ground, Columbia University complied with similar mandates, forfeiting $400 million in grants after failing to curb anti-Semitic incidents during recent protests. Columbia has since restructured its disciplinary processes and increased campus security.

Despite reporting a £45 million surplus on £6.5 billion in revenue last year, Harvard has maintained that federal funding should not be used as leverage to reshape academic values. Representative Elise Stefanik, a Republican from New York, applauded the freeze, accusing elite universities of fostering “a troubling entitlement mindset.”

Meanwhile, immigration enforcement actions have intensified against Columbia-based pro-Palestinian activists, with deportation proceedings initiated against student leaders Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Mahdawi.

Also read: Trump vs Harvard, a full text of who said what