The Trump administration has revoked the research grant from Harvard University.

 

US President Donald Trump's administration has announced that Harvard University will no longer receive any government research grants in the future, a new and acrimonious phase in the ongoing dispute between him and the university.

Al Jazeera reported on Tuesday (May 6).

In a letter to Harvard University on Monday, US Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the top university had made a mockery of higher education and would no longer be able to apply for government grants, as such grants would be withdrawn.

The letter also said that Harvard would no longer operate as a government-funded institution, but would instead be run as a privately funded institution, with a large endowment and the ability to raise money from its wealthy alumni.

The Trump administration had suspended nearly $2.3 billion in federal funding for Harvard University, citing allegations that it had failed to address widespread anti-Semitism on the university's campus.

After suspending it, the Trump administration made several demands of Harvard, including conducting an external audit to ensure diversity of views among the university’s students and faculty, which Harvard rejected because it would have imposed excessive government control over the university.

In the letter, McMahon also said that Harvard has lax academic standards and admitted foreign students who display violent behavior and hatred of the United States.

He wrote, “Where are these ‘students’ coming from, who are they, and how are they getting into Harvard or even our country – and why so much hatred?” McMahon emphasized this in his letter, using the same capitalized words as Trump.

He added, “These are questions that must be answered, but the bigger question is why Harvard doesn’t want to give clear answers to the American people.”

Harvard, which has sued the Trump administration in court over its suspension of federal funding, said in a statement that McMahon’s latest claims could have serious consequences for higher education.

A university spokesman said today’s letter “creates new threats against Harvard, which is illegally trying to withhold emergency funding for research and innovation, only in retaliation for our April 21 filing of the lawsuit.”

He added, “Harvard will continue to abide by the law, respect diversity of viewpoints, and combat anti-Semitism in our society. Harvard will continue to fight against government interference so that it does not hinder our research and innovation, which is safe and secure for Americans.”

Harvard released two separate task force reports last month, claiming that on campus Students and staff have been subjected to anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim discrimination.

Harvard President Alan Garber responded to the reports by saying that some students had been pushed out of campus life because of their identity or beliefs, and he assured that the university would redouble its efforts to “establish mutual respect.”

In addition, Trump and influential conservatives in the United States have long accused Harvard, including other universities, of promoting far-left ideology and suppressing right-wing views.