Judge Challenges Trump Over Harvard Funding Cuts

A federal judge has questioned the Trump administration’s justification for withholding billions in federal funding from Harvard University, prompting an angry reaction from the US president.

During a court session on Monday, Judge Allison Burroughs pressed a government lawyer to clarify how suspending grants for Harvard’s wide-ranging research initiatives would protect Jewish students from alleged antisemitism on campus, according to US media reports.

Donald Trump responded swiftly on his Truth Social platform, launching a personal attack on Burroughs—an Obama-era appointee—and accusing her, without evidence, of bias. He also vowed to appeal any ruling unfavourable to his administration.

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Harvard filed a lawsuit in April seeking to recover over $2 billion in federal funds that were frozen by the Trump administration. Officials claimed the funding pause was a response to the university’s failure to safeguard Jewish and Israeli students amid escalating campus protests against Israel’s actions in Gaza.

The funding freeze has led to a hiring halt at the Ivy League university and forced the suspension of major research efforts—especially in medicine and public health—which experts warned could jeopardise public wellbeing.

Harvard accused the government of politically motivated retaliation, arguing that its actions were unconstitutional. The university also claimed the administration was attempting to exert unlawful control over its academic independence.

Trump_Musk (News Central TV)

Judge Burroughs appeared sceptical of the administration’s position, reportedly questioning how the financial penalties were linked to tackling antisemitism. Both the university and the Trump administration had requested a summary judgment to bypass a full trial, though it remained uncertain whether the judge would rule definitively.

Trump, continuing his attacks on elite academic institutions, criticised Harvard’s $52 billion endowment and described the university as “anti-Semitic, anti-Christian, and anti-American” — despite lacking supporting evidence for these claims.

The Trump administration is also attempting to have the case moved from a federal court in Boston to the Court of Federal Claims in Washington, arguing the issue concerns a dispute over funding contracts rather than civil rights violations.

The case merges suits brought by Harvard and the American Association of University Professors, both of which contend that the administration’s funding cuts are a form of political coercion.

Tensions between Trump and the academic establishment have intensified since the start of his second term, with Harvard becoming a key target in his broader campaign against elite universities. The administration has sought to influence Harvard’s curriculum, staffing, and international student recruitment — efforts the university views as undue interference.

In June, Trump issued a proclamation suspending new international student enrolment at Harvard for six months, with the threat of terminating visas for current overseas students. That measure has since been blocked by the courts.

In a further escalation, federal authorities have subpoenaed Harvard for documents relating to students involved in pro-Palestinian demonstrations — protests which the administration has labelled antisemitic. It has also called on a national accrediting agency to revoke Harvard’s accreditation, citing alleged failures to protect Jewish students under federal civil rights law.

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