Last Updated:
The development comes a day after Trump vowed to prevail in his clash with Harvard and again threatened to take away billions in funding from one of the world’s top universities.
A conceptual image showing US President Donald Trump cutting a cord made of dollar bills connecting the White House and Harvard University, symbolizing his move to sever $100 million in federal contracts with the institution. (IMAGE: DALLE 3 AI ENGINE)
US President Donald Trump plans to terminate the federal government’s remaining contracts with Harvard University, worth an estimated $100 million, the New York Times reported on Tuesday. The directive is part of a broader push to completely sever Washington’s longstanding business relationship with the Ivy League institution.
The newspaper cited a draft letter he obtained that instructed federal agencies to “find alternative vendors” and halt all collaborations with Harvard. An administration official described the move as a “complete severance of the government’s longstanding business relationship with Harvard”.
The move comes a day after Trump vowed to win his battle with Harvard and renewed his threat to strip the prestigious university of billions in funding.
Around nine contracts between Harvard University and various US government agencies are likely to be affected, a government official said.
These contracts involve Harvard providing services such as research and training to different parts of the U.S. government. For example, one contract worth about $49,800 with the National Institutes of Health is focused on studying how coffee affects health. Another contract, worth nearly $26,000 with the Department of Homeland Security, involves training senior government officials.
“Going forward, we also encourage your agency to seek alternative vendors for future services where you had previously considered Harvard,” the letter said.
The letter is the latest move by the Trump administration to put pressure on Harvard University — one of the most prestigious and influential universities in the United States. Since last month, the administration has frozen about $3.2 billion worth of grants and contracts that Harvard receives from the U.S. government. It has also tried to stop the university from enrolling international students.
The letter asks government agencies to send a list of any canceled contracts with Harvard by June 6. Contracts for services that are considered very important would not be canceled right away but would be transferred to other suppliers. The letter was signed by Josh Gruenbaum, who works in a government department responsible for buying goods and services for federal agencies.
The Trump administration says its actions against Harvard are part of a fight for civil rights. It accuses the university of having a liberal political bias, using race as a factor in student admissions despite a Supreme Court ban, and allowing antisemitism (discrimination against Jewish people) on campus.
Harvard, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, argues that the fight is about protecting its rights under the US Constitution’s First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of speech and expression. The university says the Trump administration is trying to interfere with how it hires staff, designs courses, and admits students.
- Location :
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
- First Published:
