Barack Obama praises Harvard for rejecting Trump orders to curb campus activism

Former United States President Barack Obama lauded Harvard University, one of the best educational institutions across the world, for its stand to not curb student activism on Donald Trump administration’s behest.

Obama said that the university has set an example for other higher education institutions by not giving into the “unlawful” and “ham-handed” demands of the Trump administration.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Obama wrote, “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. Let’s hope other institutions follow suit.”

This comes after the university is facing a major blow for standing with student activism in the form of financial restrictions imposed by the Trump administration. Grants worth $2.2 billion meant for Harvard University have been withheld by the current administration. Apart from the grants, $60M in multi-year contract value have also been frozen for Harvard University.

In a letter to Harvard University on Friday, the Trump administration asked the varsity to introduce several reforms in order to maintain “financial relationship” with the federal government.

The proposed changes included governance and leadership reforms, merit-based hiring and admissions by ceasing all preferences based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, international admissions reform to “prevent admitting students hostile to the American values”, discontinue all DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) programs and policies among other things.

However, Harvard rejected the agreement and said that it will not “surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights”. In a letter issued on Monday, the university said that the federal government was trying to “control” the Harvard community through its demands.

“They include requirements to “audit” the viewpoints of our student body, faculty, staff, and to “reduc[e] the power” of certain students, faculty, and administrators targeted because of their ideological views. We have informed the administration through our legal counsel that we will not accept their proposed agreement,” the letter read.

It also said that the demands made by the federal government violate “Harvard’s First Amendment rights and exceeds the statutory limits of the government’s authority under Title VI”.

Responding to the university’s non-compliance, Trump’s administration froze funding to Harvand and said, “Harvard’s statement today reinforces the troubling entitlement mindset that is endemic in our nation’s most prestigious universities and colleges- that federal investment does not come with the responsibility to uphold civil rights laws.”