Education Secretary Linda McMahon sent Harvard president Alan Garber a scathing letter informing him that the note “marks the end of new grants for the University” after the school refused to address a list of concerns the administration has.
McMahon emphasized that Harvard is sitting on an endowment of more than $53 billion and yet continues to receive billions in taxpayer money each year, which she notes is a “privilege, not a right.”
Instead of putting the money towards the education of students, Harvard continues "violating federal law," McMahon argued.
She called out the university for inviting foreign students to its campus who have demonstrated violent behavior and contempt for America. The school has also had to introduce a “remedial math” program for undergrads even though it’s supposed to be such an “acclaimed university.”
"Who is getting in under such a low standard when others, with fabulous grades and a great understanding of the highest levels of mathematics, are being rejected?" she wondered.
Not only that, McMahon circled back to Harvard’s embarrassing plagiarism scandal involving its former president, Claudine Gay, and questioned the decision to hire failed Democrat Mayors Bill de Blasio and Lori Lightfoot to teach students about “leadership.”
But such failures become understandable when looking at Harvard’s management, she said, calling out the Harvard Corporation, run by Democrat operative Penny Pritzker.
"Perhaps most alarmingly," McMahon continued, "Harvard has failed to abide by the United States Supreme Court’s ruling demanding that it end its racial preferencing, and continues to engage in ugly racism in its undergraduate and graduate schools, and even within the Harvard Law Review itself. Our universities should be bastions of merit that reward and celebrate excellence and achievement. They should not be incubators of discrimination that encourage resentment and instill grievance and racism into our wonderful young Americans."
She added: "The above concerns are only a fraction of the long list of Harvard’s consistent violations of its own legal duties. Given these and other concerning allegations, this letter is to inform you that Harvard should no longer seek GRANTS from the federal government, since none will be provided. Harvard will cease to be a publicly funded institution, and can instead operate as a privately-funded institution, drawing on its colossal endowment, and raising money from its large base of wealthy alumni. You have an approximately $53 Billion head start, much of which was made possible by the fact that you are living within the walls of, and benefiting from, the prosperity secured by the United States of America and its free-market system you teach your students to despise."
🚨🚨🚨
— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) May 5, 2025
BOOM!
PROMISES MADE, PROMISES KEPT.
Bravo @EDSecMcMahon 👏 https://t.co/RfLQroBWnt
Holy smokes
— Monica Crowley (@MonicaCrowley) May 6, 2025
@EDSecMcMahon just bodied @Harvard https://t.co/VG13SnuNyq
The letter comes after Harvard sued the Trump administration, challenging the government's decision to freeze funds after it refused to comply with a list of demands, including adequately addressing antisemitism on campus.
Harvard issued a statement after McMahon's letter was released.
Today, we received another letter from the administration doubling down on demands that would impose unprecedented and improper control over Harvard University and would have chilling implications for higher education. Today’s letter makes new threats to illegally withhold funding for lifesaving research and innovation in retaliation against Harvard for filing its lawsuit on April 21.
Harvard will continue to comply with the law, promote and encourage respect for viewpoint diversity, and combat antisemitism in our community. Harvard will also continue to defend against illegal government overreach aimed at stifling research and innovation that make Americans safer and more secure.
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