News
May 26, 2025

Trump Eyes Sending Harvard’s $3B Grant to Trade Schools

Caroline Raffetto

U.S. President Donald Trump said he is seriously weighing a proposal to revoke approximately $3 billion in federal grant money previously designated for Harvard University and redirect it to vocational institutions across the country. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump argued the money would be better spent elsewhere.

“What a great investment that would be for the USA, and so badly needed!!!” Trump wrote.

The move would mark a major escalation in the Trump administration’s ongoing battle with the Ivy League institution, which he has repeatedly criticized over its handling of campus antisemitism and cooperation with federal authorities.

Trump once again accused Harvard of being “very antisemitic,” a charge he has leveled in the past amid rising political pressure on elite universities to respond to antisemitic incidents and protests on campus. His latest comments arrive as Harvard continues to push back in federal court against the government’s attempts to limit its ability to enroll international students and access federal funding.

The university had previously sued the federal government to recover nearly $3 billion in grants that had been either cancelled or withheld. That legal fight centers around the Trump administration’s decision to revoke Harvard’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, a key authorization that enables the institution to admit foreign students.

Harvard maintains that the administration’s actions were politically motivated. The university argued in court filings that it was being penalized for refusing to comply with what it described as "political demands" related to addressing allegations of antisemitism on campus. A federal judge in Boston has since paused the administration’s actions, allowing Harvard’s legal challenge to move forward.

However, the dispute has continued to escalate. Trump on Monday reiterated that Harvard had failed to meet the latest demands from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which had set a 72-hour deadline for the university to hand over detailed records concerning its international students.

“We are still waiting for the Foreign Student Lists from Harvard so that we can determine, after a ridiculous expenditure of BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, how many radicalized lunatics, troublemakers all, should not be let back into our Country," Trump said in another Truth Social post. "Harvard is very slow in the presentation of these documents, and probably for good reason!”

According to administration officials, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem demanded comprehensive records, including audio and video documentation of student protests over the last five years. The Trump administration has cited concerns over campus radicalization and national security in justifying its actions.

Trump also questioned the legitimacy of Harvard’s legal reprieve, suggesting the university had manipulated the judicial process by securing a favorable judge.

“The best thing Harvard has going for it is that they have shopped around and found the absolute best Judge (for them!) - But have no fear, the Government will, in the end, WIN!” Trump wrote.

This battle over billions in federal funds and international student policy underscores a broader cultural and political clash between elite academic institutions and the Trump administration, which has increasingly prioritized vocational education and immigration enforcement.

While legal proceedings continue, Trump’s comments signal that the administration is unlikely to back down and may push further to reallocate funding toward trade schools—an effort likely to appeal to working-class voters and those skeptical of elite academia.

News
May 26, 2025

Trump Eyes Sending Harvard’s $3B Grant to Trade Schools

Caroline Raffetto
Construction Education
United States

U.S. President Donald Trump said he is seriously weighing a proposal to revoke approximately $3 billion in federal grant money previously designated for Harvard University and redirect it to vocational institutions across the country. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump argued the money would be better spent elsewhere.

“What a great investment that would be for the USA, and so badly needed!!!” Trump wrote.

The move would mark a major escalation in the Trump administration’s ongoing battle with the Ivy League institution, which he has repeatedly criticized over its handling of campus antisemitism and cooperation with federal authorities.

Trump once again accused Harvard of being “very antisemitic,” a charge he has leveled in the past amid rising political pressure on elite universities to respond to antisemitic incidents and protests on campus. His latest comments arrive as Harvard continues to push back in federal court against the government’s attempts to limit its ability to enroll international students and access federal funding.

The university had previously sued the federal government to recover nearly $3 billion in grants that had been either cancelled or withheld. That legal fight centers around the Trump administration’s decision to revoke Harvard’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, a key authorization that enables the institution to admit foreign students.

Harvard maintains that the administration’s actions were politically motivated. The university argued in court filings that it was being penalized for refusing to comply with what it described as "political demands" related to addressing allegations of antisemitism on campus. A federal judge in Boston has since paused the administration’s actions, allowing Harvard’s legal challenge to move forward.

However, the dispute has continued to escalate. Trump on Monday reiterated that Harvard had failed to meet the latest demands from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which had set a 72-hour deadline for the university to hand over detailed records concerning its international students.

“We are still waiting for the Foreign Student Lists from Harvard so that we can determine, after a ridiculous expenditure of BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, how many radicalized lunatics, troublemakers all, should not be let back into our Country," Trump said in another Truth Social post. "Harvard is very slow in the presentation of these documents, and probably for good reason!”

According to administration officials, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem demanded comprehensive records, including audio and video documentation of student protests over the last five years. The Trump administration has cited concerns over campus radicalization and national security in justifying its actions.

Trump also questioned the legitimacy of Harvard’s legal reprieve, suggesting the university had manipulated the judicial process by securing a favorable judge.

“The best thing Harvard has going for it is that they have shopped around and found the absolute best Judge (for them!) - But have no fear, the Government will, in the end, WIN!” Trump wrote.

This battle over billions in federal funds and international student policy underscores a broader cultural and political clash between elite academic institutions and the Trump administration, which has increasingly prioritized vocational education and immigration enforcement.

While legal proceedings continue, Trump’s comments signal that the administration is unlikely to back down and may push further to reallocate funding toward trade schools—an effort likely to appeal to working-class voters and those skeptical of elite academia.