The Trump administration has not taken too lightly to higher institutions of learning trying to get away with letting antisemitism run rampant, including when it comes to Harvard. On Monday, Alan Garber, the university president, sent out a message posted to the university website, "The Promise of American Higher Education."
It's a lengthy letter, with much of it fawning over the institution. As Garber mentioned in his opening: [with added emphasis]:
For three-quarters of a century, the federal government has awarded grants and contracts to Harvard and other universities to help pay for work that, along with investments by the universities themselves, has led to groundbreaking innovations across a wide range of medical, engineering, and scientific fields. These innovations have made countless people in our country and throughout the world healthier and safer. In recent weeks, the federal government has threatened its partnerships with several universities, including Harvard, over accusations of antisemitism on our campuses. These partnerships are among the most productive and beneficial in American history. New frontiers beckon us with the prospect of life-changing advances—from treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and diabetes, to breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, quantum science and engineering, and numerous other areas of possibility. For the government to retreat from these partnerships now risks not only the health and well-being of millions of individuals but also the economic security and vitality of our nation.
Antisemitism, including anti-Israel encampments set up on campus, has been notable at Harvard since the October 7, 2023 attack that Hamas launched against our ally in the Middle East. Claudine Gay, then Harvard's president, also had a particularly abominable response when asked by Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) during a House Committee hearing in December 2023 if "calling for the genocide of Jews" was against the university's code of context. Gay, as did other university presidents, claimed it depended on the context.
Garber's message barely mentions antisemitism, though. "We have made it abundantly clear that we do not take lightly our moral duty to fight antisemitism. Over the past fifteen months, we have taken many steps to address antisemitism on our campus. We plan to do much more," he claims, without going into detail in a way that actually explains how Harvard will fight against the antisemitism that prompted such a response from the Trump administration.
As his message concludes, using so many words to say so little:
...As we defend Harvard, we will continue to:
- nurture a thriving culture of open inquiry on our campus; develop the tools, skills, and practices needed to engage constructively with one another; and broaden the intellectual and viewpoint diversity within our community;
- affirm the rights and responsibilities we share; respect free speech and dissent while also ensuring that protest occurs in a time, place, and manner that does not interfere with teaching, learning, and research; and enhance the consistency and fairness of disciplinary processes; and
- work together to find ways, consistent with law, to foster and support a vibrant community that exemplifies, respects, and embraces difference. As we do, we will also continue to comply with Students For Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which ruled that Title VI of the Civil Rights Act makes it unlawful for universities to make decisions “on the basis of race.”
These ends will not be achieved by assertions of power, unmoored from the law, to control teaching and learning at Harvard and to dictate how we operate. The work of addressing our shortcomings, fulfilling our commitments, and embodying our values is ours to define and undertake as a community. Freedom of thought and inquiry, along with the government’s longstanding commitment to respect and protect it, has enabled universities to contribute in vital ways to a free society and to healthier, more prosperous lives for people everywhere. All of us share a stake in safeguarding that freedom. We proceed now, as always, with the conviction that the fearless and unfettered pursuit of truth liberates humanity—and with faith in the enduring promise that America’s colleges and universities hold for our country and our world.
Garber's message referenced a letter from the administration sent out on last Friday. Another letter had also been sent out weeks before to do with funding.
Stefanik, who has maintained her strong stance against antisemitism while in Congress and serving in House leadership, quickly reacted to Harvard's decision to not comply.
🚨🚨🚨
— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) April 14, 2025
DEFUND Harvard. https://t.co/25SvzJJaec
🚨🚨🚨🚨
— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) April 14, 2025
Statement on Harvard’s Announcement Defying the Department of Education
——
“Harvard University has rightfully earned its place as the epitome of the moral and academic rot in higher education.
Fueled by the radical groupthink Far Left faculty, inept University…
As Stefanik said in her statement:
"Harvard University has rightfully earned its place as the epitome of the moral and academic rot in higher education.
Fueled by the radical groupthink Far Left faculty, inept University leadership, donations by foreign adversaries, and proHamas terrorists, Harvard has fully embraced and tolerated the raging antisemitism threatening the lives and physical safety of Jewish students on campus.
It is time to totally cut off U.S. taxpayer funding to this institution that has failed to live up to its founding motto Veritas.
Defund Harvard."
Both Garber and Stefanik referenced their founding motto. "Our motto—Veritas, or truth—guides us as we navigate the challenging path ahead. Seeking truth is a journey without end. It requires us to be open to new information and different perspectives, to subject our beliefs to ongoing scrutiny, and to be ready to change our minds," Garber wrote at one point. "It compels us to take up the difficult work of acknowledging our flaws so that we might realize the full promise of the University, especially when that promise is threatened."
It's something of an ironic message from Garber, given that Gay bitterly held onto her position for almost a month after that House committee hearing, and held onto her role for nearly a month longer. She resigned as president after being hit with accusations that she had committed serial plagiarism. Gay and the university reacted particularly poorly to such accusations before she ultimately resigned.
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