Confusion, passionate protests, and general outrage have abounded in the United States of America due to the Trump administration’s recent activities. Trump’s first five months in office as the President of the United States have been nothing short of turbulent. Trump has set up new policies affecting everything from immigration to voting rights, and now he has set his sights on the field of education.
In March of 2025, the Trump Administration revoked $400 million in federal funding from Cambridge University due to allegations that the university tolerated antisemitism by not protecting Jewish students amid protests from people who are pro-Palestine. The revoking of such funding shook the university administration. The United States government sent a memo demanding that this funding be restored. Some of the demands include banning face masks on campus, empowering security officers to remove or arrest individuals, and taking control of the department that offers courses on the Middle East from its faculty. With the deadline fast approaching, the Columbia University administration, much to the dismay of many students and alums, surrendered to Trump’s demands.
Even after hearing his demands were fulfilled, the Trump administration recently went after Columbia’s accreditation. In a letter to the University, Education Secretary Linda McMahon condemned Columbia’s “unlawful” and “immoral” acts as she claimed that they violated the civil rights of Jewish students, so their accreditation must be called into question.
Harvard University is another university facing much of the Trump administration’s wrath. The battle waged against Harvard University has been a long and winding journey dating back to late March 2025. A request was made by the Trump administration to review federal contracts and grants for Harvard. Like Columbia University, Federal officials sent a letter to Harvard University with a list of demands. However, Harvard rejected the demands and argued that the Trump administration was overstepping.
In a long series of back and forths, the Department of Homeland Security threatened to end Harvard’s ability to enroll international students. This news came as a shock since international students made up 27.2% of the Harvard student body in the 2024 – 2025 school year. As a result, Harvard has filed two lawsuits against the Trump administration, making it one of the first institutions to fight back against the Trump administration. For both lawsuits, the judge ruled in Hrvard’s favour due to the belief that the Trump administration is encroaching on the University’s legal right to act autonomously.
These battles that the Trump administration is waging against the most prestigious universities, with very high endowments, serve as a chilling reminder about the power a president has to make decisions that do not reflect many people’s opinions. It also calls into question the form of “bullying” Trump is doing to these institutions to make them follow his demands. Harvard also serves as a beacon of hope and inspiration in dark times. The University’s administration has shown time and time again in the last few months that it is possible to stand up for what you believe in despite adversity and that it is important to remain authentic to the values of various institutions.