1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

The Trump administration's move to freeze $2.2 billion in grants to Harvard University over campus activism is a concerning overreach that threatens academic freedom and institutional autonomy. Withholding critical funding to one of the nation's premier research universities risks not only hampering vital scientific and medical advancements, but also violates fundamental First Amendment protections for free speech and inquiry on college campuses. Harvard has made extensive reforms to address antisemitism concerns, yet the administration's demands go far beyond that reasonable scope. Requiring ideological audits of faculty and students, ending funding for certain student groups based on their views, and dictating admissions policies are unacceptable constraints on Harvard's right to determine its own principles and policies free from government overreach. Institutions of higher learning must maintain their independence to uphold intellectual discourse and the open exchange of ideas, even controversial ones. Capitulating to the administration's political agenda would set a dangerous precedent, emboldening future administrations to similarly bully universities into compliance by wielding the threat of funding cuts. This aggressive tactic is ultimately counterproductive and inconsistent with American values. I urge the administration to immediately restore Harvard's funding and respect the university's autonomy in academic matters. Attempting to strong-arm elite universities undermines the nation's global standing as a bastion of academic excellence and free expression.