Harvard president emphasizes no compromise in fighting back against ‘federal overreach’

ISTANBUL

Harvard University President Alan Garber said on Wednesday that the school would not compromise on certain issues despite the federal government’s threat to freeze more than $2 billion in funding.

In an exclusive interview to NBC news, Garber said the school had “no choice” but to fight back against what it believes is federal overreach and an illegal attempt by the government to withhold funding as leverage to control academic decision-making.

“We are defending what I believe is one of the most important lynchpins of the American economy and way of life — our universities,” Garber said.

Trump administration targets Harvard University

The Trump administration cut more than $2 billion in federal funding to Harvard on April 14, citing its refusal to implement policy reforms, as tensions grow between the government and top US universities.

The school is the first major university to openly defy the administration’s directives, which Trump officials said are to combat antisemitism following campus protests concerning Israel's brutal war in the Gaza Strip.

The administration is also targeting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, which it called “illegal and immoral discrimination.”

Defending the funding freeze, the Trump administration said universities must uphold civil rights laws and stop the harassment of Jewish students, though it gave no examples.​​​​​​​