Harvard updates lawsuit after losing $450M in grants amid antisemitism investigation and broader federal crackdown.

Trump Administration Expands Crackdown on Harvard

Harvard University has amended its lawsuit against the Trump administration after an additional $450 million in federal research funding was cut. The latest reduction, announced by the federal Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, brings the total amount of funding withheld from Harvard to $2.65 billion.

The updated lawsuit, filed Tuesday, followed hours after eight federal agencies terminated grant agreements, citing what officials described as Harvard’s ongoing failure to address antisemitism and racial discrimination on campus. The task force issued a strong statement accusing the university of harboring a “radical” and “dark problem” and said that Harvard “has repeatedly failed to confront the pervasive race discrimination and anti-Semitic harassment plaguing its campus.”

The Trump administration had previously frozen $2.2 billion in funds and threatened to revoke Harvard's tax-exempt status. The university first filed suit in April to contest the original freeze. The amended complaint argues that much of the initially frozen funding has now been permanently terminated with no clear path for restoration.

A May 6 letter from the National Institutes of Health cited campus antisemitism as the basis for terminating grants. According to Harvard’s filing, the NIH stated that corrective action was not possible under current conditions. Other similar letters reportedly followed from the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Department of Agriculture, and other agencies.

Federal Officials Question Harvard’s Response

Education Secretary Linda McMahon expressed skepticism about Harvard’s response to the administration’s investigation. Speaking on FOX Business’ The Evening Edit, McMahon criticized Harvard President Alan Garber’s decision to take a 25% salary reduction for the 2025–2026 academic year, questioning whether it represented a meaningful policy change.

“I don’t think that does a whole lot to solve the problem,” McMahon said. She cited reports indicating that only 2–3% of Harvard faculty identify as conservative, suggesting a systemic ideological bias on campus.

McMahon noted that Harvard was offered the opportunity to discuss reforms but instead responded with a lawsuit. “We wanted to sit down with President Garber… and his answer was a lawsuit,” she said. Although further communication has taken place, she made clear that the Trump administration is keeping all options open.

Harvard has made some internal changes, including asking the chair of its Middle East Studies department to step down, but federal officials argue the university has yet to make substantial reforms. “It is clear antisemitism on campus is a civil rights violation,” McMahon said. “When you put other students at risk… that’s clearly a civil rights issue.”

The controversy is part of a broader initiative by the Trump administration to crack down on elite academic institutions following pro-Palestinian unrest on campuses. On April 11, the White House sent a formal letter to Harvard leadership accusing the university of failing to uphold civil rights and demanding sweeping reforms by August 2025. Among the demands were changes to Harvard’s hiring practices, governance, and international admissions process to prevent the enrollment of individuals “hostile to American values.”

Harvard has pushed back, asserting that no government should interfere with what private universities teach, who they admit or hire, or how they structure academic inquiry. As the lawsuit proceeds, the university continues to challenge what it calls unlawful political overreach, while federal agencies explore further financial penalties—including a possible additional $1 billion in cuts.