Obama Backs Harvard in Clash with Trump Administration
Barack Obama has spoken out against Donald Trump’s handling of higher education, backing Harvard amid a funding battle with the Trump administration. Speaking at Hamilton College, Obama said he had “deep differences” with his successor, now president again.
The conflict centers on the Department of Education’s decision to freeze $2.3 billion in funding to Harvard after the university refused demands to change its diversity programs, hiring practices, and protest policies. The administration claims the measures aim to address campus antisemitism.
Harvard President Alan Garber responded, saying the university won’t “surrender its independence.” Obama echoed that stance, calling the administration’s actions a “ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom.”
“This is about more than Harvard,” Obama said. “It’s about the future of higher education in America.”
