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On Monday, Harvard University firmly rejected a set of authoritarian demands issued by officials of the Trump administration the previous Friday. In a surprising twist, one of those officials attempted to downplay the situation by urgently contacting the university, claiming the letter had been sent in error.
The letter, dispatched on April 11, included numerous controversial demands, such as halting diversity initiatives, placing restrictions or bans on student protests, enforcing a hiring policy favoring right-wing faculty chosen by the administration, and monitoring international students.
In response, Harvard President Alan Garber issued a statement on April 14 condemning the demands, stating, “no government — regardless of political affiliation — should dictate the curriculum of private universities, their admissions, hiring processes, or areas of academic inquiry. The University is committed to preserving its independence and constitutional rights.”
However, the New York Times reported that shortly after Garber’s statement was released, Josh Gruenbaum, a senior lawyer at the General Services Administration, made an urgent call to one of Harvard’s legal representatives, claiming that the letter was “unauthorized” and should not have been sent.
This situation has led to a cloud of confusion. Three anonymous Trump officials have indicated that there are conflicting accounts regarding the events that transpired and the administration’s intentions.
In contrast, White House policy strategist May Mailman asserted to the New York Times that the administration supports the letter’s content. She further criticized Harvard’s legal team, stating that they should have contacted the White House prior to disclosing the letter’s demands publicly.
Harvard challenged Mailman’s claims, pointing out that the letter was officially signed by three federal officials, printed on government letterhead, and sent from a senior official’s email account on April 11, as detailed. The institution emphasized that recipients of such communications from the government typically have no reason to doubt their legitimacy.
“We remain uncertain about what, if anything, from the government’s recent actions was erroneous or miscommunicated. However, even if the letter was indeed a mistake, the consequences of the government’s actions this week have tangible effects on students, employees, and the reputation of American higher education internationally,” the university’s statement continued.
Since the initial conflict, the Trump administration has escalated its actions even further. On Tuesday, it halted Harvard’s public funding as a punitive measure against the institution for its resistance. The following day, Trump ordered the IRS to consider revoking the school’s tax-exempt status, a move that has yet to be enacted. Legal experts suggest that should such a revocation occur, Harvard would likely prevail in any legal challenges it would undertake.
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