Guess whose side Obama’s on in the fight between taxpayers and wealthy elite universities

Former President Barack Obama came out in support of Harvard University Monday evening after the Trump administration moved to freeze billions of dollars from the university over its handling of antisemitism.

The Trump administration Monday afternoon, announced it was freezing over $2 billion in funding from Harvard after it publicly rejected demands to address antisemitism on campus. Obama, who himself attended Harvard Law School, stated in a recent X post that the school should serve as “an example” for other universities that find themselves in the administration’s crosshairs and praised Harvard for “rejecting” what he called an “attempt to stifle academic freedom.”

“Harvard has set an example for other higher-ed institutions – rejecting an unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom, while taking concrete steps to make sure all students at Harvard can benefit from an environment of intellectual inquiry, rigorous debate and mutual respect,” the former president said. “Let’s hope other institutions follow suit.”

Harvard has set an example for other higher-ed institutions – rejecting an unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom, while taking concrete steps to make sure all students at Harvard can benefit from an environment of intellectual inquiry, rigorous debate and… https://t.co/gAu9UUqgjF

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) April 15, 2025

The Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, made up of the Department of Education (ED), Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), issued a list of demands to Harvard on April 11, calling on the university to reform and better enforce disciplinary processes for students who participate in antisemitic protests, improve screening of international students for “hostile” views towards America and audit “programs with egregious records of antisemitism.” Harvard claimed that caving to the demands would threaten the university’s academic freedom and free speech rights.

“We have informed the administration through our legal counsel that we will not accept their proposed agreement,” Harvard president Alan Garber wrote in the announcement rejecting the agreement. “The University will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.”

A September investigation by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce found that “Harvard failed” to discipline students who engaged in antisemitic campus protests, which triggered further review by the Trump administration in late March. Harvard demonstrators disrupted classes, occupied a campus building, and set up a multi-day encampment.

Shortly after the university’s rejection of the Trump administration’s demands, the task force froze a total of $2.2 billion in multi-year grants and $60 million in multi-year contract value.

“Harvard’s statement today reinforces the troubling entitlement mindset that is endemic in our nation’s most prestigious universities and colleges – that federal investment does not come with the responsibility to uphold civil rights laws,” the task force said in a statement announcing the funding withdrawal.

The Trump administration has not taken the task of combating antisemitism lightly, punishing several universities to the tune of billions for failing to protect Jewish students from harassment. Cornell, Princeton, Columbia, Brown, and many other prestigious universities have found themselves at odds with the administration.

The Office of Barack and Michelle Obama did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

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