The Trump administration is set to divert all remaining federal contracts away from Harvard University after rescinding billions in funding and support over the school’s alleged failure to address campus antisemitism.
An official familiar with the matter confirmed to the Washington Examiner that the General Services Administration requested federal agencies to review any contracts they hold with Harvard. Contracts deemed unnecessary should be terminated, and those determined to be critical should be moved to another academic institution. Agencies have also been ordered not to consider Harvard for future contracts.
“We are out of business with Harvard, so look for other vendors for things you would have considered Harvard for,” the official said.
The Washington Examiner obtained a letter sent out to agencies on Tuesday by Josh Gruenbaum, GSA’s commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service, detailing the cuts, which amount to roughly $100 million.
“As fiduciaries to the taxpayer, the government has a duty to ensure that procurement dollars are directed to vendors and contractors to promote and champion principles of non-discrimination in the national interests,” the letter read.
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The GSA’s directive comes during a feud between the Trump administration and Harvard over the university’s approach toward addressing antisemitism on its campus. The Ivy League institution has refused to capitulate to a sweeping list of demands from the White House over how to target antisemitism, mounting a lawsuit against the federal government, citing free speech concerns and the violation of First Amendment rights.
In the wake of the university’s pushback, the Trump administration rescinded billions in federal funding to the university, the Justice Department launched an investigation into the school, and the Department of Homeland Security essentially banned Harvard from enrolling foreign students by canceling the school’s student visa program.
President Donald Trump announced Monday he was considering pulling another $3 billion in grants from the university, which he described as “very antisemitic.” Those grants would instead be invested in trade schools, the president revealed.
In addition to concerns about antisemitism on campus going unanswered, the Trump administration justified its latest directive to rescind federal funding by accusing Harvard of failing to comply with the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling prohibiting race-based affirmative action policies.
A TIMELINE OF THE TRUMP-HARVARD SAGA
“As relevant here, GSA understands that Harvard continues to engage in race discrimination, including in its admissions process and in other areas of student life,” the letter read. “For applicants in the top academic decile, admissions rates varied significantly by race. In this decile, admissions rates were: 56% for African Americans; 31% for Hispanics, 15% for whites; 13% for Asians,” Gruenbaum’s letter continued, adding that despite the Supreme Court’s decision, “Harvard has shown no indication of reforming their admission process.”
“To the contrary, Harvard now has to offer a remedial math course, which has been described as middle school math for incoming freshmen. These are the direct results of employing discriminatory factors instead of merit in admissions decisions,” Gruenbaum wrote. “Since then, troubling revelations have come to light regarding Harvard and its affiliates’ potential discriminatory hiring practices and possible violations of Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Harvard is suspected of engaging in a pattern or practice of disparate treatment in hiring, promotion, compensation, and other personnel-related actions.”
