Trump Threatens to Divert $3 Billion in Harvard Grants to Trade Schools Amid Legal Battle

WASHINGTON, May 26 — Former U.S. President Donald Trump announced Monday that he is weighing a plan to reallocate $3 billion in scientific and engineering research grants away from Harvard University to U.S. trade schools, deepening an ongoing clash between his administration and one of the nation’s most prestigious academic institutions.

Posting on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump accused Harvard of bias, claiming the school hires “Radical Left idiots and ‘bird brains’” and fails to align with federal priorities.

Grants Frozen Amid Legal Dispute Over Academic Independence

The Trump administration has already frozen nearly $3 billion in federal research funding awarded to Harvard, much of it allocated through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support biomedical innovation.

Harvard has responded by filing a lawsuit, calling the funding cuts unconstitutional, and alleging that they amount to retaliation for the university’s refusal to “surrender its academic independence.”

While most of the grants fund long-term scientific projects—unsuited for trade schools—it remains unclear whether Trump’s plan would involve the already-frozen grants or seek to revoke additional awards.

Agencies involved in the funding freeze include:

• NIH
• U.S. Forest Service
• Department of Energy
• Department of Defense

Each agency cited the need to focus on “current priorities” as justification for the suspension.

International Students at the Center of Broader Crackdown

This move comes days after a federal judge blocked the administration’s attempt to bar Harvard from enrolling international students—a policy critics said would have affected over 7,000 visa holders and 27% of the university’s enrollment.

Harvard had warned the now-suspended policy would have “immediate and devastating” effects on the institution and student body, calling it a “blatant violation” of the U.S. Constitution.

Tax Exemption, Civil Rights Probe, and Endowment in Crosshairs

The grant freeze and visa controversy are only part of a wider effort by Trump to reshape U.S. academia. Other aggressive steps include:

• Proposals to strip Harvard of tax-exempt status
• Efforts to increase taxes on its $50+ billion endowment
• A federal investigation into alleged discrimination against white, Asian, male, or straight employees

Trump and Republican allies have long accused Ivy League schools of harboring left-wing biases and serving as breeding grounds for opposition to conservative values.

Harvard Responds: “We Comply with the Law”

While Harvard has remained tight-lipped on Trump’s latest statement, the university previously defended its policies, stating that its hiring and admissions practices comply fully with U.S. law.

Uncertain Legal Ground for Reallocation

Legal experts say redirecting funds from a private research university to vocational institutions would face major legal hurdles, especially as most of the money is Congress-appropriated for specific research goals.

The White House has not provided clarity on how such a reallocation would occur under current federal law.