Harvard University has taken legal action against the Trump administration, challenging its abrupt and allegedly unlawful multibillion-dollar cuts to the institution’s research funding. In a decisive move, Harvard President ALAN GARBER announced the lawsuit in a post on X, stating, “Moments ago, we filed a lawsuit to halt the funding freeze because it is unlawful and beyond the government’s authority.”
The lawsuit follows reports from *The Harvard Crimson* that the administration planned to slash an additional $1 billion in federal grants and contracts to the university, compounding the $2.2 billion reduction announced just last week. According to *The Wall Street Journal*, the latest cuts specifically target Harvard’s health research funding, as revealed by sources familiar with the matter.
In a 51-page legal filing, Harvard accused the Trump administration of unlawfully freezing billions in research funding to coerce the university into restructuring its governance, academic programs, and hiring practices. The complaint argues that such actions violate the First Amendment by imposing viewpoint-based conditions on federal funding.
“The tradeoff put to Harvard and other universities is clear: Allow the Government to micromanage your academic institution or jeopardize the institution’s ability to pursue medical breakthroughs, scientific discoveries, and innovative solutions,” Harvard’s legal team asserted in the filing.
The clash escalated further when former President DONALD TRUMP took to social media to criticize Harvard, claiming the institution had “lost its way” and no longer deserved federal funding. In a recent post, Trump wrote, “Harvard has been hiring almost all woke, Radical Left, idiots and ‘birdbrains’ who are only capable of teaching FAILURE to students and so-called ‘future leaders.’ Look just to the recent past at their plagiarizing President, who so greatly embarrassed Harvard before the United States Congress. Harvard is a JOKE, teaches Hate and Stupidity, and should no longer receive Federal Funds.”
The lawsuit marks a significant escalation in the ongoing tension between Harvard and the Trump administration, with the university determined to protect its autonomy and critical research initiatives.
*Fox News Digital*’s ANDREA MARGOLIS contributed to this report.
**Sources:**
– [The Harvard Crimson](https://www.thecrimson.com)
– [The Wall Street Journal](https://www.wsj.com)
– [Fox News Digital](https://www.foxnews.com)