WASHINGTON, USA – More than 150 presidents of American universities and colleges have signed a letter condemning the Trump administration’s efforts to impose political conditions on private higher education institutions in exchange for federal funding.
The letter comes in response to the Trump administration’s recent threats to withhold billions of dollars in federal grants from some of the nation’s most prestigious universities, including Harvard, Columbia, and Princeton.
These measures are part of the administration’s efforts to pressure universities to alter their admissions processes and penalize student protesters.
The letter’s signatories span a broad spectrum of institutions, from large public universities to small liberal arts colleges, with each Ivy League school except Dartmouth College included in the list.
Columbia University’s acting president, Claire Shipman, added her signature to the statement after the letter’s initial publication.
The letter, coordinated by the American Association of Colleges and Universities, states: “As leaders of America’s colleges, universities, and scholarly societies, we speak with one voice against the unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education.”
While the letter’s signatories express openness to constructive reform and acknowledge legitimate government oversight, they emphasize their opposition to government interference in campus life, particularly when it comes to the coercive use of public research funding.
“We will always seek effective and fair financial practices, but we must reject the coercive use of public research funding,” the letter adds.
In response, White House spokesperson Harrison Fields dismissed the letter, saying that the administration “is standing up for equality and fairness and will not be swayed by worthless letters by overpaid blowhards.”
The Trump administration has already paused or threatened to withhold billions of dollars in federal funding from universities, crucial to their operations.
This includes institutions such as Columbia, Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, and Princeton.
These actions are part of a broader administration effort to “root out” antisemitism on college campuses, particularly in light of recent protests and academic debates.
In an attempt to restore funding, Columbia University acceded to several of the administration’s demands.
These included instituting a mask ban during protests, hiring an external overseer for its Middle East, South Asian, and African studies department, and ensuring greater institutional neutrality.
Columbia’s willingness to comply led to significant backlash within the academic community, resulting in the resignation of the university’s interim president, Katrina A. Armstrong.
Harvard faced similar demands, including auditing the political viewpoints of its students and professors and dismantling its diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
Although Harvard initially seemed poised to comply, it ultimately rejected the administration’s orders and filed a lawsuit in federal court, seeking to overturn the suspension of $2.2 billion in federal grants.
Additionally, the letter condemned the Trump administration’s efforts to deport international students.
In recent weeks, the administration has revoked hundreds of visas, particularly targeting students from Middle Eastern countries.
Many of these students were involved in pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses in the previous year, further fueling the controversy.
