Harvard’s president takes a pay cut while the nation’s “richest university” begs for another $450 million after Trump pulled $2.5 billion in federal funding over antisemitism allegations.
At a Glance
- Harvard President Alan Garber is taking a voluntary 25% pay cut for the 2025-2026 academic year amid financial turmoil
- The Trump administration has suspended $2.5 billion in federal funding to Harvard, citing antisemitism concerns on campus
- Harvard has amended its lawsuit against the administration, increasing its financial claim by an additional $450 million
- The university has implemented a hiring freeze and postponed merit-based salary increases for nonunion faculty
- A legal hearing on the funding dispute is scheduled for July
America’s “Elite” University Faces Financial Reality Check
Isn’t it something when the wealthiest university in America suddenly discovers the meaning of a budget? Harvard University, that bastion of elite progressive thinking with its $50+ billion endowment, is now scrambling after the Trump administration pulled $2.5 billion in federal funding. The school that charges students over $80,000 per year to attend apparently can’t function without taxpayer dollars. How’s that for fiscal responsibility? President Alan Garber has announced a 25% cut to his own salary for the upcoming academic year – a gesture that would be noble if it weren’t so clearly a desperate attempt to save face while the university begs for more government money.
What led to this financial reckoning? The Trump administration made the entirely reasonable decision to hold Harvard accountable for its abysmal handling of antisemitism on campus. While Jewish students faced harassment and intimidation amid pro-Palestinian protests, Harvard’s leadership remained shamefully passive, allowing discrimination to flourish at the very institution that lectures the rest of America about inclusion and tolerance. The administration’s funding cuts aren’t punishment – they’re consequences for Harvard’s hypocritical abandonment of its own stated values when politically inconvenient.
Harvard’s Audacious Demand for More Money
In a move that showcases breathtaking entitlement, Harvard has now amended its lawsuit against the Trump administration to demand an additional $450 million on top of the $2.5 billion in federal funding that was cut. This from an institution sitting on an endowment larger than the GDP of dozens of countries. The oldest university in America apparently believes taxpayers should continue subsidizing its operations regardless of how it manages its campus or treats its students. The audacity would be impressive if it weren’t so outrageous – while working Americans struggle with inflation and high costs, Harvard believes it deserves billions in public money with zero accountability.
Harvard University President Alan Garber will take a voluntary 25 percent pay cut in fiscal year 2026, a Harvard spokesperson said, as the university faces an onslaught of funding cuts by the Trump administration. https://t.co/RpFRcmoq2g
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) May 14, 2025
The university has instituted a hiring freeze and postponed merit-based salary increases for nonunion faculty – basic cost-cutting measures that any responsible organization would implement during financial challenges. Somehow, we’re supposed to feel sympathy for an institution that has enjoyed unparalleled wealth and privilege for centuries. Perhaps if Harvard spent less time and resources promoting divisive ideologies and more time creating an environment where all students feel safe and welcome, they wouldn’t be in this predicament.
The Real Lesson Harvard Should Learn
The irony here is impossible to miss: Harvard, which has long been a champion of government intervention and regulation, now finds itself on the receiving end of exactly that. The university that has produced countless politicians and bureaucrats who believe in expansive federal power suddenly discovers the downside when that power is used to hold them accountable. This standoff represents something much larger than a funding dispute – it’s about whether elite institutions should be exempt from the standards they insist everyone else follow.
Harvard’s ongoing legal battle, with a hearing scheduled for July, will be revealing. Will the university acknowledge its failures in addressing discrimination, or will it continue to play the victim while demanding billions in taxpayer money? The Trump administration’s stance is clear: public funds come with public responsibilities. If Harvard wants to continue receiving generous federal support, it needs to ensure that all students – regardless of their faith or background – can attend without fear of harassment or exclusion. That’s not an unreasonable standard; it’s the bare minimum we should expect from America’s “premier” educational institution.
