Kerby Anderson

The Trump administration froze federal grants to Harvard University and set in motion a debate about what the president can do when universities defy an executive order and a Supreme Court decision. This confrontation first began when the Trump administration threatened to pull federal funding from Columbia University because administrators did little to stop antisemitism on campus.

When the Trump administration tried the same tactic with Harvard, the university did not comply. The Harvard president declared that “no government . . . regardless of which party is in power –should decide what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue.”

Harvard’s transgressions go beyond their refusal to rein in antisemitism against Jewish students. The Supreme Court ruled against Harvard’s admission practices that discriminated against potential Asian students. And Donald Trump issued an executive order to dismantle DEI.

Both the Obama and Biden administrations threatened colleges with their unconstitutional interpretation of Title IX. The Trump administration is not only threatening by pulling university funding but has even asked the IRS to investigate whether Harvard should be allowed to keep its tax-exempt status.

I wonder if Trump is creating a precedent that a future president might use against Christian colleges, charities, and institutions. This isn’t just hypothetical. Nearly fifty years ago, the IRS stripped Bob Jones University of its tax-exempt status.

The Trump administration may not affect Harvard since it has built up an endowment of $50.7 billion. But other institutions may not be able to endure a future administration that pulls federal funding or tax-exemption. That’s why this federal action is so important.