Harvard University — the gold-plated symbol of American elitism — is in the fight of its life, and it’s a battle of its own making.

For the past month, Harvard has been locked in a standoff with the Trump administration over student visas, foreign money, anti-Semitism, and compliance with federal law. This is more than just another Beltway spat. This is a tectonic clash between the people who built this country and the elites who now believe they own it.

Why are taxpayers subsidizing institutions that actively undermine the very values that built this country?

To most Americans, Harvard stands for privilege, power, and a snobbish culture far removed from the everyday citizen. So why should you care what happens to Harvard?

Because this isn’t just about one Ivy League school. It’s about whether America will remain a free republic — or continue down the path of ideological capture by radical institutions.

It all began in April, when Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem demanded that Harvard provide records of foreign students involved in illegal, violent, or disruptive activities — like the kind of protests we saw last year that devolved into pro-Hamas encampments. Harvard missed the deadline. So the Trump administration pulled the plug: No more international student enrollments for Harvard.

To say that hurt would be an understatement. Foreign students make up 27% of Harvard’s student body — more than 6,700 individuals. Their tuition is a massive cash cow. Harvard sued, of course, and a federal judge has temporarily paused the visa ban. But the message from Trump’s Department of Homeland Security was clear: Comply with federal law or face the consequences.

Then came a broader move: The administration paused all new student visa interviews nationwide while it considers expanding social media vetting for foreign applicants. After the chaos we saw on campuses last fall, that seems like basic common sense.

Shut off the spigot

Next, the Trump administration turned off the federal funding faucet — more than $3 billion in research grants and contracts frozen. Harvard screamed censorship and filed another lawsuit, claiming this was a First Amendment violation. But let’s pause here: Harvard has a $53 billion endowment. That’s more than the GDP of more than 120 countries.

Why does an institution that rich receive any federal funding, let alone billions? Since World War II, the federal government has been throwing money at universities for research, including the development of the atomic bomb. Once the spigot opened, it never shut. Today, your taxpayer dollars are funding a $50,000 research project into the effects of coffee.

Congress is finally waking up. A bill is working its way through the Senate that would slap a tax on massive university endowments. Harvard alone could be facing an $850 million annual tax bill. About time!

Behind the crackdown

Three key factors are driving Trump’s fight with Harvard.

The first reason is anti-Semitism. Harvard, like many elite schools, turned a blind eye to vile anti-Jewish sentiment after the October 2023 Hamas attacks in Israel. The administration says enough is enough — and it’s right.

Second, Harvard has refused to comply with the 2023 Supreme Court decision declaring race-based admissions unconstitutional. The message from Harvard? We’re above the law.

Third, Harvard has been deeply entrenched in woke ideological corruption. Trump said it plainly on the campaign trail: Elite universities like Harvard are controlled by “Marxist maniacs and lunatics.” That’s not hyperbole. Harvard has abandoned its motto, Veritas — truth — in favor of radical conformity.

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Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

Just 9% of Harvard students identify as conservative. Among faculty, that number is a jaw-dropping 2.5%. This is a monoculture, not any sort of “marketplace of ideas.”

And it’s getting worse. In March, a Harvard professor openly called for firing any faculty who don’t support “gender-affirming care” for children. Think about that. This is not education. This is indoctrination.

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression recently ranked Harvard dead last in the country for free speech. It scored zero out of 100.

A fight beyond Harvard

Maybe you’re thinking, “Yeah, Harvard’s always been liberal. What else is new?” Here’s what is new: The radicalism cultivated behind ivy-covered walls has spilled into the real world.

We’ve had a cultural lab leak. Academic ideas once confined to lecture halls — critical race theory, diversity, equity, and inclusion measures, gender ideology, climate hysteria — are now infecting K-12 classrooms, human resources departments, government agencies, and even the military.

This is no longer a theoretical problem. It’s practical. It’s personal. It affects your children’s education, your job, your freedom of speech, and your values.

So here’s the question we should all be asking: Why are taxpayers subsidizing institutions that actively undermine the very principles and beliefs that built this country?

Trump’s war on Harvard is about more than visas, lawsuits, or even money. It’s about reclaiming the soul of America from those who have hijacked it. Harvard may have prestige, but it no longer has integrity. It certainly doesn’t need your money — or your consent.

It’s time to cut off the funding, tax the endowment, and force accountability. Because in the fight for America’s future, no institution should be above the people who pay the bills.

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