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The Trump administration is planning to cancel all remaining federal contracts with Harvard University, a day after the president mused about taking billions in federal funding that had been awarded to the Ivy League school — which he branded “very antisemitic” — and giving it to trade schools.  

The fresh cuts — believed to be worth roughly $100 million — were requested in a memo fired off to federal agencies early Tuesday, according to a copy obtained by The Post. The administration had already frozen an estimated $3.2 billion in contracts and grants with Harvard.

The letter, signed by the General Services Administration’s Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Josh Gruenbaum, instructs the agencies to “seek alternative vendors” for services they were previously paying Harvard to complete. 


  President Trump is planning on yanking all federal funding from Harvard, according to a report. AP President Trump is planning on yanking all federal funding from Harvard, according to a report. AP

“We recommend that your agency terminate for convenience each contract that it determines has failed to meet its standards, and transition to a new vendor those contracts that could be better serviced by an alternative counterparty.”

The GSA’s letter said it’s directing the government to review Harvard’s contracts because the school has refused to meet the Trump administration’s demands to crack down on antisemitism on campus and end alleged “race discrimination” in its admission and hiring processes. 

The letter also accuses Harvard of failing to adhere to the 2023 Supreme Court ruling that banned affirmative action, and claims that the school’s admissions still favor black and Hispanic applicants over their white and Asian counterparts.

Stay up to date on Trump’s push to limit Harvard international students


  The president previously announced he was pulling $3 billion in grants from the “very antisemitic” university. REUTERS The president previously announced he was pulling $3 billion in grants from the “very antisemitic” university. REUTERS

“Harvard has shown no indication of reforming their admissions process,” the GSA said, pointing out that America’s most famous university has actually has begun offering a remedial math course — described as “middle school math” for incoming freshmen.

The memo adds: “In light of this deeply troubling pattern, each agency should consider its contracts with Harvard University and determine whether Harvard and its services efficiently promote the priorities of the agency.”

A sampling of Harvard’s federal contracts active as of last year based on data from USASpending.gov which could be on the chopping block include:

Other federal contracts potentially in line to be taken away from Harvard include $527,000 for subscriptions to Harvard’s ManageMentor coaching software, $523,000 for the university to research the health impact of energy drinks and a $39,000 contract for grad student research services awarded in April, a source told Fox News.


  Graduating students hold Palestinian flags and chant as they walk out in protest during commencement in Harvard Yard, at Harvard University, in Cambridge, Mass., Thursday, May 23, 2024. AP Graduating students hold Palestinian flags and chant as they walk out in protest during commencement in Harvard Yard, at Harvard University, in Cambridge, Mass., Thursday, May 23, 2024. AP

Other contracts Harvard currently has with the government include a $50,000 deal with the National Institutes of Health to research the effects of drinking coffee and a Homeland Security Department contract worth $25,000 for senior executive training. 

Earlier this month, the Trump administration warned that Harvard wouldn’t be eligible for additional federal funds and cited four main grievances: antisemitism, racial discrimination, abandonment of rigor and a lack of viewpoint diversity. 

Last month, the Trump administration inked a detailed letter to university president Alan Garber outlining more specific demands, including merit-based hiring, merit-based admissions, international admissions reform, viewpoint diversity, a crackdown on antisemitism, stronger whistleblower protections, student discipline reform and an end to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.  


  The new cuts would be worth roughly $100 million. Xinhua/Shutterstock The new cuts would be worth roughly $100 million. Xinhua/Shutterstock

Officials have been pushing the Ivy League school to enter negotiations and prove its compliance. 

If the agencies find Harvard is the only suitable option, the admin has ordered them to provide a reason why the Ivy League should be kept on the federal government’s books, according to the Tuesday letter, which was first reported on by the New York Times.

The move is slated to affect nine agencies, the outlet reported, though it wasn’t immediately clear which ones.

“As you know, being a counterparty with the federal government comes with the deep responsibility and commitment to abide by all federal laws and ensure the safeguarding of taxpayer money,” the letter states.


  U.S. President Donald Trump gestures at the annual National Memorial Day Observance in the Memorial Amphitheater, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., May 26, 2025. REUTERS U.S. President Donald Trump gestures at the annual National Memorial Day Observance in the Memorial Amphitheater, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., May 26, 2025. REUTERS

“As fiduciaries to the taxpayer, the government has a duty to ensure that procurement dollars are directed to vendors and contractors who promote and champion principles of nondiscrimination and the national interest.”

The letter is the latest escalation in a broader battle between Harvard and the White House as the commander-in-chief seeks to compel universities, which he has long accused of left-wing bias, to get in line with his agenda.

Garber has signaled plans to hold his ground despite the financial blow to the university. 

“We need to be firm in our commitments to what we stand for,” he told NPR Tuesday. “In the end, we’re about producing and disseminating knowledge and serving our nation and our world. When we fail in that, then we can expect to be attacked.”


  This photo taken on May 24, 2025 shows a view of the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the United States. Xinhua/Shutterstock This photo taken on May 24, 2025 shows a view of the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the United States. Xinhua/Shutterstock

“We all need to redouble our commitment to the good of the nation and the world. And I know my fellow leaders fully embrace that.”

The Post has reached out to Harvard for additional comment.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration is also fighting to kick out thousands of foreign students enrolled at the Ivy League and has called for the school to hand over a list of all its students who are in the US on visas.

Harvard got a reprieve last week after a US judge temporarily blocked the White House from revoking Harvard’s ability to enroll foreign students.

Trump blasted the school on Monday, accusing it of stalling on his demand for a list of all its foreign students.


  US President Donald J. Trump speaks at the National Memorial Day Observance at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, USA, 26 May 2025. JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock US President Donald J. Trump speaks at the National Memorial Day Observance at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, USA, 26 May 2025. JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

“We are still waiting for the Foreign Student Lists from Harvard so that we can determine, after a ridiculous expenditure of BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, how many radicalized lunatics, troublemakers all, should not be let back into our Country,” he said on Truth Social.

Harvard has nearly 6,800 international students enrolled in its current school year, representing 27% of total enrollment and a significant whack of its revenue from tuition fees.

The Ivy League school has an endowment worth an estimated $53.2 billion. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has recently suggested that the Trump administration may look into revoking Harvard’s tax-exempt status, enabling the feds to raise rates on the endowment.

House Republicans advanced Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” last week, which ramps up taxes on endowments from 1.4% to as high as 21%, which could mean an estimated $850 million in additional taxes a year for Harvard.

In March, Columbia University backed down to the Trump administration’s sweeping demands for campus reforms after the government threatened to cut off $400 million in funding.

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