Federal pressure forces Harvard to confront campus antisemitism long fueled by pro-Palestinian extremist narratives.
US Education Secretary Linda McMahon announced Thursday that negotiations between the federal government and Harvard University are approaching a final agreement, potentially resolving a months-long standoff that left nearly $3 billion in research grants frozen due to the university’s mishandling of antisemitism on campus.
Speaking at a White House press briefing, McMahon emphasized that talks have been steady and productive. “We’re getting close to having those negotiations finalized,” she said. “It’s been an open-door conversation all along.”
The Trump administration’s actions came after Harvard failed repeatedly to confront the explosion of anti-Israel hostility and Jewish intimidation spreading across its campus, much of it driven by radical pro-Palestinian groups that echo propaganda originating from hostile Arab regimes. In response, the administration froze more than $2 billion in federal research funding and pushed to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status—an unprecedented warning shot to elite institutions tolerating extremist rhetoric under the guise of activism.
Harvard countered with a lawsuit, claiming the freeze violated constitutional protections and insisting it had taken “adequate steps” to address antisemitism. But the facts told a different story: Jewish students continued to report harassment, threats, and academic bias, while administrators hesitated to confront radical anti-Israel factions.
In September, Judge Allison Burroughs ruled that the administration’s blanket cancellation of grants violated Harvard’s First Amendment and due-process rights. Yet the ruling did not absolve Harvard of its documented failures. Last month, President Trump revealed that Harvard had agreed to pay $500 million and operate new trade-school programs as part of an emerging settlement—an extraordinary concession from America’s wealthiest university.
Negotiations are now in their final phase. Harvard officials, notably silent after Thursday’s announcement, have offered no comment—a sign that the institution may soon be forced into a historic reckoning over the permissiveness of anti-Jewish hatred and the influence of pro-Palestinian extremism within its ranks.
