President Donald Trump dropped a bombshell on Memorial Day, announcing via Truth Social a plan to snatch $3 billion from Harvard University’s coffers and funnel it into trade schools nationwide. The move, nestled among his holiday posts, stirred up a storm of chuckles and head-scratching across the internet.
Harvard, the nation’s oldest and wealthiest university, is no stranger to Trump’s wrath. The president has been locked in a feud with the Ivy League giant, accusing it of antisemitism and liberal bias while freezing billions in its federal grants.
Trump’s latest post didn’t unveil new cuts but rather suggested redirecting already frozen funds to trade schools. Details on how this would work? As clear as a foggy morning in Cambridge.
The president also took a swipe at Harvard for dragging its feet on handing over “foreign student lists.” He claimed these lists would help identify “radicalized lunatics” among the 6,800 international students at Harvard, though the government already holds their visa details.
Harvard, meanwhile, is fighting back in federal court to reclaim its frozen funds, which exceed $3 billion. The university is also battling Trump’s attempt to block its ability to enroll international students, a move that could dent its hefty tuition revenue.
The frozen funds largely support scientific research, particularly at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Projects tackling tuberculosis and multiple sclerosis are now in limbo, as trade schools typically focus on hands-on skills like welding or hairstyling, not lab-based science.
Jason Altmire, head of a trade school association, gave Trump’s idea a thumbs-up but suggested easing regulations would help more than a cash infusion. Trade schools, he noted, aren’t exactly equipped to dive into biomedical research.
Trump’s posts seem designed to keep the pressure on Harvard, which he’s called out repeatedly for its alleged ideological leanings. The university, however, stayed mum on Monday, likely too busy lawyering up to respond.
Back in 2023, Trump floated a grand vision for an “American Academy,” a free online university funded by taxing hefty university endowments, with Harvard as a prime target. He promised a vast array of courses, from ancient history to plumbing, all delivered “without wokeness or jihadism.”
That academy remains a pipe dream, with no concrete plans emerging. The White House didn’t respond to recent inquiries about it, leaving observers to wonder if it’s more hot air than policy.
Harvard’s legal battles highlight the stakes: $3 billion in grants and $100 million in contracts are on the chopping block. The university argues these cuts are unconstitutional, accusing Trump of trying to control its academic decisions.
The administration’s demands included handing over disciplinary records and videos of student protests, which Harvard only partially provided. A federal judge recently paused Trump’s attempt to bar international students, giving Harvard a temporary win.
Social media buzzed with reactions, from trade school enthusiasts cheering the idea to academics groaning at the thought of redirected research funds. One X post quipped, “Harvard’s losing billions, but my local auto shop might get a new wrench!”
Trump’s focus on trade schools echoes his 2024 campaign rhetoric about “rebuilding America” through vocational training. Yet, shifting federal grants, often earmarked for specific research, isn’t as simple as writing a check to a welding school.
Harvard’s president, Alan Garber, told NPR that redirecting these funds would halt critical research that benefits the public. He called the move “perplexing,” arguing it doesn’t address antisemitism or advance education.
The university’s financial muscle, bolstered by its massive endowment, gives it leverage to fight back, according to former president Larry Summers. Still, losing $3 billion would sting any institution, even one as rich as Harvard.
Trade schools, often overshadowed by four-year colleges, could use the spotlight. Programs training electricians or HVAC technicians are in high demand, but they don’t typically need billions to operate.
Trump’s plan, while bold, raises practical questions. Can funds for curing diseases be repurposed to teach carpentry, and who decides which trade schools get the cash?
The clash with Harvard also ties into Trump’s broader push to reshape higher education. He’s targeted elite schools with threats of higher endowment taxes and stricter oversight on campus policies.
Harvard’s international students, who make up 27% of enrollment, are a key revenue source. Blocking their admission could cost the university millions, even if the courts eventually side with it.
On X, some users speculated Trump’s moves are more about optics than policy, aiming to rally his base against “elite” institutions. Others saw it as a genuine nod to blue-collar workers needing affordable training.
The idea of boosting trade schools isn’t new—former Vice President Kamala Harris also championed vocational education in 2024. But Trump’s approach, tying it to a high-profile feud, adds a theatrical twist.
For now, Harvard’s grants remain frozen, and its legal battles grind on. The university’s refusal to fully comply with Trump’s demands ensures this saga will drag out in courtrooms and on social media.
Trade schools, meanwhile, are watching from the sidelines, perhaps hoping for a windfall but unsure how to spend billions meant for microscopes, not wrenches. The whole affair feels like a reality show where the prize is a pile of cash nobody’s sure how to use.
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