Nation's oldest and wealthiest university and Trump administration face off in court over threats to cut federal funds

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CNN US

Updated 8:27 AM EDT, Mon April 28, 2025


CNN — The opening salvos in a closely watched and potentially protracted legal showdown between the nation’s oldest and wealthiest university and the Trump administration are expected Monday in a Massachusetts federal courtroom. While Harvard University’s lawsuit following a $2.2 billion freeze in federal research funding marked an escalation in the ongoing fight between the White House and higher education, legal observers warn the stakes are much higher.

“How long can we go without investments in universities that produce innovations in health or advances that help us deal with climate change or psychological insight to help our communities thrive?” asked Osamudia James, a law professor at the University of North Carolina whose specialties include administrative law.

“Or how long can we survive the erosion of democratic norms, erosions to freedom of expression … the independence of universities? The fight is actually bigger than just, oh, how much money does Harvard have? Or how long can it last, or whether it should be getting these grants. What is at stake here is whether an administration can just do whatever it wants to do and punish entities that they perceive as a threat.”

The case will be heard by Judge Allison Burroughs, a Barack Obama appointee and University of Pennsylvania Law School graduate who in 2019 upheld Harvard’s race-conscious admissions process, a decision that was later overturned by the Supreme Court.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/28/us/harvard-trump-court-hearing/index.html

[underpants]

1. Per a Dana Milbank piece yesterday- the letter to Harvard was yet another mistake by Clustertrump

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1016&pid=403463

That titanic legal battle with Harvard University now underway over academic freedom and billions of dollars in grants? The whole thing might have been set off by mistake. The Times reported that the university, after announcing its intention to fight the administration, received a “frantic call from a Trump official” saying the administration’s letter full of outrageous demands that provoked the standoff was “unauthorized” and should not have been sent.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. Yeah but...

after that letter was revealed as purportedly premature (which I doubt) - https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143443524

the revelation coming out AFTER Harvard had initially rejected the crap - https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143440512

Harvard noted that 45 doubled down and actually began to carry out their threats - https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143444070

and Harvard responded in kind with their own doubling-down - https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143446268

It will be interesting and instructive to see how this goes.

[underpants]

3. Thanks. Now I know the whole story.

So Harvard said “You want to F with US?”

[BumRushDaShow]

4. That basically sums it up

I think they saw the handwriting on the wall for what was apparently coming and were wondering if 45's dumbasses were stupid enough to even dare to try. But then they also saw how some of the others crumbled (e.g., Columbia, which was also a focal point of a lot of negative attention, and was forced to deal with internal finances, so was not ready for a prolonged battle).

That meant Harvard probably moved quickly to decide whether to go for it and how.