1 day ago
Last Updated:May 28, 2025, 18:03 IST
The Trump administration plans to redirect up to $3 billion in federal grants from Harvard to vocational schools, accusing Harvard of promoting "anti-American values."
Karoline Leavitt doubles down on Trump’s Harvard offensive, says US needs more plumbers and fewer ‘LGBTQ majors’ from elite schools. (IMAGE: REUTERS)
The Trump administration has stepped up its attack on Harvard University, saying taxpayer money should instead go to vocational and trade schools that train electricians and plumbers.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, speaking to Fox News, said the US President plans to redirect up to $3 billion in federal grants away from Harvard to state schools and trade programs. She accused the Ivy League institution of promoting “anti-American values" despite having a $53 billion endowment.
“We need more apprenticeships, electricians, plumbers and not LGBTQ graduate majors from Harvard University," Leavitt said, triggering backlash online. One user replied, “Just wait till she finds out plumbers can be gay too."
Leavitt really said the quiet part out loud.To her, an honest day’s work only counts if you’re straight and didn’t go to Harvard.This isn’t about plumbers or electricians it’s about punching down on LGBTQ Americans while pretending to stand up for the working class.
They’re… pic.twitter.com/JkHFpglFoD
— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) May 28, 2025
The administration is reviewing contracts worth $100 million between the federal government and Harvard, with cancellation likely. Leavitt said US President Donald Trump wants that money to go where “skills that we need in our economy and society" are being taught.
The Trump administration has ordered a pause on student visa processing, escalating its crackdown on foreign students. The move came just as protests broke out at Harvard, after the government said it would cancel all remaining financial contracts with the university. Trump is reportedly furious with Harvard’s pushback on federal oversight, accusing the Ivy League school of promoting anti-Semitism and “woke" liberal ideology.
The suspension also comes days before Harvard’s graduation ceremony, putting thousands of students and their families on edge. A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order on the visa suspension, with a hearing scheduled for Thursday.
Some students said the political climate is making them rethink their academic futures in the US. “I don’t know if I’d pursue a PhD here, six years is a long time," said Jack, a graduating student from the UK. Others expressed concern that American universities are becoming less attractive to international talent.
Harvard, for its part, has challenged the administration’s orders in court, with legal experts saying Trump’s push for control could be overturned. Meanwhile, alumni are planning to sue the administration in early June, according to filmmaker and alum Anurima Bhargava, who spoke at an online event organised by Crimson Courage, a grassroots group of Harvard alumni.
The standoff between the Trump administration and Harvard has intensified over the past few weeks. The university has already seen billions in federal grants frozen and now faces the loss of government contracts worth around $100 million, according to US media reports. Many see this as an attempt by Trump to make an example of Harvard and bring elite universities under direct government control.
Location :Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
First Published:News world Trump Vs Harvard: White House Says Taxpayers Need Electricians, Not ‘LGBTQ Majors’
