Suche
Mein Konto
Trump relies on funding: High schools between power and science!
US President Trump plans to influence universities with funding, which is leading to legal disputes.
Trump relies on funding: High schools between power and science!
US President Donald Trump is entering a new round of conflict with some of the country's most renowned universities. In order to enforce his political ideals, he plans to lure various top universities with generous funding. This is reported by the Agree. The White House has sent letters to the presidents of nine leading universities asking them to adhere to certain principles in order to gain access to important research funds.
What exactly is the Trump administration demanding? In order to receive the funding, the universities must, among other things, guarantee that they will not take any measures that “punish, degrade or incite violence against conservative ideas.” In addition, the letters call for a limit on the number of foreign students and for tuition fees to be frozen. Particularly sensitive is the demand to commit to strict definitions of gender, which is linked to Trump's criticism of the transgender community.
Reactions from politics
California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom expressed alarm at these developments. He called the agreement radical and threatened to withdraw funding from universities that give up academic freedom. On the other hand, the head of a council of the University of Texas confirmed that they would be happy about the possibility of financing advantages.
Pressure on the academic system from the Trump administration is increasing. Some universities are accused of having a left-liberal orientation and not taking sufficient action against anti-Semitism. This particularly affected Harvard University, which had over two billion dollars in funding blocked in April 2025. This led to a legal battle in which Harvard sued the US government to fight against the cuts and for academic freedom ZDF Today reported.
The Harvard Lawsuit
As part of this conflict, numerous students, researchers and university representatives gathered in front of the courthouse in Boston to support Harvard. Over 12,000 alumni as well as 21 states and numerous universities stand behind the elite university. Harvard lawyers argue that the US government violated procedural rules and freedom of speech. An important point in the dispute is also the new guidelines that the government demanded with regard to the recruitment of teachers and the admission of students.
Trump has already indicated that he would like to appeal if he loses. The outstanding verdict from a US federal judge is expected in the coming weeks and could have dramatic consequences for further developments. A White House spokesman emphasized that an agreement with Harvard and other universities remains possible, but the fronts appear to have hardened.
Overall, it is clear that Trump not only wants to include universities in the political agenda, but is also prepared to take serious measures that pose a major challenge to academic freedom in the USA.