Viral Letter Claim Debunked
Linda McMahon Harvard letter: A viral social media post shows her letter to Harvard with red ink edits, falsely attributed to the school.
The fact is, however, that it is phony.
What Really Happened
On May 5, Secretary McMahon posted a real letter addressed to Harvard University, stating the school would no longer receive federal education grants due to alleged violations of federal law.
Soon after, a “corrected” copy of the letter started making the rounds on the internet, suggesting that Harvard had gone over and fixed McMahon’s spelling and grammar.
But Snopes fact-checkers soon found that Harvard had not approved nor issued this version. Rather, a user on X (previously Twitter) made it and published it as a parody of the tone and syntax of the letter.
Snopes Confirms the Truth
Snopes’ investigation clarified the image’s origin, confirming that Harvard played no part in mocking or publicly correcting the Secretary’s letter.
The markup image was entirely fabricated for humor and commentary, not based on any official action by the university.
The True Problem: Harvard Grants Withheld
The McMahon letter itself is really genuine, but the viral markup graphic is a work of fiction. It declares that Harvard will lose its federal grant funds as a result of its alleged violations of federal law.
This is a big step for the Department of Education and has generated discussion about political interference, academic governance, and free expression.
Source: abc 10News
