Linda McMahon, under the Trump administration, has escalated its war on elite academic institutions. On Monday, Education Secretary Linda McMahon posted a letter on X, formerly Twitter, warning Harvard University to stop applying for federal research grants, as the administration will not award any.
This latest blow, described as “unhinged” by critics, threatens the future of medical and scientific research and intensifies constitutional challenges already in motion. In the Linda McMahon letter to Harvard, she accused the university of poor governance and race-based hiring and admissions. Her rationale? That the government has a “sacred responsibility” to protect taxpayers from funding institutions that don’t follow so-called “merit-based” practices.
Instead of walking back in light of a recent judicial ruling favoring law firm Perkins Coie—also targeted by the Trump White House for ideological reasons—the administration doubled down. A federal judge ruled such actions violated First Amendment rights. Yet McMahon and the administration persist, now targeting one of the most respected universities in the world.
The Hindustan Times reported the administration’s claim that Harvard is resisting “common-sense reforms,” despite the lack of legal grounding for denying grants. The letter’s true intent seems to be chilling Harvard’s willingness to pursue policies centered around diversity, equity, and inclusion—ironically, while promoting government funding decisions not based on merit but political ideology.
Harvard has already filed lawsuits over prior grant cuts and is likely to add this latest directive to its case. The university is expected to challenge President Trump’s previous threats to revoke its tax-exempt status, a move that federal law deems clearly illegal.
The concern now is broader
What critical health research will stall or disappear due to this political vendetta? What progress on cures and innovations will never see the light of day?
Legal experts predict the university will prevail in court, but the harm inflicted in the meantime could be substantial. The Linda McMahon letter to Harvard is not just an attack on one school — it’s a direct challenge to the First Amendment and the nation’s commitment to academic excellence.
Source: MSNBC
