Former President Barack Obama has spoken out against President Donald Trump’s decision to freeze over $2 billion in federal funding for Harvard University, calling the move “unlawful and ham-handed.” The White House has demanded that Harvard revise its admissions, hiring, and teaching policies, which the administration claims are essential to combating antisemitism on campus.

In his first public criticism of Trump’s administration since Inauguration Day, Obama praised Harvard’s refusal to comply and urged other institutions to follow its lead. “Harvard has set an example... rejecting an unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom,” Obama wrote on social media. He emphasized the university’s commitment to intellectual inquiry and mutual respect.

Obama, a 1991 Harvard Law School graduate, has rarely used social media to criticize government policy. His latest statement signals growing concern among political figures and academic leaders about the administration’s attempts to influence higher education through financial pressure.

Other top universities have joined Harvard in opposition. MIT followed suit on Monday by rejecting the administration’s demands. At Stanford, President Jonathan Levin and Provost Jenny Martinez warned that withholding research funds harms scientific progress and criticized the government’s approach as overly punitive.

In contrast, Columbia University recently agreed to some of the administration’s terms. Still, Harvard has become the first major institution to firmly oppose the pressure campaign. Its president, Alan Garber, stated, “No government – regardless of which party is in power – should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue.”

Trump has stood by his actions. On Tuesday, he escalated the confrontation by threatening to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status. While universities, charities, and religious organizations are generally exempt from federal taxes, those protections can be removed if an institution engages in political activities or veers from its stated mission.

The dispute underscores a widening clash between federal authority and academic independence. Faculty from Yale University expressed solidarity with Harvard, writing in an open letter, “American universities are facing extraordinary attacks that threaten the bedrock principles of a democratic society.”

As debates over free expression, institutional autonomy, and antisemitism continue to intensify, the conflict between the Trump administration and elite academic institutions appears far from resolved.