Trump administration terminates a further $450mn in grants to Harvard

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Donald Trump’s administration has terminated an additional $450mn in grants to Harvard University marking a further escalation in the US president’s attack on the elite university.

The US government said on Tuesday that Harvard’s failure to “confront the pervasive race discrimination and antisemitic harassment plaguing its campus” has resulted in eight federal agencies terminating about $450mn in grants to the university. This is in addition to the $2.2bn that was cut last week.

The decision intensifies the battle between Harvard and Trump, who said earlier this month that he would scrap the university’s tax-exempt status. The administration also said recently that Harvard would no longer be eligible for new federal government research grants.

The government’s task force to combat antisemitism, which was created earlier this year following an executive order from Trump, said in a statement on Tuesday that Harvard’s leaders “have forfeited the school’s claim to taxpayer support”.

Harvard University did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

This is a developing story