US universities pan Trump ‘political interference’ amid federal funding cuts

More than 100 US universities and colleges, including Ivy League institutions Princeton and Brown, issue a joint letter condemning US President Donald Trump’s “political interference” in the education system.

The move comes a day after Harvard University sued the Trump administration, which has threatened to cut funding and impose outside political supervision.

“We speak with one voice against the unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education,” the letter reads. “We are open to constructive reform and do not oppose legitimate government oversight. However, we must oppose undue government intrusion,” it says.

Trump has sought to bring several prestigious universities to heel over claims they tolerated campus antisemitism, threatening their budgets, tax-exempt status, and the enrollment of foreign students.

The letter says the universities and colleges are committed to serving as centers where “faculty, students, and staff are free to exchange ideas and opinions across a full range of viewpoints without fear of retribution, censorship, or deportation.”