A historic showdown unfolds, Trump vs. Harvard: Federal Funding Cut Sparks Clash Over Antisemitism, Academic Freedom. The long-simmering conflict between President Donald Trump and Harvard University has erupted into a full-scale political and legal war, with sweeping implications for academic freedom, federal education funding, and the fate of international students in the United States. At the center of the clash is a scathing internal report on antisemitism at Harvard and President Trump’s aggressive response, which includes slashing billions in federal research funding, threatening the school’s tax-exempt status, and revoking its ability to enroll foreign students.