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The Trump administration demanded Harvard institute a number of reforms, including:

- A comprehensive mask ban, with no apparent exception for medical need

- Shutter all DEI programs, offices, initiatives, and policies "to the satisfaction of the federal government"

- Allow the government to audit their admissions process

- Screen for students "hostile to [] American values"

- Hire new faculty to meet viewpoint diversity

The $2.2B in research funding was already granted by Congress, and is unrelated to the issues above.

Harvard has produced the most Nobel laureates of any university. The freeze immediately threatened or upended research projects on cancer, infectious disease, and neurological disorders as well as military advancement and national security.

References

• Letter to Harvard (harvard.edu)
• Harvard v. US Department of Health and Human Services et al (harvard.edu)
• Can the President Do That? Understanding Trump’s threat to freeze Harvard’s funds. (dynamisllp.com)
• Harvard has an endowment of over $50 billion. So why do federal cuts of a few billion matter? (cnn.com)