Trump administration to respond to Harvard University's funding freeze lawsuit

WASHINGTON

The Trump administration will respond to Harvard University's funding freeze lawsuit in court, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday.

"The president (Donald Trump) has made it quite clear that it's Harvard who has put themselves in the position to lose their own funding by not obeying federal law.

"We expect all colleges and universities who are receiving taxpayer funds to abide by federal law; it's quite simple," Leavitt told reporters.

Her remarks came one day after Harvard sued the Trump administration after the federal government canceled more than $2 billion in funding for the elite school.

The lawsuit said the Trump administration is accused of being "unlawful" since it violates First Amendment rights, but also federal laws and regulations.

The administration is also targeting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, which it called “illegal and immoral discrimination.”

Trump "made it clear he's not going to tolerate violations of federal law. He's not going to tolerate illegal harassment and violence towards Jewish American students or students of any faith on our campuses across the country," Leavitt said.

The school is the first major university to openly defy the administration’s directives, which Trump officials said are to combat antisemitism following campus protests concerning Israel's brutal war in the Gaza Strip.

"It's quite simple, if you want federal dollars, obey federal law," she said.