Behind the Curtain: Harvard’s Quiet Courtship with Trump Before Its Bold Rejection

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Before Harvard University emerged as a vocal opponent of the Trump administration’s demands, the prestigious institution had been quietly trying to broker a deal behind closed doors. While the university is now celebrated by some for standing firm against federal pressure, internal efforts to engage the administration were extensive—and not without controversy.

 

Harvard’s transformation into a perceived bulwark against President Trump’s agenda began with an April 11 letter from the White House outlining demands that included reducing faculty influence and allowing government audits of university data. The Harvard Corporation, the school’s powerful and secretive governing board, declared those conditions untenable and broke off discussions. Days later, Harvard filed a lawsuit against the administration, challenging threats to cut billions in federal funding.

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But that public defiance followed weeks of backchannel negotiations. Motivated in part by mounting pressure from major donors and the growing political influence of the Trump administration, Harvard had been scrambling to avoid a confrontation. The university even retained the same lawyer used by the firm Paul Weiss in its own dealings with Trump, signaling serious intent to reach a compromise.

 

Dr. Alan Garber, Harvard’s president, sought multiple paths to the White House. According to people familiar with the matter, he contacted Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and a Harvard alumnus, to request help facilitating a meeting with the president. Kushner declined. Garber also turned to billionaire donor John Paulson, once considered for Treasury Secretary under Trump, asking for his assistance in arranging a meeting. That, too, never came to fruition.

 

Despite Harvard’s eventual hardline stance, the internal debate was far from settled. Many prominent donors urged the university to resume talks with the White House. During a call last Thursday with Dr. Garber and Harvard Corporation’s senior fellow Penny Pritzker, several donors—including Paulson and hedge fund CEO William A. Ackman—encouraged negotiation over litigation. “Productive discussions” were needed, Paulson reportedly said.

 

In a statement, Pritzker attempted to balance Harvard’s opposition to federal overreach with a nod to needed reform. “Harvard’s opposition to government overreach should not be seen as a lack of commitment to making the changes Harvard needs to make,” she said. “We remain firmly committed to our efforts to combat antisemitism and create a community that is strengthened by viewpoint diversity.”

 

Some donors remained skeptical, especially in the wake of the 2023 crisis that led to the resignation of former president Claudine Gay. Wealthy contributors like Len Blavatnik, a Trump supporter, paused their giving and voiced their displeasure with the school’s response to antisemitism. While Blavatnik has since resumed some donations, his frustration reflects wider unease among Harvard’s elite backers. Former Harvard president and Treasury Secretary Larry Summers also expressed concern about the administration’s handling of campus antisemitism and the shifting national climate.

 

Amid growing conservative criticism, Harvard made some concessions. The university announced the departure of the director of its Center for Middle Eastern Studies—a move long demanded by conservative voices who accused the center of fostering antisemitic rhetoric.

 

Dr. Garber later acknowledged that the White House had raised valid concerns. “We agree with a lot of what is in the government’s letter,” he said during a recent donor call. Despite the university’s lawsuit and assertive public posture, his comments suggested an openness to recalibration.

 

Harvard’s future approach remains uncertain, caught between preserving academic independence and maintaining critical federal funding. What’s clear is that before the university became a symbol of defiance, it first sought reconciliation—only to discover that the political and donor landscape left little room for quiet compromise.

 

  Adpated by ASEAN Now from New York Times  2025-04-24