Harvard Commencement Unfolds Amid Trump Admin Backlash/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Harvard University held its 2025 commencement Thursday as it faces sweeping federal pressure from the Trump administration. Amid funding cuts and visa bans, Harvard remains defiant, suing the government while celebrating its graduates. Legal battles intensify as the university defends academic freedom and international student rights.
Harvard’s Defiant Graduation Quick Look
- Commencement held in Cambridge, Massachusetts amid federal backlash
- Trump administration seeks to slash funding, limit foreign students
- Harvard sues over canceled contracts and halted visas
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Christiane Amanpour praise Harvard’s stance
- Legal hearing scheduled in Boston same day as ceremony
- Trump demands reduced international student body from 25% to 15%
- Protesters plan silent vigil during graduation events
Harvard Commencement Unfolds Amid Trump Admin Backlash
Deep Look
Ceremony Unfolds Amid Legal Firestorm
Harvard University celebrated its 374th commencement Thursday as it faced perhaps its most serious confrontation with federal authority in decades. At the center of the dispute: the Trump administration’s escalating campaign against what it views as “antisemitic activism” on campus — and what Harvard insists is an attack on academic freedom.
Trump officials have proposed drastic measures, including:
- Canceling over $2.6 billion in federal research grants
- Terminating approximately $100 million in agency contracts
- Blocking visas for international students nationwide
- Threatening Harvard’s tax-exempt status
- Demanding major reforms to leadership and admissions
- Requiring an audit of diversity and student organizations
Star Speakers Rally Behind Harvard
This year’s speakers turned the spotlight squarely on Harvard’s resistance. NBA legend and civil rights advocate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, speaking on Class Day, applauded Harvard President Alan Garber for standing firm.
“When a tyrannical administration tried to bully and threaten Harvard… Dr. Alan Garber rejected the illegal and immoral pressures,” Abdul-Jabbar declared, drawing comparisons to Rosa Parks.
International journalist Christiane Amanpour echoed similar sentiments at the Kennedy School, while commencement speaker Dr. Abraham Verghese took a more academic tone in underscoring the university’s mission in a tumultuous era.
Harvard Takes the Fight to Court
Harvard has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the funding freeze, and on Thursday — just as the ceremony concluded — legal teams were back in federal court in Boston, pushing for an injunction to allow international students to remain enrolled.
President Garber spoke candidly in a university interview:
“These attacks are unwarranted and unlawful… But we cannot dismiss criticism out of hand. We must understand even distorted concerns and address them thoughtfully.”
Harvard has also commissioned internal investigations into antisemitism and anti-Arab prejudice on campus, signaling an effort to lead with transparency even while fighting external pressure.
Targeting Global Education
One of the administration’s most controversial actions this week was the suspension of visa interviews for incoming international students — a move that could heavily impact elite institutions like Harvard, which currently enrolls 25% foreign students. Trump has called for a reduction to 15%, claiming the U.S. education system is too reliant on foreign nationals.
Harvard, with a $53 billion endowment, is one of the few institutions with the financial resilience to challenge the federal government — and it’s using that power to resist what it views as political overreach.
Protests and Activism Continue
Protests have waned since last year’s dramatic walkout during commencement, but activists have planned a silent vigil for this year’s ceremony.
Last year, hundreds of students walked out shouting “Free Palestine,” with many temporarily denied their diplomas before ultimately receiving them. This year’s activism has been more subdued, but tensions remain high over the university’s stance on Israel and Gaza.
Victor Wallis, a Harvard alum, condemned Israel’s actions and praised the student movement in a statement released ahead of commencement:
“I am horrified by Israel’s mass murder of Palestinians… Harvard must not be complicit in these atrocities.”
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