The White House is leaning into its fight with elite colleges and universities, openly questioning on Tuesday why any federal money goes to the schools.
“I think a lot of Americans are wondering why their tax dollars are going to these universities when they are not only indoctrinating our nation’s students but also allowing such egregious, illegal behavior to occur,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters in a press briefing.
The conflict began to escalate on Friday, when the Trump administration sent Harvard University demands it would need to meet to maintain its federal funding. The demands included “audits” of academic programs and departments, broad changes to university government and leadership, changes to admissions policies and ending recognition of some student clubs. According to the federal government, nearly $9 billion in grants and contracts were at risk if Harvard did not comply.