Harvard won't 'compromise' in fight against Trump, president says

Harvard President Alan Garber said Wednesday the university won't bend to the Trump administration's demands to change several of its academic and administrative policies.  

“We will not compromise on certain issues,” Garber told NBC News' Lester Holt. “We’ve made that very clear.” 

The interview came two days after Harvard sued the Trump administration for cutting off more than $2 billion of funding to the university.  

President Trump cut off the funds after Harvard said it would not cave to demands that included eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion and reforming its admissions and hiring practices.  

While the Trump administration said it is taking these actions against Harvard due to alleged inaction on antisemitism, Holt asked Garber if he believes that is its actual motivation considering many of the demands seem unrelated to that fight.  

Garber emphasized the university does have an issue with antisemitism and is working to address it, but the White House has targeted completely unrelated research funding. 

“Putting that research at jeopardy because of claims of antisemitism seems to us to be misguided,” he said. “The effort to address antisemitism will not be advanced by shutting off funding.” 

Multiple other universities have also lost millions in funding under Trump over the same allegations.

“There is so much at stake,” Garber said. “People leave their jobs. We have patients whose treatment in clinical trials might be interrupted. Animals that are used in research sometimes cannot continue to be maintained when the funding stops.” 

“We are defending what I believe is one of the most important lynchpins of the American economy and way of life — our universities,” he added. 

When Holt asked if Garber believes Harvard will win, he replied, “I don’t know the answer to this question, but the stakes are so high we have no choice.”