The Pentagon intends to cut academic ties with Harvard
The Pentagon plans to cut all academic ties with Harvard University, which would mean ending military education, fellowships and degree programs, it said in a statement Friday.
The decision comes as part of the Trump administration’s battle with Harvard over accusations that the university, a member of the prestigious Ivy League, promotes principles linked to the anti-discrimination Woke movement.
“This department has always sent our best and most qualified officers to Harvard, in the hope that the university will appreciate and recognize the capabilities of our soldiers,” War Secretary Pete Hegseth said in the statement.
“Instead, many of our officers have returned imbued with Harvard’s ideas — minds full of globalist and extremist ideologies that don’t improve our combat ranks”.
The Pentagon said the severing of ties would begin in the 2026-2027 school year, enabling military personnel enrolled in the ranks to complete their studies.
In a separate post on X, Hegseth used his favorite term to refer to the Department of War, saying, “Harvard is a walk, but the War Department isn’t”.
Hegseth said the Pentagon would review its relationships with all Ivy League universities regarding military training and education.
“The goal is to determine whether these universities actually offer a cost-effective strategic education for future leaders, compared to, for example, our public universities and military graduate programs,” he said.
Hegseth himself, an Ivy League graduate of Princeton and Harvard, has reportedly returned his degree to Harvard.
The former Fox News host has criticized her on air for what he sees as left-leaning policies.
President Donald Trump said Monday that his administration would seek $1 billion in damages from Harvard University, after a New York Times report said the institution had won some concessions in ongoing settlement negotiations with his government.
Trump administration officials accuse Harvard and other universities of promoting progressive principles associated with the Woke movement, which advocates anti-discrimination and failing to protect Jewish students during pro-Palestinian protests, and have filed lawsuits and demanded hefty damages.
The Trump administration’s pressure on universities has raised concerns among some academics, including the former president of Harvard University, about the prospect of academic freedom fading.
Trump has sought to cut funding for Harvard by more than $2.6 billion and has taken steps to block the enrollment of international students, who make up a quarter of its students.
