Dr Garber, who is Jewish, has said he has taken steps to combat anti-Semitism at Harvard.PHOTO: REUTERS

In private letters, Harvard and Trump administration escalate duel

25 Dec 2025, 02:15 · The Straits Times

MASSACHUSETTS - The letter landed with a thud on Dec 20 in the inbox of Harvard University’s president, Dr Alan M. Garber.

The message, from Mrs Linda McMahon, President Donald Trump’s education secretary, conveyed an understanding of an emerging deal between Harvard and the White House that flew in the face of the terms the university had been insisting on.