Trump Official Called Out for 'Deeply Troubling' Stance on Harvard's Funding: 'A Blatant Attack on Academic Freedom'

Education Secretary Linda McMahon suggested on Wednesday that university research and funding should align with the Trump administration's political agenda, alarming critics who say that stance threatens academic freedom.

"Universities should continue to be able to do research, as long as they're abiding by the laws and are in sync, I think, with the administration," McMahon said on CNBC during a discussion of the federal government's withdrawal of funding from Harvard University.

McMahon defended the funding freeze, which Harvard has contested in court. The Education Secretary cited allegations that the university mishandled antisemitism on campus and failed to enforce Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race or national original in federally funded programs.

The legal battle follows a federal crackdown on foreign students found to have expressed support for Palestinians suffering in Israel's attacks on Gaza. The Trump administration has also withdrawn funding or pursued legal action against universities and law firms which resist government oversight or refuse to comply with anti-DEI policies.

McMahon's comments sparked backlash online, with accusations that the administration is leaning on antisemitism as a political smokescreen while targeting institutions that don't align with its objectives.

"Linda McMahon's comments are a blatant attack on academic freedom, using anti-Semitism as a convenient excuse to punish Harvard for not bowing to Trump's agenda," wrote one user. "This isn't about protecting students; it's about silencing dissent... Wake up, America—this is fascism in action."

Critics emphasized that academic institutions are meant to operate independently of partisan politics. "Linda McMahon's statement is deeply troubling, and fundamentally un-American. In a free democracy, university research is not supposed to be 'in sync' with any administration's political agenda," another comment read. "That's not academic inquiry, it's propaganda."

"She realizes she's advocating for an authoritarian government that controls what universities can teach, right?" said another user, with one adding, "This is the opposite of academic freedom."

As legal tensions between Harvard and the federal government escalate, the administration's critics warn that setting a precedent where funding is contingent on political alignment risks undermining centuries of academic independence and progress.