Harvard President Garber Tells Faculty He Is Not Considering a $500 Million Deal With Trump

Updated August 4, 2025 (excerpt)

Since President Donald Trump first announced in July that Harvard had returned to the negotiating table, a trickle of reports have sketched out what terms might be under consideration, ranging from a financial settlement to the establishment of a new conservative research institute. Trump himself has said for weeks that the parties are close to a deal, and many Harvard affiliates have come to see an agreement as inevitable.

Over the past week, deal opponents have taken an increasingly urgent tone in their pleas to Harvard — in some cases, shifting their messaging to focus on lines in the sand, rather than blanket opposition. Congressional Democrats threatened to launch an investigation into Harvard if it struck a deal. Students and alumni circulated another round of letters urging Harvard not to give up core principles of academic freedom. And groups of faculty wrote to Garber to lay out a set of “red lines” not to be crossed during negotiations.

Garber’s comments could allay the fears of critics who see the optics of a financial settlement as particularly noxious. Some have charged that a hefty payment to the Trump administration would amount to “extortion” or a contribution to “patronage slush funds.”

But many of the recent missives to Harvard’s leaders have focused on concerns that go beyond money.

Faculty groups identified several concessions they would see as particular areas of concern — including ceding control of faculty hiring and student admissions decisions, appointing a third-party monitor, or sharing extensive data about students and employees with the federal government.

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/8/3/garber-500-million-trump/