Trump live updates: Obama condemns Trump’s ‘ham-handed’ Harvard funding freeze

The US Department of Health and Human Services has just issued this statement on behalf of its task force and the drive around federal funding for Harvard University:

“Harvard’s statement reinforces the disturbing attitude that is endemic in the most sought after universities and colleges of our country – that federal investment does not have the responsibility to maintain civil rights laws.

“The disruption of learning that has plagued campuses over the past year is unacceptable.

‘The harassment of Jewish students is unbearable. It is time for elite universities to take the problem seriously and commit them to meaningful change if they want to continue to receive taxpayer support.

“The joint task force to combat anti-Semitism announces a freezing point at $ 2.2 billion to perennial grants and $ 60 million to contract value of perennial at Harvard University.”

Here is the president’s first truth social post of the day:

Harvard University publicly responded to the claims of the Trump administration to review its leadership, management and student admission or to lose billions of rands in federal financing.

In a letter from his attorneys – including Robert K. Hur who was previously appointed by Donald Trump to serve as a US lawyer of the District of Maryland – the university said he “will not surrender his independence”.

Harvard said it has undertaken ‘considerable’ work to improve his policy and tackle anti -Semitism to his campus a ‘place in which everyone can thrive’, and said it was a pity that the administration overlooked efforts.

“The university will not surrender its independence or renounce its constitutional rights. Neither Harvard nor any other private university can allow him to be taken over by the federal government. As a result, Harvard will not accept the government’s conditions as an agreement in principle,” the letter states.

Harvard became the first of six Ivy League schools to formally oppose the claims of the Trump administration. Josh Marcus Reports:

After Colombia agreed in March to wipe changes in March, at least 60 universities were warned that they could soon be the next one to lose hundreds of millions or even billions in federal funding if they did not match President Donald Trump’s vision on the civil rights of the campus.

At the end of March, the administration was still making its bravest pressure and threatened to cut off about $ 9 billion in federal financing at Harvard.

Then, in the last few days, Harvard, the oldest and richest university of the country, began to push back powerfully as any of the other five Ivy League schools facing the threats of funding of administration.

Former President Barack Obama has condemned the Trump administration’s freezing point of $ 2.3 billion at Harvard University as ‘illegal’ and ‘Ham-overhanded’.

Earlier, the White House frozen over $ 2.2 billion in $ 60 million grants and contracts of $ 60 million after the school refused to meet a long list of claims, including full leadership and admission reforms.

Obama said on social media that other schools should follow Harvard’s guidance.

“Harvard set an example for other higher-ED institutions-rejecting an illegal and ham-hand effort to suffocate academic freedom, while taking concrete steps to make sure all students at Harvard can benefit from an environment of intellectual inquiry, strict debate and mutual respect. Let us hope that other institutions succeed,” he wrote on X.

The French Prime Minister said that the rates of Donald Trump caused a global storm and that they have made confidence worldwide.

Francois Bayrou warned that it was a moment of truth for France because he was trying to resolve his public finances, adding that Trump, he said, created “destabilization” tsunami.

“The fact that this power has passed to the side of the aggressors is a dramatic event, a warning shot that ruins our fundamental vision of the world,” Bayrou said.

The UK’s FTSE 100 index increased this morning after the remarks of Vice President JD Vance that there was a ‘good chance’ for a tariff agreement with the UK

Before lunch in the British trading, the share rose by 1 percent, built on Monday’s strong profits to take it to 8,215 points and 3.8 percent higher than five days ago.

Earlier, Vvce said the Trump administration “worked very hard” with the British government to find an agreement.

‘The president loves the UK. He loved the queen. He admires and loves the king. This is a very important relationship. And he is a businessman and has a number of important business relations in [Britain]. But I think it’s much deeper than that, ”he told the Unherd’s website.

‘There is a real cultural affinity. And of course America is an Anglo country. I think there is a good chance that we will come to a good deal that is in the best interests of both countries. ”

The United Nations trade body has urged the US to exclude vulnerable and small economies of its aggressive tariff increases.

In a new report, the UN trade and development found that in many cases the reciprocal rates risk devastating and the least developed economies dealing with America, while doing little to reduce US trade shortages.

Last week, Donald Trump interrupted reciprocal rates higher than 10 percent for dozens of trading partners for 90 days. Those additional rates ranged from 11 percent for Cameroon to 50 percent for Lesotho.

In all 57 countries are affected. Eleven of them is one of the least developed in the world, the UN Trading Body said, and 28 of the 57 countries account for less than 0.1 percent of America’s deficits.

The report noted that several of the countries produce agricultural goods that are not produced in the US, or that there are few substances such as Madagascar vanilla.