Calls to Defund Harvard and Tax Its $50-52 Billion Endowment Grow Amid Federal Scrutiny

Several prominent figures and organizations have called for the defunding of Harvard University, citing its substantial endowment, reported to be between $50 billion and $52 billion, as a reason why it should not receive taxpayer funding. Representative Brandon Gill has publicly supported the defunding of Harvard and suggested that its endowment should be taxed. This sentiment is echoed by other voices who argue that Harvard, with its large endowment, should not rely on public funds. The backdrop to these calls includes recent federal government actions against universities, including the cancellation of $400 million in federal grants to Columbia University over its failure to protect Jewish students from antisemitic harassment, and the detention of Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil, a leader of pro-Palestine campus protests. Additionally, the federal government has placed under review about $9 billion in grants to Harvard and affiliated hospitals. In response to these actions, Harvard alumni and faculty have mobilized, with letters signed by 1,888 alumni, 1,621 alumni, and 1,034 signatures respectively, urging President Alan M. Garber and the Corporation to defend the university's academic freedom and resist government demands. The federal Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism has outlined several areas of reform it views as necessary for Harvard to implement to remain eligible for federal funding.