Ammon News - The U.S. Department of Education informed Harvard University on Monday that it was freezing billions of dollars in future research grants and other aid until the nation's oldest and wealthiest college concedes to a number of demands from the Trump administration, a senior department official said.

The move represents the latest salvo from a Trump administration willing to use the power of the federal purse to force institutions, from law firms to universities, to make sweeping policy changes or else lose billions of dollars in federal grants and contracts.

In a letter to Harvard, U.S. Education Department Secretary Linda McMahon said the university must address concerns about antisemitism on campus, school policies that consider a student’s race, and complaints from the administration the university has abandoned its pursuit of “academic excellence” while employing relatively few conservative faculty members.

"This letter is to inform you that Harvard should no longer seek GRANTS from the federal government, since none will be provided," McMahon wrote.

Harvard said the McMahon letter doubles down on demands that would impose "unprecedented and improper control" over the university and makes new threats to "illegally" withhold funding for lifesaving research.

"Harvard will also continue to defend against illegal government overreach aimed at stifling research and innovation that make Americans safer and more secure," a university spokesperson said. Reuters