President Donald Trump lashed out at U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs on Monday, accusing her of bias in a high-profile lawsuit over Harvard University's federal funding, as tensions escalate between the White House and the Ivy League school over alleged antisemitic discrimination, Politico reported.
The university is seeking to restore over $2 billion in federal funding following a White House-led review of approximately $9 billion in grants and contracts, amid allegations that Harvard failed to protect Jewish students during campus protests tied to the Israel-Hamas war.
Burroughs, an Obama appointee to the federal bench in 2014, heard arguments Monday morning in the closely watched case. Later in the day, Trump voiced his displeasure on his Truth Social platform.
"She is a TOTAL DISASTER, which I say even before hearing her Ruling," Trump posted. "She has systematically taken over the various Harvard cases, and is an automatic 'loss' for the People of our Country!"
Trump added that he would appeal the ruling if Burroughs sides with Harvard. He also accused the university of being "anti-Semitic, anti-Christian, and anti-America," and defended his administration's decision to freeze billions of dollars in funding to the school.
The dispute is one of several legal and political battles between the Trump administration and Harvard. Burroughs previously ruled in favor of the university in a separate lawsuit last month, when the administration attempted to revoke Harvard's ability to sponsor international students.
The administration has charged Harvard and other major universities with violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act in their handling of campus demonstrations critical of Israel. Federal agencies, including the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Education, and the Department of Homeland Security, are also investigating the university.
In its lawsuit, Harvard claims the administration is retaliating after the university rejected a list of demands sent in April by a federal antisemitism task force. That letter urged Harvard to implement sweeping changes to its governance structure, diversity and inclusion efforts, admissions policies, and faculty hiring to maintain federal support.
"The consequences of the government's overreach will be severe and long-lasting," Harvard President Alan Garber said in an April statement following the funding freeze.
Harvard, the oldest and wealthiest university in the United States, has emerged as a focal point in the administration's broader strategy to use federal funding to push changes at higher education institutions. Trump has accused American universities of being dominated by antisemitic and "radical left" ideologies.
"The Trump administration's proposition is simple and commonsense: Don't allow antisemitism and DEI to run your campus, don't break the law, and protect the civil liberties of all students," said White House spokesperson Harrison Fields.
Early actions by the administration included the cancellation of hundreds of research grants, citing insufficient protections for Jewish students. Since then, officials have also moved to block international students from attending Harvard, questioned the university's accreditation, and signaled the possibility of further funding cuts based on alleged civil rights violations.
Information from Thomson/Reuters was used in this story.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.