All 12 members overseeing the Fulbright Scholarships resigned Wednesday in protest of what they call political interference by the Trump administration.
"To continue to serve after the Administration has consistently ignored the Board’s request that they follow the law would risk legitimizing actions we believe are unlawful and damage the integrity of this storied program and America’s credibility abroad," they said in a statement posted to Substack.
The members of the board were appointed by former President Joe Biden.
The program, which awards nearly 8,000 scholarships to academics each year, was established nearly 80 years ago to "increase mutual understanding and support friendly and peaceful relations between the people of the United States and the people of other countries," according to the Fulbright website.
The board said the Trump administration usurped their authority when the State Department denied some of those awards for a "substantial number of individuals" for the 2025-2026 academic year.
"Our resignation is not a decision we take lightly," the memo read.
"This proud legacy has depended on one thing above all: the integrity of the program’s selection process based on merit, not ideology, and its insulation from political interference," the board’s memo said. "That integrity is now undermined."
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.