The Trump administration vs. academic freedom, higher education and research in 2026

US President Donald Trump has spent much of the beginning of his second year in office reshaping higher education and research policy, with far-reaching implications for academic freedom.

The Trump administration sought $1 billion (€0.85bn) "in damages" from Harvard University over accusations of antisemitism in February. The negotiation was part of a series of financial and policy demands the administration had been making to universities to settle investigations over antisemitism, mainly related to student protests against the war in Gaza in 2024.

Several universities reached settlements with the administration in 2025, but Harvard didn't, and, together with the University of California, Los Angeles, was hit with new lawsuits by the Justice Department in March over alleged antisemitism…