A united front in support of Harvard University in the “war” that has erupted with Donald Trump is forming across the U.S., with academic institutions stepping in at a national level. Former President Barack Obama, Yale University, Stanford, and now Columbia have all aligned with Harvard, defending academic freedom against what they call a “clumsy government intrusion.”

In a joint statement, Stanford President Jonathan Levin and Dean Jenny Martinez emphasized that American higher education is a “source of national strength” rooted in the creation of knowledge and innovation—fueled by public investment, but not under state control.

“The Supreme Court has long recognized the core freedoms of universities, grounded in the First Amendment: to decide who teaches, what is taught, how it is taught, and who may attend,” the statement read. “Academic institutions should respond to legitimate criticism with humility and transparency. But the solution is not to destroy the nation’s capacity for scientific research, nor to have the government take over private universities.”

Stanford expressed its support for Harvard but stopped short of explicitly stating whether it would refuse to comply with the Trump administration’s demands.

Yale Calls for Legal Resistance
At the same time, Yale faculty urged the university’s administration to “resist and legally challenge” any unlawful government directive that threatens academic freedom and the autonomy of university governance.

Former U.S. President Barack Obama’s statement struck a similar tone: “Harvard set the example—rejecting an unlawful and clumsy attempt to muzzle academic freedom, while also reinforcing every student’s right to study in an environment of intellectual inquiry, mutual respect, and open dialogue. We hope other institutions will follow suit.”

Columbia in Talks with the White House
According to the New York Times, Columbia University—which had initially agreed to consider the administration’s demands as a condition for the reinstatement of $400 million in funding—is now reportedly reconsidering its stance.

The acting president stated that talks with the government are ongoing, but the institution will not accept any arrangement that undermines its independence.