Did Harvard Surrender to the US Government? Nears Settlement with $700 Million Fine

Gavin Newsom Calls It a "Failure of Leadership"
Urges President Garber to Resign

Harvard University campus, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. Reuters Yonhap News

Harvard University, the most prestigious institution in the United States, is reportedly set to pay a fine of approximately 700 billion won and reach a settlement with the Donald Trump administration over allegations of inadequate response to antisemitism. Gavin Newsom, the California governor and Democratic presidential hopeful, has labeled this a "failure of leadership" and called for the resignation of Harvard President Alan Garber.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 12th (local time), citing sources, that Harvard is in final talks with the Trump administration over a settlement plan that would see the university provide a total of $500 million (about 690 billion won) to "staff and career programs" over several years.

If the draft is finalized, Harvard's fine would be the largest ever agreed upon in such settlements. Columbia University is known to have reached a $200 million (about 280 billion won) settlement last month. Should a final agreement be reached, the Trump administration plans to resume the federal research funding it had frozen and halt its investigations into various alleged legal violations by the university.

Some issues remain unresolved. The Trump administration, under a recently signed executive order, has demanded that universities nationwide submit admissions data and similar materials regarding race and gender. Brown University and Columbia University, which have reached agreements with the U.S. government, have accepted this measure. However, according to the New York Times (NYT), Harvard considers it excessive interference.

Since the beginning of its second term, the Trump administration has suspended federal support for elite universities, including Harvard, that have allowed pro-Palestinian protests on campus or adopted progressive policies such as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). If a university refused to comply, the administration would cut off funding as a form of reprisal and block the enrollment of international students, a key source of revenue. For example, in early May, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) notified Harvard that it was canceling grants for hundreds of scientific research projects.

Newsom, who has taken an anti-Trump stance, wrote on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that "Harvard appears to have chosen to surrender," calling for President Garber's resignation. He added, "This is a clear failure of leadership that will have real and significant consequences for higher education nationwide," and insisted, "He should be ashamed."