Trump cuts subsidies to Harvard. Here is the letter to the rector

This incomprehensible failure becomes more understandable after reviewing Harvard's management. Harvard Corporation, which is supposed to competently and professionally manage Harvard's vast academic, financial, and physical resources, is run by Penny Pritzker, a strongly left-leaning Obama political appointee, a Democrat, who is catastrophic and runs the institution in a totally chaotic manner. A former Harvard student and successful hedge fund manager, Bill Ackman, has observed that under her leadership, Harvard has become 'a political advocacy organisation for a party'.

Ackman called for Pritzker's resignation, concluding that 'mismanagement here is Penny Pritzker' and noting that any serious corporation would have removed her after a litany of recent bankruptcies and the fact that, incredibly, Harvard 'is not in a good financial position'. According to Ackman, one of the world's leading financial experts, Harvard's so-called 53 billion endowment "is hugely exaggerated when you look at what it's really worth", and Harvard has irresponsibly incurred 8 billion in debt.

If this is true, it is evidence of Harvard's disastrous mismanagement, indicating the urgent need for massive reform - not continued taxpayer investment. If Harvard prefers not to change, then Harvard should have no problem using its overflowing endowment to fund its excessive bureaucracy.

At its best, a university should honour our nation's highest ideals, and enlighten hundreds of hopeful students who walk through its magnificent gates. But Harvard has betrayed this ideal.

Perhaps most alarmingly, Harvard failed when it failed to comply with the US Supreme Court's call for an end to racial bias, and continues to adopt horrendous racism in its undergraduate and graduate schools, and even in the Harvard Law Review itself. Our universities should be bastions of merit that recognise and celebrate excellence and achievement. They should not be incubators of discrimination that encourage resentment and instil wrongness and racism in our wonderful young Americans.

The above concerns are only part of a long list of consistent violations of Harvard's legal duties. In view of these and other troubling allegations, this letter is to inform you that Harvard should no longer apply for subsidies from the federal government, as it will receive none. Harvard will cease to be a publicly funded institution, and can instead operate as a privately funded institution, drawing on its colossal endowment and raising funds from its large base of wealthy alumni. You have an advantage of some $53 billion, much of it made possible by the fact that you live within its walls and benefit from the prosperity provided by the United States of America and its free market system that you teach your students to despise.

The Administration in the past has been willing to maintain federal funding for Harvard as long as Harvard is committed to federal law, including protecting and promoting student welfare and our Supreme Court's landmark decision against racial bias. Proposed common sense reforms-which the Administration continues to pursue-include a return to merit-based admissions and hiring, an end to illegal programs that promote crude identity stereotyping, disciplinary reform, consistent accountability, including for student groups, cooperation with Law Enforcement, and compliance reporting to the Department of Education, the Department of Homeland Security, and other federal agencies. The Administration's priorities have not changed, and today's letter marks the end of new grants to the University.

These requests will promote the best interests of Harvard University so that it can reclaim its status as a respected educational institution for America's future leaders. Thank you for your attention.

The Minister of Education,

Linda McMahon