The battle at Harvard is the latest in the fight between the president and universities that has been threatening billions of dollars in funding at research institutions.

President Trump is trying to influence which colleges receive federal financial support, a practice that began around the time of World War II.

The funding cut is a substantial slice of the university’s budget. By comparison, the amount distributed by Harvard’s endowment for the fiscal year ending in June 2024 was $2.4 billion, which encompassed nearly 40% of the university’s total operating revenue that year.