In a strange turn of events, a letter sent by the Trump administration to Harvard University on April 11, which triggered widespread backlash and national headlines, was reportedly sent by mistake. According to a new report by The New York Times, the letter was never officially approved and should not have been sent out in the first place.
The letter, which came from the White House task force on antisemitism, had asked Harvard to make major policy changes if it wanted to keep receiving federal funds. The demands sparked immediate protests and created serious tension between the Trump administration and the university.
Demands Sparked Uproar Across Campus
The letter, delivered last Friday, quickly caught public attention. It warned Harvard that unless it changed some of its internal policies, the school’s access to federal money could be in jeopardy. Students and faculty criticized the letter, calling it an attack on academic freedom and an overreach by the federal government.
Harvard officials had been preparing for a legal response and organizing internal meetings to deal with the situation. Meanwhile, demonstrations broke out on campus, with students expressing anger over what many saw as political interference in university affairs.
Now Officials Say It Was “Unauthorised”
But now, less than a week later, it turns out that the whole thing may have been a bureaucratic blunder.
According to The New York Times, an official quietly told Harvard that the letter from the White House task force “should not have been sent and was unauthorised.” The source said the university was told this privately after the letter had already made waves across the country.
This surprise update has left many wondering how such a serious communication could have gone out without approval.
Who Sent the Letter?
The letter was reportedly sent by Sean Keveney, the acting general counsel at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Sources told the Times that Keveney is also a member of the White House’s antisemitism task force, which was behind the letter’s content.
Even though Keveney had a role on the task force, officials now say he did not have proper authorization to send the letter on behalf of the federal government. It’s still unclear if he acted on his own or under mistaken instructions.
Confusion Inside the Administration
This isn’t the first time that confusion or mixed messaging has come from within the Trump administration. But this particular incident has raised eyebrows because of how sensitive and high-profile the subject matter was.
The letter was tied to the ongoing national discussion about antisemitism on college campuses, especially in the wake of rising global tensions. For many, it felt like an effort to pressure one of the country’s most prestigious universities into complying with political demands.
Now, with the revelation that the letter wasn’t even properly cleared, critics say this raises even more questions about how decisions are being made inside the administration.