BREAKING: PENTAGON TO CUT ACADEMIC TIES WITH HARVARD — HEGSETH

The United States Department of Defense has announced plans to cut all academic ties with Harvard University, ending military education programmes, fellowships and certificate courses offered in partnership with the Ivy League institution.

The Pentagon disclosed this in a statement on Friday, describing the move as part of a broader review of military training and education arrangements under the Trump administration.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the decision was driven by concerns that Harvard promotes what he described as “woke” ideology, which he argued does not align with the values of the US military.

“For too long, this department has sent our best and brightest officers to Harvard, hoping the university would better understand and appreciate our warrior class,” Hegseth said.

“Instead, too many of our officers came back looking too much like Harvard — heads full of globalist and radical ideologies that do not improve our fighting ranks.”

According to the Pentagon, the severance of ties will take effect from the 2026–2027 academic session, although military personnel currently enrolled in programmes at Harvard will be allowed to complete their studies.

In a separate post on X, using his preferred term for the Department of Defense, Hegseth said: “Harvard is woke; the War Department is not.”

He added that the Pentagon would also review its academic relationships with all Ivy League institutions, assessing whether they provide cost-effective and strategically relevant education for future senior military leaders.

“The goal is to determine whether or not they actually deliver cost-effective strategic education for future senior leaders when compared to public universities and our military graduate programmes,” Hegseth said.

Hegseth himself is an Ivy League graduate, having studied at Princeton University and Harvard, although reports say he once returned his Harvard degree. As a former Fox News host, he has repeatedly criticised the institution for what he views as left-leaning policies.

The move comes amid escalating tensions between the Trump administration and Harvard University. President Donald Trump recently said his administration would seek $1 billion in damages from Harvard following reports that the school had secured some concessions in ongoing settlement talks with the government.

Administration officials have accused Harvard and other US universities of failing to adequately protect Jewish students during pro-Palestinian protests, filing legal complaints and demanding significant financial penalties.

The pressure campaign has raised concerns among academics, including a former Harvard president, who warn that the actions could undermine academic freedom in the United States.

Trump has previously sought to cut more than $2.6 billion in federal funding to Harvard and has moved to restrict the admission of international students, who make up about one-quarter of the university’s student population.