Pentagon cuts military training ties with Harvard University

The Pentagon on Friday said it is cutting ties with Harvard University, ending all military training, fellowships and certificate programmes with the Ivy League institution. The announcement marks the latest development in the Trump administration’s prolonged standoff with Harvard over the White House’s demands for reforms at the Ivy League school. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a statement on Friday that Harvard “no longer meets the needs of the War Department or the military services.”

“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.” In a separate post on X, Hegseth wrote, “Harvard is woke; The War Department is not.” Starting with the 2026-27 academic year, the Pentagon will discontinue graduate-level professional military education, fellowships and certificate programmes, the statement said. Personnel currently attending classes at Harvard will be able to finish those courses.