Harvard University reacts as Trump administration admits ‘mistake’ in sending letter: ‘Did not question authenticity’

Hours after the Donald Trump administration admitted that its letter to Harvard University about policy changes was sent by ‘mistake’, the college said it had no reason to doubt the authenticity or seriousness of the mail despite it containing demands that were “astonishing in their overreach.”

According to a report by the New York Times, a Harvard University spokesperson said that the April 11 letter contained everything to assume its authenticity.

“The letter that Harvard received on Friday, April 11, was signed by three federal officials, placed on official letterhead, was sent from the e-mail inbox of a senior federal official, and was sent on April 11 as promised,” the spokesperson was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

He said that Harvard had no reason to doubt the seriousness of the letter.

“Recipients of such correspondence from the US government — even when it contains sweeping demands that are astonishing in their overreach — do not question its authenticity or seriousness,” as per the spokesperson.

According to NYT quoting unnamed people having knowledge of the matter, the letter was sent from Sean Keveney, acting general counsel of the Department of Health and Human Services and a member of the government’s antisemitism task force.

‘Actions speak louder than words’: Harvard

Even though the Trump administration said that the letter was sent mistakenly, NYT reported quoting the Harvard spokesperson that the government has only intensified its attack on the university through a series of actions that hurt students, patients and the standing of higher education.

“Even assuming the administration now wishes to take back its litany of breathtakingly intrusive demands, it appears to have doubled down on those demands through its deeds in recent days,” he said.

“Actions speak louder than words.”

What did Trump's letter to Harvard say?

The Trump Administration demanded Harvard University share information going years back on donations and contracts from foreign countries.

In the letter to Harvard President Alan Garber, the US Department of Education said Harvard made "incomplete and inaccurate" disclosures between 2014 and 2019.

The letter included a series of demands about hiring, admissions and curriculum, which started a legal battle between the university and the White House.

Among information also sought by the letter within 30 days were records relating to expelled foreign students going back nearly a decade, research conducted by those who were expelled and a list of visiting researchers, students and faculty at Harvard who are affiliated with foreign governments.