President Trump has taken decisive action to protect American universities from foreign influence, signing an executive order that unveils billions in hidden foreign funding. Elite institutions like Harvard and Cornell have been receiving massive cash infusions from countries such as China and the Arab states, while shielding these transactions from public scrutiny.
America’s Universities Exposed For Foreign Cash Cover-Up
President Donald Trump signed a powerful executive order on April 23, 2025, requiring transparency from American universities that receive foreign funding. This landmark action threatens to cut federal aid to elite institutions that fail to disclose their international cash flows, targeting schools that have allegedly concealed billions of dollars in foreign gifts.
— FIRE (@TheFIREorg) February 3, 2025
The order targets prestigious universities explicitly, including Harvard, Cornell, Carnegie Mellon, and the University of Pennsylvania, which have received substantial funding from foreign sources, such as China and Middle Eastern nations. Investigations between 2019 and 2021 uncovered a staggering $6.5 billion in previously undisclosed foreign funds flowing into American academic institutions, revealing a massive failure in transparency.
Enforcing Laws The Biden Administration Ignored
The executive order mandates Education Secretary Linda McMahon to reverse Biden administration policies that allowed universities to obscure details about foreign funding. Current laws require the disclosure of foreign gifts and contracts exceeding $250,000; however, enforcement has been deliberately weak, with universities failing to report over half of all reportable foreign gifts between 2010 and 2016.
Below is the complete list of the 46 executive orders (EOs) issued since President Trump’s 2025 inauguration, with each title and a few brief context bullets:
1. **National Border Emergency and Closure of the Southern Border**
– Declared a national emergency to secure the…— Jared Zoneraich (@imjaredz) February 4, 2025
White House staff secretary Will Scharf stated, “We believe that certain universities, including Harvard, have routinely violated this law, and the law has not been effectively enforced.” The Trump administration’s action follows its suspension of over $2 billion in federal grants to Harvard due to concerns about antisemitism and admissions policy reforms, demonstrating a comprehensive approach to holding universities accountable.
Protecting American Students And National Security
The executive order establishes that federal funding will now be contingent on compliance with foreign funding disclosure requirements, with non-compliance triggering audits and investigations. Universities must now provide detailed information about foreign funding sources and purposes, ensuring Americans know exactly which foreign entities are influencing their educational institutions and research priorities.
“For far too long, foreign funds have flowed to US colleges and universities with inadequate transparency or oversight,” states an official White House document accompanying the order. The Department of Education has already warned 60 colleges about potential federal funding cuts over antisemitic issues, signaling the administration’s serious commitment to enforcing these transparency requirements.
This executive order represents a crucial step in safeguarding American academic institutions from undue foreign influence and protecting the integrity of higher education. The Trump administration’s focus on transparency aims to prevent hostile foreign actors from using financial leverage to spread propaganda or gain access to sensitive research, ultimately preserving America’s educational independence and national security interests.
Sources:
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/23/trump-executive-order-college-foreign-funding-00306463