Education Stare_04222025_1
Social media users ridiculed Linda McMahon's behavior during an interview Tuesday.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon said Wednesday that U.S. universities can continue federally funded research only if they align with the Trump administration's goals and values.

The Trump administration has ramped up pressure on elite institutions like Harvard, threatening to cancel federal research contracts over what it claims is ideological bias and insufficient cooperation on immigration-related data, according to Newsweek. Tensions escalated after Harvard resisted turning over international student records and faced accusations of tolerating antisemitism on campus.

In an interview with CNBC, McMahon emphasized that continued federal support depends on universities being "in sync" with administration priorities. She clarified that institutions must comply with federal law but also align with broader political objectives if they want to maintain funding.

"Universities should continue to be able to do research as long as they're abiding by the laws and in sync, I think, with the administration and what the administration is trying to accomplish," McMahon said.

The statement came just days after President Trump floated redirecting $3 billion in federal research grants away from Harvard and toward trade schools.

Harvard and other institutions have not publicly responded to McMahon's remarks, but lawsuits are already underway challenging the federal government's attempts to freeze existing research grants.

Originally published on Latin Times