Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced in a video message posted to X (formerly Twitter) that the United States Department of War will end all academic ties with Harvard University.
In the message, Hegseth accused Harvard of becoming a hub for “woke ideology” and “anti-American radicals,” arguing that the school no longer aligns with the department’s priorities, which he described as focused on “lethality” and “deterrence.”
He said the department will no longer send officers to Harvard, claiming the university has become a center for “hate-America activism.” Hegseth also argued that Harvard’s programs have not delivered the outcomes the department expected. In a longer critique, he said the department had hoped Harvard would help officers better “understand and appreciate” the military’s “warrior class,” but instead claimed that some returned with views he described as “globalist” and “radical,” which he said do not strengthen combat readiness.
Hegseth also cited additional concerns, including allegations that Harvard has had inappropriate involvement with the Chinese Communist Party through research programs. He further claimed the university fostered a campus environment that he said “celebrated Hamas,” enabled attacks on Jewish students, and continued race-based discrimination despite Supreme Court rulings.
Who will be affected?
According to the Department of War’s official statement, beginning with the 2026–2027 school year the department will discontinue all “graduate-level professional military education, fellowships and certificate programs” conducted at Harvard. However, personnel already enrolled in Harvard programs will be allowed to complete their courses on their current timelines.
In the same video, Hegseth suggested the department may also re-evaluate its relationships with other universities, indicating additional academic partnerships could be cut if similar issues are identified.
