Donald Trump’s MAGA loyalists erupted in fury Wednesday after a federal judge in Massachusetts ruled that the president unlawfully withheld more than $2 billion in federal funding from Harvard University.
According to the court, the Trump administration broke the law when it pulled the funding after Harvard refused to comply with controversial reforms tied to campus antisemitism policies. The judge’s order also bars the administration from cutting off similar funding in the future.
The ruling hit like a bomb inside MAGA circles — and the backlash was instant.
“So essentially, US taxpayers are being forced to subsidize woke indoctrination camps to the tune of billions,” conservative commentator Nick Sortor posted on X. “START. IMPEACHING. JUDGES!”
Florida’s Voice News director Eric Daugherty took it a step further, posting, “Call it like it is: IT’S A COUP.”
PragerU political commentator Shabbos Kestenbaum called on the Trump team to push back hard: “Escalate! Appeal all the way to the Supreme Court. No more bailouts for billionaires.”
And conservative influencer Gunther Eagleman added fuel to the fire, writing, “When do we get to call this what it is, a judicial coup! It must be stopped!”
The outrage was loud, but not universal. Some conservatives and legal experts, even within traditionally right-leaning circles, backed the court’s decision — pointing to First Amendment protections and accusing the Trump administration of government overreach.
“The government is engaging in extreme and unconstitutional coercion in violation of the First Amendment,” said Republican ethics lawyer Richard Painter.
Walter Olson, a legal writer at the libertarian-leaning Cato Institute, praised Harvard’s stance. “I’m glad the university held fast rather than buckling under to the bully,” he wrote on Bluesky.
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a free speech advocacy group, also weighed in: “Our government may not use civil rights laws as a pretext to violate the First Amendment.”
The ruling is expected to be appealed — but for now, it’s a major legal blow to Trump’s efforts to strong-arm elite institutions, and a fresh flashpoint for his base heading into campaign season.
If this is any preview of how MAGA handles legal defeats in 2025, buckle up.
