Trump Freezes Duke and Health System Federal Funding

The Trump administration has frozen $108 million in federal research funding to both Duke University and its health system over allegations of racial discrimination in admissions, hiring, scholarships, and patient care tied to affirmative action and DEI policies. The funding pause, led by the National Institutes of Health, follows a joint letter from the Departments of Health and Human Services and Education accusing Duke of unlawful racial preferences. The administration has ordered Duke to audit its practices, create a Merit and Civil Rights Committee, and demonstrate compliance to avoid a permanent loss of federal support. This move is part of a broader campaign affecting other major universities, including Harvard, Columbia, and Cornell. Officials claim these policies discriminate against white and Asian American individuals, though no specific instances at Duke have been publicly detailed. Duke has not yet responded to the funding freeze.