The board overseeing the Fulbright programme, the prestigious exchanges between US and foreign scholars, quit on Wednesday, June 11, accusing President Donald Trump's administration of political interference.

Members of the board, nominated by successive presidents, voiced alarm about "injecting politics and ideological mandates" into a long non-partisan programme, stated a report by AFP.

"The current administration has usurped the authority of the board and denied Fulbright awards to a substantial number of individuals who were selected for the 2025-2026 academic year," the board members said in a resignation statement posted online.

"The administration is also currently subjecting an additional 1,200 foreign Fulbright recipients to an unauthorized review process and could reject more," it said.

"We believe these actions not only contradict the statute but are antithetical to the Fulbright mission and the values, including free speech and academic freedom, that Congress specified in the statute."

The programme awards more than 8,000 grants each year.

The Trump administration has waged war on US universities, which Vice-President JD Vance described before taking office as "the enemy" due to their influence and the often left-leaning views in academia, according to the report by AFP.