'A disgrace': Donald Trump targets Harvard university amid $2.2 billion funding freeze

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US President Donald Trump intensified his administration’s ongoing clash with Harvard University on Thursday, labeling the Ivy League institution “a disgrace” as federal agencies take unprecedented steps against its funding, tax status, and ability to host international students.

Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump delivered a scathing rebuke of the university, citing what he called its failure to uphold American values. “I think Harvard’s a disgrace,” Trump said calling them “obviously antisemitic”.

Further talking about the reports that the Internal Revenue Service was planning to remove Harvard’s tax-exempt status, Trump addressing the press at the White House claimed to not know the status of their findings. He did not think a final ruling had been made, and indicated other schools were under scrutiny. “I’m not involved in it. It’s being handled by lawyers. I read about it just like you did,” he said about the reports. However, talk about the exemption he said, “Tax-exempt status, I mean, it’s a privilege. It’s really a privilege, and it’s been abused by a lot more than Harvard.”

Then naming other universities he went on to say, “When you take a look whether it’s Columbia, Harvard, Princeton, I don’t know what’s going on, but when you see how badly they’ve acted and in other ways also. So we’ll, we’ll be looking at it very strongly.”

‘A disgrace’: Donald Trump hits out at Harvard University

The scriticism came after the Department of Homeland Security formally ordered Harvard to provide detailed records on foreign students allegedly involved in “illegal and violent activities.” In a separate action, the administration canceled two federal grants worth $2.7 million and froze over $2 billion in additional funding for research and academic programs.

Read full story: Donald Trump administration asks Internal Revenue Service to strip Harvard of tax-exempt status over campus antisemitism

Harvard, the oldest and wealthiest university in the United States, became a primary target after refusing to comply with federal demands to discipline student activists, revise admissions policies, and monitor international students for ideological alignment with “American values.”

In an open challenge to the government, Harvard President Alan Garber declared Monday that the university would not submit to politically driven demands, citing constitutional protections. “Harvard will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights,” the university said in a statement.

Earlier, Trump has also questioned whether Harvard should retain its tax-exempt status as a nonprofit, writing on Truth Social that the university’s actions may violate laws governing charitable institutions. While federal law bars the president from directly initiating an IRS investigation, officials confirmed that a review into Harvard’s tax standing was underway before his remarks.

Former Harvard President and former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers condemned the effort, calling it “an abuse of executive power,” as quoted by Reuters.

The administration’s aggressive stance has sparked alarm across academia, especially among international students. At Harvard, where 27% of students come from abroad, many expressed fear that their legal status is in jeopardy.

“Harvard without its international community is simply not Harvard,” said Leo Gerdén, a Swedish senior studying economics and government. “We feel like targets, and it’s terrifying.”

With tensions escalating and institutions like Columbia University following Harvard’s lead in defying government pressure, the standoff appears far from over. “This is not just about Harvard,” said democracy professor Archon Fung. “It’s about whether academic institutions can remain independent in the face of political coercion.”

TOI World Desk

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