President Donald Trump threatened Harvard’s tax-exempt status after his administration froze $2.2 billion in the college’s federal grants because it refused to abide by a list of demands related to diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, student activism, and antisemitism.
“Perhaps Harvard should lose its Tax Exempt Status and be Taxed as a Political Entity if it keeps pushing political, ideological, and terrorist inspired/supporting ‘Sickness?'” Trump posted on Truth Social on Tuesday morning.
“Remember, Tax Exempt Status is totally contingent on acting in the PUBLIC INTEREST!”
Newsweek has contacted Harvard’s press office by email for comment.
Why it Matters
The hold on Harvard’s funding marks the seventh time Trump’s Administration has taken the step at one of the nation’s most elite colleges in an attempt to force compliance with Trump’s political agenda. Six of the seven schools are in the Ivy League.
It sets the stage for a showdown between the federal government and America’s oldest and wealthiest university.
With an endowment of more than $50 billion, Harvard is perhaps the best-positioned university to push back on the administration’s pressure campaign.
What to Know
In a letter to Harvard Friday, Trump’s administration had called for broad government and leadership reforms at the university, as well as changes to its admissions policies.
It also demanded the university audit views of diversity on campus and stop recognizing some student clubs. The federal government said almost $9 billion in grants and contracts in total were at risk if Harvard did not comply.
The White House has taken on colleges in the wake of demonstrations and protests amid Israel’s war with Hamas, accusing the Ivy League universities of allowing antisemitism on campus grounds.
On Monday, Harvard President Alan Garber said the university would not bend to the government’s demands. Hours later, the government froze billions in Harvard’s federal funding.
Back in March, Columbia University caved to the Trump Administration’s demands to protect the $400 million of its federal funding that was at stake.
Interim Columbia University President Katrina Armstrong announced the university would adopt the changes, such as banning masks that conceal someone’s identity.
What People Are Saying
Alan Garber said in his letter to the Harvard community: “The University will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights. No government—regardless of which party is in power—should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue.”
A statement from the Trump Administration’s Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism said: “Harvard’s statement reinforces the troubling entitlement mindset that is endemic in our nation’s most prestigious universities and colleges—that federal investment does not come with the responsibility to uphold civil rights laws.
“The disruption of learning that has plagued campuses in recent years is unacceptable. The harassment of Jewish students is intolerable. It is time for elite universities to take the problem seriously and commit to meaningful change if they wish to continue receiving taxpayer support.”
Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont posted to X on Monday: “Congratulations to Harvard for refusing to relinquish its constitutional rights to Trump’s authoritarianism. Other universities should follow their lead. And instead of doing pro bono work for Trump, cowardly law firms should be defending those who believe in the rule of law.”
What’s Next
There is a growing pushback against the Trump Administration’s attempts to reform colleges and cut off their funding unless they comply. A group of U.S. universities has sued the Department of Energy over cuts to federal research funding.
Harvard has shown it is willing to stand its ground, but Trump is not backing down either, setting the stage for a long fight.
