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Donald Trump says his administration is seeking $1 billion in damages from Harvard, escalating a dispute over campus protests, ideology and federal funding.
US President Donald Trump has said his administration is seeking $1 billion in damages from Harvard University, escalating a high-profile confrontation between the White House and elite American universities over alleged ideological bias and campus protests.
Trump Rejects Settlement Reports, Escalates Legal Threat
The President’s remarks followed a report by the New York Times suggesting that Harvard had secured some concessions in ongoing settlement talks with the federal government. Trump rejected that characterisation, insisting that the administration was pursuing damages rather than compromise.
“We are now seeking One Billion Dollars in damages, and want nothing further to do, into the future, with Harvard University,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Administration Accuses Harvard of Failing Jewish Students
Trump administration officials have accused Harvard and other universities of promoting what they describe as “woke” ideology, while failing to adequately protect Jewish students during pro-Palestinian protests on campus. The administration has filed legal complaints and demanded large financial penalties, a strategy critics describe as a pressure campaign against liberal institutions.
Comparisons With Columbia and Other Ivy League Universities
The dispute with Harvard comes after fellow Ivy League institution Columbia University agreed last summer to pay $200 million to the Trump administration. Columbia also pledged to comply with rules barring the consideration of race in admissions or hiring decisions.
Another Ivy League school, the University of Pennsylvania, moved last year to address administration concerns by announcing a ban on transgender women participating in women’s sports.
Reports of Dropped Demands Contradicted
Earlier on Monday, the New York Times reported that the administration had dropped a demand for a $200 million settlement payment from Harvard after lengthy negotiations. Trump, however, dismissed the suggestion that talks had meaningfully progressed.
He recalled earlier discussions over a potential $500 million settlement, which he said included proposals to open trade schools.
“They wanted to do a convoluted job training concept, but it was turned down in that it was wholly inadequate and would not have been, in our opinion, successful,” Trump said in his post late Monday evening.
Claims of ‘Heinous Illegalities’
The President went on to argue that such proposals were an attempt to avoid a much larger financial penalty.
“It was merely a way of Harvard getting out of a large cash settlement of more than 500 Million Dollars, a number that should be much higher for the serious and heinous illegalities that they have committed,” he added, without specifying what laws Harvard has allegedly broken.
Full Statement Targets Harvard Leadership
In a lengthy Truth Social post, Trump accused Harvard of spreading misinformation through the New York Times and sharply criticised its leadership, including university president Alan Garber.
“Strongly Antisemitic Harvard University has been feeding a lot of ‘nonsense’ to The Failing New York Times. Harvard has been, for a long time, behaving very badly! They wanted to do a convoluted job training concept, but it was turned down in that it was wholly inadequate and would not have been, in our opinion, successful. It was merely a way of Harvard getting out of a large cash settlement of more than 500 Million Dollars, a number that should be much higher for the serious and heinous illegalities that they have committed. This should be a Criminal, not Civil, event, and Harvard will have to live with the consequences of their wrongdoings. In any event, this case will continue until justice is served. Dr. Alan Garber, the President of Harvard, has done a terrible job of rectifying a very bad situation for his institution and, more importantly, America, itself. He was hired AFTER the antisemitism charges were brought - I wonder why??? We are now seeking One Billion Dollars in damages, and want nothing further to do, into the future, with Harvard University. As The Failing New York Times clearly stated, ‘Some connected to the University, however, think Harvard has no option but to eventually cut a deal. The Administration has repeatedly attempted to cut off research grants, which would be an untenable crises. Like many major research universities, Harvard relies on federal funding for its financial model.’ Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP”
English (US) ·