The White House has asked the oldest university in the US to make changes to hiring, admissions and teaching practices, stating that it will help fight antisemitism on campus.
Washington: In a fresh attack on Harvard University, considered one of the world's most elite educational institutions, US President Donald Trump said that the university has become “a joke” and “should no longer receive Federal Funds”.
"Harvard can no longer be considered even a decent place of learning, and should not be considered on any list of the World's Great Universities or Colleges," Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
"Harvard is a JOKE, teaches Hate and Stupidity, and should no longer receive Federal Funds,” he added. The remarks come amid a funding standoff between the US administration and Harvard. The row escalated further after the elite university refused to accept policy changes ordered by the White House, and Trump threatened to strip it of its tax-exempt status.
As it is, Harvard University is facing a major financial setback after the Trump administration imposed a freeze on $2.2 billion in federal funding, following the university’s refusal to comply with a list of sweeping demands related to governance, campus policies, and civil rights enforcement.
Now, Trump has said that Harvard "should lose its Tax Exempt Status and be Taxed as a Political Entity" if the premier college does not agree to his demands to change how it runs itself, which would include a selection of students and authority for professors. Tax-exempt status is "totally contingent on acting in the PUBLIC INTEREST," he said in the post on Truth Social.
The demands, originally issued in early April, called for the dismantling of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) offices, cooperation with immigration authorities in screening international students, and sweeping reforms to hiring, admissions, and internal governance.
President Trump and several Republican lawmakers have accused student protesters of supporting Hamas, which the US government and many other governments around the world designate as a terrorist organization.
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2 federal grants to Harvard cancelled Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the termination of two federal grants awarded to Harvard University. The grants, which together amounted to over $2.7 million, were part of the Department of Homeland Security’s ongoing programs. Noem said she wrote a letter to Harvard demanding records on what she called the "illegal and violent activities" of Harvard's foreign student visa holders by April 30, Reuters reported. "And if Harvard cannot verify it is in full compliance with its reporting requirements, the university will lose the privilege of enrolling foreign students," Noem said in a statement. |
