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Trump Warns Harvard Over Tax-Exempt Status Amid Allegations of Political Bias and Anti-Semitism
In a sharp escalation of tensions between the U.S. government and higher education institutions, former President Donald Trump on Tuesday issued a stern warning to Harvard University, suggesting the school could lose its tax-exempt status due to what he described as the promotion of “political, ideological, and terrorist-inspired sickness.”
Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote:
“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’? Remember, Tax Exempt Status is totally contingent on acting in the PUBLIC INTEREST!”
This warning follows the Trump administration’s move to freeze $2.2 billion in federal funding to Harvard after the university refused to comply with sweeping federal demands aimed at curbing alleged anti-Semitism on campus. Additionally, a $60 million freeze on federal contracts has also been implemented.
The White House had demanded that Harvard overhaul its governance, revise hiring and admissions policies, shut down diversity offices, and assist immigration authorities with screenings of international students. These measures, it claimed, were essential to protect civil rights and prevent campus unrest, particularly targeting incidents of anti-Semitic harassment tied to pro-Palestinian protests.
In a defiant letter, Harvard President Alan Garber addressed students and faculty, stating that the university “would not negotiate over its independence or its constitutional rights.”
The administration’s Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism responded critically, saying:
“Harvard’s statement today reinforces the troubling entitlement mindset that is endemic in our nation’s most prestigious universities and colleges… The harassment of Jewish students is intolerable.”
Campuses across the U.S. have seen a surge in protests against Israel’s military operations in Gaza, some of which turned violent. Despite the conflict’s toll of over 50,000 lives lost, the United States remains a firm ally of Israel, prompting political polarization and unrest in academic institutions.
Trump’s actions and rhetoric suggest a broader crackdown on elite universities perceived to be harboring anti-government or extremist ideologies. The controversy surrounding Harvard could set a precedent for other institutions receiving federal aid and tax benefits.
