Amid a deepening standoff with Harvard University, US President Donald Trump on Friday announced plans to strip the prestigious Ivy League institution of its tax-exempt status. The move is the latest in a series of actions by the Trump administration against elite universities.
“We are going to be taking away Harvard’s Tax Exempt Status. It’s what they deserve!” Trump posted on Truth Social, though he did not provide a timeline for when the measure might be enforced.
Earlier this week, the President had also indicated that his administration might halt federal grants to Harvard, further intensifying the war of words between the White House and the university.
The Trump administration has specifically targeted Harvard over allegations of antisemitism linked to pro-Palestinian protests on campus. These demonstrations emerged in response to Israel’s military actions in Gaza following the October 2023 attack by Palestinian Hamas militants.
In recent weeks, the administration has ramped up its actions, initiating a formal review of nearly $9 billion in federal funding allocated to Harvard, as the Reuters reported. It has also demanded the university ban diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, and impose stricter controls on pro-Palestinian groups and the use of masks during protests.
Harvard, however, has pushed back strongly. In early April, the university rejected many of the administration’s demands, framing them as an infringement on free speech and academic freedom. It also filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration after $2.3 billion in federal funding was suspended, while reiterating its commitment to combating discrimination on campus.
The administration has similarly warned other academic institutions of funding cuts over issues including pro-Palestinian demonstrations, DEI policies, climate action, and transgender rights.
Protesting groups — including some Jewish organisations — have accused the administration of equating criticism of Israel’s military operations with antisemitism, and of interpreting advocacy for Palestinian rights as support for extremism.
