Trump escalates fight: Harvard loses tax‑exempt status
President of the USA, Donald Trump, announced the revocation of Harvard's tax-exempt status. This is part of a broader White House initiative against American universities, which, according to Trump, have become havens for anti-American and radically leftist ideologies, reports Reuters.
The President announced that his administration will revoke the university's status as a tax-exempt organization. This is a continuation of a larger effort targeting American universities, which Trump accuses of leftist bias and supporting "anti-American ideologies."
We are going to be taking away Harvard's Tax Exempt Status. It's what they deserve!, Trum wrote on TruthSocial.
Harvard issued a strong response, stating that revoking its status would be unlawful and could establish a dangerous precedent. The university emphasized that, under U.S. law, the president and his administration are prohibited from directing the IRS to initiate audits targeting specific institutions, as such actions would amount to a federal crime. Neither the IRS nor the Treasury Department's inspectorate has commented on the matter so far.
Trump's war with Harvard
Harvard previously filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for freezing $2.3 billion in federal research grants. The university accuses the government of exerting illegal pressure, including demands for audits of student and professor views, banning masks, and limiting diversity efforts.
Trump accuses the university of promoting "Marxism, anti-Semitism, and hatred of America". His administration is trying to push through changes that would affect not only Harvard but the entire higher education sector. Since January, these actions include freezing funds, revoking visas for international students, and demanding insights into universities' international connections.
Experts warn that revoking Harvard's tax exemption would be a blow to scholarships, scientific research, and investments in innovation. The prestigious university in Boston, whose endowment fund has exceeded $53 billion, pays tens of millions of dollars annually in property taxes, despite being formally exempt from income tax as an educational institution.
Diane Yentel of the National Council of Nonprofits warned that the situation represents an abuse of executive power and poses a serious threat to the entire nonprofit sector. She emphasized that if universities are silenced today, it could set a precedent that endangers other institutions in the future.
Senate Democrats have called on the Treasury Department for an urgent clarification on whether the Trump administration exceeded its authority in its actions against Harvard.
