Trump slams Harvard: Demands apology, threatens tax status
The President of the USA, Donald Trump, has called on Harvard University to apologize for "egregious anti-Semitism" on its campus, according to White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt. Trump also suggested that the university might lose its tax-exempt status after refusing to meet the White House's demands regarding diversity policies.
During Tuesday's briefing, Leavitt addressed the ongoing conflict between the White House and Harvard, which has rejected the administration's demands to abolish its diversity policy and ensure ideological balance among faculty and students.
When it comes to Harvard, as I said, the president has been quite clear, they must follow federal law. He also wants to see Harvard apologize, and Harvard should apologize for the egregious anti-Semitism that took place on their college campus against Jewish American students, Leavitt explained.
She stated that university authorities failed to take action in response to the anti-Semitic behavior of pro-Palestinian demonstrators, who occupied a campus building and disrupted classes using megaphones.
Previously, Trump suggested that "perhaps" Harvard should lose its status as a tax-exempt entity and be "taxed as a Political Entity if it keeps pushing political, ideological, and terrorist inspired/supporting 'Sickness?'"
Grants to the university frozen
On Monday, the Trump administration froze over $2 billion in grants following Harvard's refusal to comply with its demands. University head Alan Garber stated in an open letter that the President's proposals would allow the federal government to "control the Harvard community," strip the university of its autonomy, and infringe upon its constitutional rights.
Harvard receives approximately $9 billion annually in grants and federal contracts. This makes it the largest recipient of research funding.
