Trump threatens Harvard's tax status over diversity clash
The President of the USA, Donald Trump, wants Harvard University to apologise for "egregious anti-Semitism" on its campus, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said. Trump also suggested that the university might lose its tax-exempt status after rejecting the White House's demands regarding diversity policies.
During Tuesday’s briefing, Leavitt referred to the White House's dispute with the university, which rejected the administration's demands to abolish its diversity policy, as well as to 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 apologise, and Harvard should apologise for the egregious anti-Semitism that took place on their college campus against Jewish American students, Leavitt said.
She maintained that the university authorities took no action in the face of the anti-Semitic behaviour of pro-Palestinian demonstrators, including occupying a campus building and disrupting classes with megaphones.
Earlier, Trump stated 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 (€1.7) billion in grants due to rejecting 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 violate its constitutional rights.
Harvard receives $9 (€8) billion annually in grants and federal contracts. This makes it the largest recipient of research funding.
