U.S. President Donald Trump has intensified his conflict with Harvard University, vowing to “win” against the institution and once again threatening to withdraw billions in federal funding.
In a Memorial Day post, Trump accused Harvard of fostering antisemitism and hinted at a major funding cut.
“I am considering taking three billion dollars of grant money away from a very antisemitic Harvard and giving it to trade schools all across our land,” he wrote, offering no specifics to support the claim or outline how such a move would be implemented.
Trump also took aim at the university’s international student population—a cornerstone of Harvard’s academic and financial model. He claimed he is awaiting a list of foreign enrollees to determine “how many radicalised lunatics, troublemakers all, should not be let back into our country,” adding that the U.S. has already spent a “ridiculous” amount educating them.
“But have no fear, the government will, in the end, win!” Trump concluded.
The comments come days after the administration sought to block Harvard from admitting new international students. However, a federal judge issued a temporary injunction, pausing the order ahead of a scheduled hearing this week.
Trump’s escalating feud with Harvard centers on the university’s refusal to submit to increased federal oversight on its admissions and hiring policies. He has repeatedly accused the Ivy League school of promoting liberal ideologies and failing to adequately address antisemitism on campus.
This latest clash is part of a broader campaign by Trump and his allies targeting elite academic institutions, media organizations, and other entities they view as bastions of left-wing influence.
As part of the administration’s broader review, nearly $9 billion in federal funding to Harvard is under scrutiny. Officials have already frozen $2.2 billion in grant allocations and suspended $60 million in federal contracts. Additionally, a researcher affiliated with Harvard Medical School has reportedly been targeted for deportation amid the crackdown.
Harvard has yet to publicly respond to Trump’s latest remarks.
