In brief
Former President Donald Trump has declared his intent to sue Harvard University for $1 billion, escalating ongoing disputes between his administration and the Ivy League institution. This comes after Trump accused Harvard of promoting 'nonsense' and failing to adequately address antisemitism amid pro-Palestinian protests. The university, which has faced funding cuts from the Trump administration, has denied these allegations. Trump’s announcement follows a recent negotiation in which his administration backtracked from a $200 million demand.
US President Donald Trump announced he will be seeking $1 billion (£730m) in damages from Harvard University in his administration's ongoing feud with the institution. This news follows a report from the New York Times detailing how the Trump administration had to backtrack from its demand for a $200 million payment in negotiations with the university. In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump lambasted Harvard for 'feeding a lot of nonsense' to the media.Trump officials have accused Harvard of not doing enough to tackle antisemitism during pro-Palestinian protests, which Harvard has firmly rejected. The university has been a central target in the White House's campaign against what it labels as 'woke' ideologies. In April, Trump had previously revoked around $2 billion in research grants to Harvard and froze federal funding. Harvard responded with a lawsuit against the Trump administration, asserting that the government should not dictate its academic pursuits.A US federal court ultimately ruled in favor of Harvard, overturning the funding cuts and citing violations of the university's free speech rights. In his latest announcement, Trump indicated he wishes to sever ties completely, stating, 'We are now seeking One Billion Dollars in damages, and want nothing further to do, into the future, with Harvard University.' He accused the institution of 'serious and heinous illegalities' without providing further detail. Trump has also previously threatened to revoke Harvard's tax-exempt status and seized control over patents resulting from federally funded research. Meanwhile, other Ivy League universities such as Columbia, Penn, and Brown have reached agreements with the Trump administration regarding funding, avoiding legal disputes.
