Trump threatens to revoke Harvard's tax-exempt status, says the university 'deserves' it
Trump says Harvard 'deserves' to lose tax-exempt status (Photo: Getty Images)
President Donald Trump has reiterated his pledge to revoke Harvard University's tax-exempt status, intensifying a high-stakes clash over campus speech, ideological control, and federal funding, CNN reports.
"We are going to be taking away Harvard's Tax Exempt Status. It's what they deserve!" Trump posted Friday morning on Truth Social, doubling down on a threat he first introduced on April 15.
According to CNN, the IRS has already begun exploring ways to implement the policy.
Tensions have surged in recent weeks, with Harvard becoming the central target in the Trump administration's campaign to reshape higher education.
Last month, the White House's Joint Task Force to Combat Antisemitism froze more than $2.2 billion in federal research grants and $60 million in contracts over what it called the university's failure to address antisemitism and enact policy reforms.
The administration has issued a sweeping list of demands: dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, banning masks at campus protests, adopting merit-based admissions and hiring, surrendering disciplinary records of international students, and curbing the influence of faculty it described as "more committed to activism than scholarship."
Harvard President Alan Garber responded firmly: "We will not surrender our independence or relinquish our constitutional rights. Neither Harvard nor any other private university can allow itself to be taken over by the federal government."
University makes limited concessions
In recent days, Harvard has taken symbolic steps toward compliance.
It renamed its Office for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging to "Community and Campus Life" and reportedly withdrew funding for affinity group celebrations at graduation.
The school also provided some student data to the Department of Homeland Security, though details remain unclear.
This week, Harvard released two extensive internal reports: one on antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment on campus, and another on bias against Muslims, Arabs, and Palestinians.
The findings acknowledged a problem but revealed continued disagreement with the White House over who should lead the reform process.
"This is a positive start," a White House official told CNN, "but what we're seeing is not enough, and there's actually probably going to be additional funding being cut."
Meanwhile, Harvard has filed a lawsuit seeking the release of the frozen $2.2 billion in federal funds — though any resolution is unlikely before midsummer.
