
Trump wants Harvard to issue public apology; 'must follow federal law'
US President wants varsity to apologise for rejecting federal demands and for ‘promoting egregious anti-Semitism on its campus against Jewish American students’
After ensuring that $2.2 billion in federal funding to Harvard University is frozen, US President Donald Trump now wants the varsity to issue a public apology.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump wanted Harvard to apologise for rejecting his administration’s demands and “for the promotion of egregious anti-Semitism that took place on their college campus against Jewish American students”.
Also Read: ‘Harvard has set an example’: Obama, on varsity’s rejection of federal demands
“When it comes to Harvard, as I said, the president has been quite clear, they must follow federal law,” Leavitt told reporters.
Tax-exempt status at risk?
Reporters also questioned the press secretary whether Trump was considering revoking Harvard’s tax-exempt status.
Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social, “Harvard should lose its Tax Exempt Status and be taxed as a Political Entity if it keeps pushing political, ideological, and terrorist inspired / supporting ‘Sicknesss’? Remember, Tax Exempt Status is totally contingent on acting in the PUBLIC INTEREST.”
With the “suggestion” that Harvard could lose its tax-exempt status, Trump seems to be raising the stakes for the university in its resolute stand to retain its independence.
Also Read: US govt freezes $2.2-bn grants to Harvard as varsity refuses to toe the line
Harvard's resistance
Harvard refused to comply with a federal order demanding the dismantling of its diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) offices and to implement a change in its hiring and admission policies to cooperate with federal agencies with immigration checks of international students.
Harvard President Alan Gerber in a statement had said that the federal directive violates the university’s First Amendment rights.