The White House has stated that President Donald Trump wants Harvard University to apologize. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told journalists, “Harvard should apologize.” This comes after Trump escalated his push against elite US universities, threatening to remove Harvard’s tax-exempt status unless it accepts more government control.
Harvard has stood out by resisting Trump’s demands, unlike several other universities and powerful law firms that have given in to pressure from the White House. The university’s president, Alan Garber, made it clear that Harvard would not compromise on its independence or its constitutional rights.
The threat to strip Harvard’s tax-exempt status came just a day after the freezing of $2.2 billion in federal funding. The financial freeze has already affected research at Harvard, with one faculty member being told to stop her tuberculosis research due to the funding cuts.
Despite the pressure, Harvard remains firm in its stance. One student, Darious Hanson, expressed support for the university’s stance, saying, “I think it’s amazing. I think more schools across the country need to show that you’re not going to bow down, you’re not going to let free speech be taken.”
President Donald Trump posted on social media saying that Harvard University should lose its tax-exempt status and be taxed like a political organization unless it agrees to follow his demands. These demands include changes to how the university selects students and the authority of professors.
Trump and his team are justifying their actions as a response to what they call uncontrolled anti-Semitism and support for Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, at university protests. These protests happened last year, especially during Israel’s war with Gaza.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Trump wants to see Harvard apologize for its actions. In a similar situation, Columbia University in New York, which was at the centre of these protests, agreed to oversight of its Middle Eastern department after being threatened with losing $400 million in federal funds.
The White House has also pressured many universities and colleges to change their policies promoting racial diversity or risk losing federal funding. This crackdown extends to law firms, with Trump pushing them to do legal work for issues he supports.
Harvard’s stance
Harvard, the wealthiest US university, is resisting Trump’s push for control over universities. The Trump administration wants to monitor Harvard for anti-Semitism and enforce “viewpoint diversity” in admissions and faculty choices.
Harvard’s president, Alan Garber, says the university won’t let the government take control, leading to a likely long battle.Trump’s advisors, like Stephen Miller, want to control universities, a message that appeals to his supporters. Critics, including former President Obama, see Harvard’s stance as a stand for academic freedom. Many universities are also challenging Trump in court over funding cuts.
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