US President Donald Trump has intensified his feud with Harvard University, vowing to defeat the prestigious institution and once again threatening to withdraw billions in federal funding.
In a series of posts on Memorial Day, Trump claimed he was weighing the possibility of cutting $3 billion in grant money from Harvard, accusing the university of being “very antisemitic.” He suggested redirecting the funds to trade schools across the United States but did not provide specifics.
Trump also turned his attention to foreign students at Harvard, a significant contributor to the university’s enrollment and revenue. He said he was awaiting a list of international students “so that we can determine, after a ridiculous expenditure of BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, how many radicalised lunatics, troublemakers all, should not be let back into our Country.”
He concluded with a defiant message: “But have no fear, the Government will, in the end, WIN!”
The president’s administration had attempted to bar Harvard from admitting foreign students, but a judge temporarily halted the move last Friday pending an upcoming hearing.
Trump has repeatedly accused Harvard of harbouring leftist ideologies and fuelling antisemitism. He has also condemned the university for resisting federal oversight in areas such as admissions and hiring.
His latest statements form part of a wider campaign targeting institutions he sees as bastions of liberal influence, including the media and elite universities.
Earlier, the Trump administration had threatened to place $9 billion in federal funding under scrutiny, and already frozen $2.2 billion in grants along with $60 million in federal contracts. A researcher affiliated with Harvard Medical School has also been targeted for deportation as part of the broader crackdown.
