Trump seeks $1 billion in damages from Harvard University
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President Donald Trump said Monday he is seeking $1 billion in damages from Harvard University.
Harvard has been a prime target of the Trump administration’s attempt to use federal funding to crack down on anti-Semitism and “woke” ideology. The New York Times published a report on Monday titled “Trump Said to Drop Cash Demand from Harvard,” suggesting the president no longer wants a $200 million payment to the government. Trump criticized the Times on social media, saying he now wants the prestigious university to allocate more money.
“The decidedly anti-Semitic Harvard University has been feeding a lot of ‘nonsense’ to the Failing New York Times. Harvard has been very bad for a long time! They wanted to do a complex business education concept, but it was rejected as completely inadequate and in our view would not succeed. This was just a way for Harvard to get away with a huge cash deal of over $500 Million, which should be a much higher figure for serious thinkers. And the disgusting illegalities they are doing. This is not civil, it is criminal.” “There must be an incident, and Harvard will have to live with the consequences of their mistakes.” Trump wrote at Truth Social.
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President Donald Trump said Monday he is seeking $1 billion in damages from Harvard University. (Getty Images)
“In any case, this case will continue until justice is served,” Trump said. “We’re asking for a billion dollars in compensation right now, and we want nothing to do with Harvard University in the future.”
Trump did not specify what specific harm Harvard caused, but said he agreed with at least some of those views. Gray Lady report.
“As the failed New York Times put it bluntly, ‘But some associated with the University think Harvard has no choice but to eventually make a deal. The administration has repeatedly attempted to cut research grants, which would be an untenable crisis. Like many major research universities, Harvard relies on federal funds for its financial model.’
Harvard University did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to blast The New York Times and Harvard University. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
The Times updated its report after Trump’s reaction.
According to the Times report, “Trump administration officials have indicated in recent days that the president no longer expects such a payment, according to Harvard and Trump officials briefed on the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe private conversations.” “But shortly before midnight, six hours after The Times reported that Mr. Trump had backed down, he claimed the story was false and attacked The Times and Harvard.”
In December, Trump administration lawyers appealed a judge’s decision to return $2.7 billion in federal research funds frozen to Harvard University.
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Demonstrators gather on Cambridge Common to protest Harvard’s stance on the war in Gaza and show support for the Palestinian people, in front of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, April 25, 2025. (Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images)
Harvard sued the Trump administration in April over its attempt to freeze federal funding, arguing in court that these actions constituted an unconstitutional “pressure campaign” to influence and gain control over elite academic institutions.
The Trump administration accused Harvard of “inciting violence, promoting antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus,” but Harvard Law professor Noah Feldman said in a radio interview that the move “was about Trump trying to impose his worldview on everyone else.”
Lawyers for the Justice Department argued that it had “every right” to revoke funding to Harvard after Harvard failed to comply with its demands.
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A Harvard spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital that the court’s September decision reactivated “critical research funds that advance science and life-saving medical discoveries, strengthen national security, and advance our nation’s competitiveness and economic priorities.”
“We remain confident in our legal position,” the spokesman added.
Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report.
