President Donald Trump announced Friday that his administration will revoke Harvard University’s tax-exempt status, following weeks of public criticism against the school’s actions.
“We are going to be taking away Harvard’s Tax Exempt Status,” President Trump declared. “It’s what they deserve!”
The comments come after a report last month revealed that the administration had asked the Internal Revenue Service to revoke the Ivy League university’s tax-exempt designation. The administration has argued that Harvard has failed to cooperate with federal requests to address antisemitism on campus and to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.
Last month, Trump claimed the university had “lost its way” and that it no longer deserves federal funding. In a post on Truth Social, “Harvard has been hiring almost all woke, Radical Left, idiots and ‘birdbrains’ who are only capable of teaching FAILURE to students and so-called ‘future leaders.”
“Many others, like these Leftist dopes, are teaching at Harvard, and because of that, Harvard can no longer be considered even a decent place of learning, and should not be considered on any list of the World’s Great Universities or Colleges,” he added.
A spokesperson for Harvard pushed back in a statement to Fox News, arguing that the university’s tax-exempt status supports vital programs and has a clear legal precedent.
“The government has long exempted universities from taxes in order to support their educational mission. The tax exemption means that more of every dollar can go toward scholarships for students, lifesaving and life-enhancing medical research, and technological advancements that drive economic growth. There is no legal basis to rescind Harvard’s tax-exempt status,” the spokesperson said.
“Such an unprecedented action would endanger our ability to carry out our educational mission. It would result in diminished financial aid for students, abandonment of critical medical research programs, and lost opportunities for innovation,” the spokesperson continued. “The unlawful use of this instrument more broadly would have grave consequences for the future of higher education in America.”
The Trump administration’s move has already been met with backlash from some lawmakers. House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts responded to the announcement, calling it an “illegal action.”
“Revoking Harvard’s tax-exempt status will have profound consequences far beyond its faculty and students. Harvard is a global leader in scientific research that produces cures and hope for patients and drives our innovation economy,” Clark claimed. “President Trump can’t change a fundamental truth: There are no kings in this country.”
