Donald Trump announced he will be seeking $1 billion (£730m) in damages from Harvard University as part of an ongoing feud with the institution. The news follows reports that the Trump administration had to backtrack from an earlier demand for a $200 million payment in discussions with the university.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump blamed Harvard for 'feeding a lot of nonsense' to the New York Times. The administration has accused Harvard of inadequately addressing allegations of anti-Semitism during pro-Palestinian protests, a claim that Harvard has rejected.
The university has been a major target in the White House's campaign against what it calls 'woke' ideologies on American campuses. Last April, Trump revoked about $2 billion in research grants to Harvard and froze federal funding, resulting in the university suing the administration over the move, arguing that no government should dictate what private universities can teach or whom they can admit.
A federal court later overturned the funding cuts, ruling that the government had violated the university's rights to free speech. The White House vowed to challenge this decision, asserting that Harvard remains ineligible for future grants.
On Monday, Trump stated, 'We are now seeking One Billion Dollars in damages, and want nothing further to do, into the future, with Harvard University,' accusing the institution of 'serious and heinous illegalities' without providing specifics.
Previously, Trump had threatened to revoke Harvard's tax-exempt status and take control of the university's patents from federally funded research. Other Ivy League institutions such as Columbia, Penn, and Brown found ways to negotiate deals with Trump to protect their funding, avoiding court battles.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump blamed Harvard for 'feeding a lot of nonsense' to the New York Times. The administration has accused Harvard of inadequately addressing allegations of anti-Semitism during pro-Palestinian protests, a claim that Harvard has rejected.
The university has been a major target in the White House's campaign against what it calls 'woke' ideologies on American campuses. Last April, Trump revoked about $2 billion in research grants to Harvard and froze federal funding, resulting in the university suing the administration over the move, arguing that no government should dictate what private universities can teach or whom they can admit.
A federal court later overturned the funding cuts, ruling that the government had violated the university's rights to free speech. The White House vowed to challenge this decision, asserting that Harvard remains ineligible for future grants.
On Monday, Trump stated, 'We are now seeking One Billion Dollars in damages, and want nothing further to do, into the future, with Harvard University,' accusing the institution of 'serious and heinous illegalities' without providing specifics.
Previously, Trump had threatened to revoke Harvard's tax-exempt status and take control of the university's patents from federally funded research. Other Ivy League institutions such as Columbia, Penn, and Brown found ways to negotiate deals with Trump to protect their funding, avoiding court battles.
