Trump Threatens Harvard’s Tax-Exempt Status Over Policy Dispute
Former US President Donald Trump has threatened to revoke Harvard University’s tax-exempt status after the institution refused to implement government-mandated policy changes.
The White House on Tuesday intensified its standoff with Harvard University, threatening to strip the institution of its tax-exempt status. The move follows Harvard’s refusal to comply with a series of sweeping policy reforms reportedly pushed by the Trump administration.
In addition to the threat, the administration’s Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism announced the suspension of $2.2 billion in multi-year federal grants and a freeze on $60 million in active government contracts tied to the university.
Harvard University President Alan Garber had earlier issued a letter to faculty and students, stating that the institution would not “negotiate over its independence or its constitutional rights.”
“We remain committed to the principles of academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and constitutional governance,” Garber wrote. “No public pressure will force us to compromise our values.”
The letter was widely circulated within the academic community and drew support from several other universities.
A spokesperson for the Trump-appointed task force stated, “If Harvard continues to reject policy changes that are in the national interest, it should not enjoy the privileges of public support through tax exemption.”
The task force did not detail the exact nature of the policy changes demanded but linked them to national security and anti-discrimination protocols.
This latest escalation adds to a series of confrontations between Trump and elite educational institutions, particularly over issues related to free speech, curriculum control, and campus activism.
Trump has previously criticized universities for being “breeding grounds of ideological intolerance” and threatened financial repercussions against those he accuses of promoting anti-American views.
It remains unclear whether the Internal Revenue Service will move to review Harvard’s tax-exempt status, a process that would require substantial legal justification. Legal experts note that such a decision could trigger a constitutional battle over the First Amendment and federal overreach into academic affairs.
Harvard has not indicated any intention to revise its stance.
