The sitting U.S. President, Donald Trump, has threatened Harvard University with its tax-exempt status because it refused to meet the Trump administration’s demand. Trump has made a threat to the Ivy League university on his own social media platform, Truth Social. His post accuses Harvard of promoting “political, ideology, and terrorist inspired/support sickness”. The threat came after the University refused to meet the government’s demand and maintain the proposed government regulation.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote: “Perhaps Harvard should lose its Tax Exempt Status and be Taxed as a Political Entity if it keeps pushing this agenda. Remember, Tax Exempt Status is totally contingent on acting in the PUBLIC INTEREST!”
Students and faculty members of universities across the United States have been protesting against the Israeli genocide in Gaza for as long as it started. Besides, they have started protesting the Trump administration’s regressive policies across several departments. The war on immigration and the crackdown on international students in the name of “antisemitism on campus” have sparked the latest protest. But against Trump’s ‘bully’, the Ivy League universities like Harvard have stood strong, maintaining their own principles and academic freedom.
Federal Funding Cut Preceded Latest Threat
Concerning alleged “antisemitism on campus,” the Trump administration announced it would withhold $2 billion in federal research grants from Harvard last week. The clash between the administration and the Harvard authority and students intensified back then, and now Trump is citing the institute with another threat to exempt its tax status. If the institute refuses to comply with what the White House framed as efforts to combat antisemitism, it might lose its tax exemption. Regarding this hawkish behavior, critics say the administration’s demands—including curriculum oversight and faculty hiring reviews—mean political interference in academia. Similarly, the Harvard students and faculties are protesting with placards “Stand Up to Bully”.
As one of the world’s finest colleges, Harvard has always maintained a robust anti-discrimination policy, but the Trump administration’s demand will dismantle the institutional autonomy. All of this is happening because its students and faculties are critical about Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
What Will be the Legal and Political Implications
If the Trump administration revokes Harvard’s tax-exempt status, it will be an unprecedented move. Universities have long been classified under IRS 501(c)(3) as organizations serving the public good. According to legal experts, this kind of action will face immediate court challenges.
The threat of tax exemption is not just about Harvard—the Trump administration can weaponize the tax policy to punish any educational institution for its political stance, especially when it comes to Israel.
Donald Trump’s remark has not only sparked outrage around campuses but also drawn sharp reactions from conservatives applauding his tough stance on elite universities. However, the progressive groups warned of a dangerous precedent. The American Association of University Professors says, “This is an attempt to silence dissent and control education”. The former U.S. President Barak Obama has also praised Harvard’s stance against Trump’s bully.
