Former US President Donald Trump has ramped up his attack on Harvard University, calling it a “joke” and vowing to deprive it of federal funding and tax-exempt status. His comments come after the reported freezing of $2.2 billion worth of federal funds destined for the university.
Trump attacked the Ivy League school for what he termed its “woke agenda” and lack of transparency, asserting that high-end universities must not be funded with tax dollars while, according to him, spreading “radical ideologies.” He also threatened to initiate probes into university operations and how they spend public funds.
The former president has long assailed elite universities, but his latest remark is one of the strongest critiques so far, with a call for a re-evaluation of how federal funding is distributed. Trump also indicated that Harvard might lose its tax-exempt status as a non-profit if it doesn’t “get its act together.”
Harvard has not issued an immediate response to the threats, but political analysts say Trump’s statements are likely to spark fresh debate on the role of politics in higher education funding, particularly as the 2024 campaign season heats up.
