Camilla Jessen
As Harvard prepares for commencement, President Trump ramps up attacks on the university over its legal battles.
President Donald Trump on Monday escalated his attacks on Harvard University.
The U.S. President accuses the school of “judge shopping” in its legal standoff with his administration after he threatens to pull $3 billion in federal grant funding — money he says would be better spent on trade schools.
Trump wrote on his social media platform:
I am considering taking Three Billion Dollars of Grant Money away from a very antisemitic Harvard, and giving it to TRADE SCHOOLS all across our land. What a great investment that would be for the USA, and so badly needed!!!
The latest threat comes as Harvard begins its spring commencement week, with nearly 9,000 students set to graduate.
But the celebration is playing out under a cloud of legal tension, student protests, and a mounting feud with the White House.
Legal Battle Over Students, Funding, and Free Speech
According to CNN, Harvard is currently engaged in multiple lawsuits against the Trump administration, including one over the government’s recent move to freeze $2.2 billion in federal funds.
Another suit challenges a controversial decision to ban the school from enrolling international students — a policy swiftly blocked by U.S. District Judge Allison Dale Burroughs, pending further court review.
The outcome of these cases could have implications for the university’s future.
International students make up roughly 27% of Harvard’s student body. The administration’s policy reversal came just hours after Harvard filed suit.
Judge Burroughs, who has been assigned to both lawsuits, is no stranger to cases involving the Ivy League school. In 2019, she ruled in favor of Harvard in an affirmative action lawsuit — a decision the U.S. Supreme Court later overturned.
Trump, referencing her history with the university, wrote:
The best thing Harvard has going for it is that they have shopped around and found the absolute best Judge (for them!) – But have no fear, the Government will, in the end, WIN!
A President Versus a Campus
Harvard has not publicly responded to Trump’s accusations, but the court where the university filed its cases — the U.S. District Court in Boston — is the expected jurisdiction, as the school is based in Massachusetts.
Still, none of the district’s judges were appointed by Trump, and the appeals court for the region is known to be a difficult venue for his administration’s more controversial policies.
Trump has also demanded that Harvard hand over information about its international students, writing:
We are still waiting for the Foreign Student Lists from Harvard so that we can determine… how many radicalized lunatics… should not be let back into our Country.
According to university disclosures, as of October 2024, Harvard’s largest foreign student populations came from China, Canada, India, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.
More Than Just Lawsuits
Beyond the legal action, Trump has also threatened to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status, accusing the school of fostering antisemitism amid ongoing protests related to the Israel-Gaza conflict.
The administration has repeatedly called for universities to crack down on anti-Israel demonstrations, and Harvard has become a frequent target of political criticism.
The lawsuits, social media attacks, and funding threats now place Harvard in a high-profile standoff with the White House, just as it prepares to award thousands of degrees.